Camaro ZL1 Joins the 11-second Club

DETROIT – A few days ago the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was officially named a member of the exclusive “11-second” club. To conquer this feat Chevrolet engineers turned an 11.93-second/116-mph quarter-mile elapsed run time in a showroom-stock automatic Camaro ZL1 and an 11.96-second ET at 117 mph in a manual ZL1.

By joining the 11 second club the Camaro ZL1 distanced itself even further from competitors. Very few other production vehicles can run the quarter-mile as quickly as the ZL1 or reach 0-60 in 4 seconds, however the Camaro ZL1 can accomplish this and more with street-legal, factory-issued components.

For perspective on the amazing power of the Camaro ZL1, most NHRA-sanctioned racetracks require a five point roll bar for vehicles that run 11.49 or quicker. The 11.93-second ET in a stock ZL1 tested by the engineers was equipped with factory-issued Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2  tires developed specifically for it, putting the car only 0.44-seconds away from that additional racing safety requirement. This means that drivers using special tires on their ZL1 for racing purposes should make sure they are ready to handle the monster that is the Camaro ZL1.

Ready for the Drag Strip

The original 1969 Camaro ZL1 is still renowned on the drag strip. For this reason, Chevrolet expected its fans to test the 21st century edition on the strip.

To make the ZL1 the Camaro team re-engineered 30 percent of a Camaro 2SS, adding special modifications just for the drag strip.

For example, the ZL1 features a 9.9-inch rear differential mounted in a cast iron center section to withstand the heavy loads of repeated hard launches. It also features a standard differential cooler that lowers the vehicles temperature up to 100 degrees F for improved performance and longevity.

Manual transmission ZL1’s are equipped with launch control, which automatically modulates engine torque for the best-possible acceleration without excessive wheel spin. Every time the driver pushes the throttle to the floor, the system holds a predetermined engine speed until the driver releases the clutch. Then, the system modulates engine torque 1,000 times per second to maximize the available traction. To top it off, mode 5 of launch control is uniquely calibrated for drag strips that use VHT or similar traction-enhancing compounds on the starting line.

The Camaro ZL1 is on sale now with a suggested retail price of $54,995 – which also includes a $900 destination charge. It offers an optional 6L90 six-speed automatic transmission that includes TapShift control for $1,185. The Camaro ZL1 convertible goes on sale this summer.

For more information on the ZL1’s entrance into the 11 second club go to: http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/May/0504_camaro_zl1

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2012 Chevrolet Traverse

While many drivers use their car as a private sanctuary, free of others changing your AC settings or talking over your favorite song on the radio, many of us are often driving around in a packed car. So for those drivers that find themselves wondering how they are going to fit the last passenger in the carpool, the Chevrolet Traverse is worth a look.

The 2012 Chevy Traverse is a large crossover that features a smooth driving experience and a gigantic cabin that fits as many as eight comfortable adults. It has a carlike architecture that makes it more maneuverable than most large crossover SUV’s, but manages to include more interior space than other competing crossovers as well as good fuel economy and top crash test scores.

Interior Design and Special Features

If you are impressed by the sporty design of the outside of the vehicle, the interior of the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is one to love. The only thing we would change (write this down Chevy) is to make the audio buttons and climate control bigger. Aside from that, the 2012 Traverse features a very attractive interior design and easy to handle controls and gauges.

The passenger cabin offers very comfortable seating for either seven or eight passengers, depending on whether it is equipped with the second-row captain's chairs or the 60/40-split-folding second-row bench seat respectively. Regardless of which layout you get, they are both very comfortable for passengers. Even the third-row seats are adult-friendly, which you don’t see every day from these types of vehicles.

As far as cargo space goes, the 2012 Chevy Traverse has 24 cubic feet of suitcase space behind the third-row seat. If you need more room than that, you can fold down both the second- and third-row seats and for an incredible 116 cubic feet of cargo room. The only vehicles that get more cargo room than the Traverse are minivans or Suburban’s, making the Traverse top dog in this category.

Trim Levels and Available Options

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse has 3 available trims:  LS, LT and LTZ.

The LS trim is equipped with standard 17-inch steel wheels, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, OnStar, full power accessories and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and an auxiliary audio jack. One great feature for this trim is the split-folding second- and third-row bench seats that make it possible to fit 8 adult passengers comfortably.

The LT trim level gives Traverse buyers the choice between two available sub-trims: The first one is the 1LT package, which offers 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear parking sensors, heated mirrors, an eight-way power driver seat and Bluetooth connectivity. The second is the more upscale 2LT trim, which brings all of the same features as the 1LT plus an auto-dimming driver-side mirror, a power lift gate, tri-zone automatic climate control (front, middle and back), remote ignition, a rearview camera and a 10-speaker Bose sound system equipped with USB/iPod interface and rear audio system controls. This trim can fit 7 people comfortably and features second-row captain’s chairs.

The Traverse LTZ trim is the most luxurious of the Traverse’s trim levels. It comes equipped with 20-inch wheels and power-folding mirrors. The LTZ Trim also makes the car more comfortable by including leather upholstery, and heated and ventilated front seats with driver memory functions.

The good news for potential Traverse buyers is that there are available option packages that can add some of the features on upper trim levels to the lower ones. Some of the notable optional add-ons to the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse include a back seat DVD player, a navigation system and dual sunroofs.

Under the Hood

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine and has a six-speed automatic transmission. As far as the power train goes, the 2012 Traverse us equipped with front-wheel drive but has an optional all-wheel-drive system available.

In the LS and LT trims, the Traverse is able to produce 281 hp and 266 pound-feet of torque. In the LTZ, The Traverse is added a dual-outlet exhaust, which pushes it up to 288 hp and 270 lb-ft.

