The Camaro is well known for providing a claustrophobic, periscope-like outward view, but lowering the roof means the massive rear pillars disappear and the blind spots are no longer a factor. However, with the top up, rear visibility is even further restricted than in the coupe, as the rear window in the fabric top is basically a slit.
At highway speeds with the roof lowered, wind buffeting and noise are noticeable but acceptably low. Run the speedometer into triple-digit speeds—easy with this much power—and, as you might suspect, the wind becomes very obtrusive. Selecting the topless ZL1 tames the track-day specialist coupe by stripping away some of the high-tech hardware, creating more of a formidable Sunday cruiser.
The folding roof hardware gobbles up the available space, so a conventional limited-slip diff is installed instead. Smaller-diameter anti-roll bars are used in both the front and rear to dial back some of the athleticism.
Even with the, ahem, expanded programming, the ride is compliant and the lighter steering remains sharp. Our mile drive involved divided highways and interstates, not the best roads to accurately assess the ZL1 chassis with its upper structure removed.
Over undulating surfaces, a slight shake can be felt through the steering wheel. Mastery begets glory. The quarter-mile flashes past at mph, just In the sport and track settings, the engine cuts fuel on upshifts for faster gearchanges, which are accompanied by a satisfying blat, yet the computer still targets the same shift points. That changes when enthusiastic driving triggers one of three performance algorithms, still in sport or track mode. The first level holds gears when you lift off the throttle and rev-matches on downshifts, while the most aggressive mode constantly holds the lowest possible gear.
All it takes is a single corner of hard driving to trigger the performance shift. The sheer number of gears removes a lot of the joy from manually paddling through the cogs. Not to mention that downshifts in this mode feel significantly slower and clunkier than when the gearbox is left to its own devices.
Engineers did attempt to address the tedium of toggling through six or seven or ten gears by writing code that jumps to the lowest possible gear when you hold the left shift paddle, but we found the system to be wildly inconsistent.
Sometimes the downshift was nearly instantaneous. At other times, whole seconds passed before the shift occurred. And sometimes, inexplicably, there was no shift at all, no matter how long we held the paddle.
The new speed transmission, the addition of the eLSD, and an extra 70 horsepower make this ZL1 both faster and more rewarding than the fifth-generation ZL1. That change saves more than pounds compared with the prior ZL1. It does, though, circle the skidpad at 1. Understeer is easily abated with clean driving or a quick prod of the throttle, and the suede-wrapped steering wheel communicates the chatter of the front rubber instantly and clearly when the tires start to slide.
A new line-lock feature yes, the Mustang had it first clamps down on the front brakes for up to 15 seconds so the driver can warm the rear meats before a drag run or smoke out the crowd at a car show. But really, who needs help spinning the tires with this much torque? If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Driving. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again.
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