Front-wheel-drive Traverse has an estimated EPA fuel economy of 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. All-wheel-drive Traverse models are very close at 16/23/19 mpg. For the minute differences in gas consumption, we recommend just getting the All-wheel drive.

Safety

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is equipped with Antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control. It is also equipped with front seat side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags for all three rows.

Another great safety feature for the 2012 Traverse is GM's OnStar telematics service, which includes turn-by-turn navigation and hands-free phone connectivity.

In government crash tests, Chevy designers excelled with the Traverse, earning a top five-star rating for overall performance. The Traverse earned four out of five stars for overall front-impact protection and five stars for overall side-impact protection. The Traverse also earned high marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, where it was given the IIHS’s highest rating of "Good" in all frontal-offset, side-impact and roof-strength tests.

Driving Impressions

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse offers good handling, a smooth ride and great comfort. It's much easier to drive than traditional large SUV’s and the 3.6-liter V6 provides good acceleration and pretty good fuel economy (especially for a vehicle of the size).

Verdict

If you need a good amount of passenger or cargo space but don’t want to look like a soccer mom in a minivan or deal with the driving hassles that come with huge SUV’s, the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is the car for you.

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro

What's New for 2012

For 2012, the Chevrolet Camaro saw a number of improvements. The V6 models received a boost in  power and the SS coupe received a revised sport suspension.  2012 Camaro’s now offer a rearview camera and the interior received a much needed make-over. Also for the 2012 Model year Chevrolet will debut the 2012 Camaro ZL1 , resurrecting a the supercharged V8 racing legend.

ZL1

I know that as soon as Camaro lovers read the words “new 2012 Camaro ZL1”, they were going to want to go straight to more information, and so were giving it to you first!

The new 2012 Camaro ZL1 comes with a version of the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that can be seen in the Corvette ZR1. Under the hood of the Camaro it pushes 570 horsepower, thus becoming the fastest Camaro ever.

The ZL1 comes standard equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, but for those of you that don’t drive stick, it has the option for a six-speed automatic transmission. The ZL1 also comes with adaptive suspension dampers, a dual-mode exhaust system, massive performance tires with Brembo brakes and a sleeker and sportier steering wheel.

Other Models

Chevrolet did not leave the other models in the cold this year, giving the other trims many notable updates for 2012 as well.

Among the updated are a more powerful V6 model, a nicer interior cabin that received a revised instrument panel and a new steering wheel and the afore mentioned available rearview camera. The SS couple model received a revised suspension that gives it a more athletic handling.

Every model of Camaro gets last year's "RS" style taillights. These bad boys have darker lenses with chrome trim, which should make Camaro fans happy. All models will also include a rear spoiler as standard and a special 45th Anniversary package to commemorate the special occasion.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Optional add ons

The 2012 Chevy Camaro is a four-seat vehicle that is available as a coupe or convertible. The 2012 Camaro is available in the V6-powered 1LS and 2LS (available for coupes only), 1LT and 2LT trim levels, as well as the V8-powered 1SS and 2SS trim levels.

The 1LS comes standard equipped with black 18-inch steel wheels. It also comes equipped with automatic headlights, keyless entry, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, OnStar and a six-speaker sound system that brings a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio. The 2LS is basically the same thing as the 1LS, but it includes an automatic transmission as opposed to a manual.

The 1LT trim is equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels and eight-way power seats (compared to six-way that come on the 1LS and 2LS models). The 1LT also features the Convenience and Connectivity which gives it remote ignition (only for automatic transmissions), a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and an I-pod interface.

The 2LT trim is equipped with the same items as the 1LT but also includes 19-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors and front seats, auto-dimming rearview and driver-side mirrors, rear park assist, a rearview camera (with a rearview mirror display), and a Boston Acoustics sound system that boast 9 speakers.

The 1SS trim is very similar to the 1LT but adds a V8 engine, 20-inch wheels and a sport-tuned suspension. The 2SS is essentially the love child of the 1SS trim and the 2LT, featuring many of the 1SS performance features and the luxury features of the 2LT.

The RS package is available on all trims except for the LS. This package adds 20-inch wheels and xenon headlights to your Camaro.

The 45th Anniversary package we mentioned earlier is available on the 2LT and 2SS trims. It includes Carbon Flash paint with red/charcoal stripes, special 20-inch wheels, and requisite badges and embroidered logos to add a little flash.

Interior

The interior of the 2012 Camaro boasts some retro touches like square gauge hoods and the available four-pack of auxiliary gauges with a modern dash design. It offers a new steering wheel that's more ergonomic and is way more comfortable to grip than in previous in years.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro LS and LT come received an updated engine this year and now boast a 3.6-liter V6 that gives it a mean 323 hp and 278 pound-feet of torque. The EPA-estimated fuel economy for the 2012 model is 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined with the automatic (the manual gets 2 fewer mpg across the board).

For the 2012 model year the SS received a 6.2-liter V8 that produces an insane 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque with the six-speed manual transmission it comes with and 400 hp and 410 lb-ft with the optional six-speed automatic transmission. The manual SS is able to go from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds. It has a EPA-estimated fuel economy of 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 19 mpg with the manual transmission. The automatic is slightly less fuel-efficient at 15/24/18, thanks to less engine power as well as cylinder-deactivation technology.

Safety features

Every trim of the 2012 Chevy Camaro is equipped with antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags, stability control and full-length side curtain airbags. Every model is also equipped with OnStar which is a great feature to have.

Verdict

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro made us remember just how much we love Camaro and why. Both the V6 and V8 models offer a combination of speed, torque and class that make it a must have for racing fans. The Camaro has a cornering grip, communicative steering and an improved suspension that made it easier to handle around corners and tight turns than ever before.

Thank you Camaro, you just made us smile again :o).

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