What KBB Loves About the 2021 Chevy Camaro: “The Punch When You Nail the Pedal”

The staff on duty at Kelley Blue Book have been educating the auto-loving public on the best and worst attributes of cars since 1926 and had the ferocious 2021 Chevy Camaro on tap for their latest last week. Just for starters, a few of the things new this year are the wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto as standard and the addition of the Wild Cherry Design package. Horsepower offerings range from 275 for the base turbocharged 4-cylinder on up to 650 for the supercharged V8. It is also pointed out early in the article that something for us here at West Chevy of Knoxville and all of our customers to love is the starting price is lower than that of rivals Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

There is the choice of coupe or convertible body style, and the KBB staff praised the new Camaro for its very tech-rich interior. They were thrilled with the 650-horsepower V8 nestled in the ZL1 Model, and appreciated how it does not have the sensation of a “straight line sled” like models from years past and feels a bit lighter on its feet. The testing site they picked was the famous Angeles Crest mountain roads of Southern California, then a bit of proper track time at Willow racetrack.

It was here the KBB crew noticed that the Camaro is at the core a pretty big car, and can feel even larger on narrow, winding roads. Once they got on the track, the mass immediately provided better comfort compared to what you would experience in a smaller coupe such as the Toyota 86. Their favorite attribute on the track was one that is quite understandable: the gratifying punch you get whenever you bear down and nail the gas pedal. Even the base turbocharged 4-cylinder version boasts the same output of a fully loaded V8 Camaro from just a few generations back.

 

Another favorite feature that the KBB crew saw growing on them right away was the convertible: after removing the roof, you get to bid farewell to the blind spots that are unavoidable with this shape and stature of performance auto. Inside, modern touches such as heated seats and the touch-screen infotainment system are welcome additions, and the driver-selector mode offers Snow and Ice, Tour and Sport, plus automatic climate control and a color driver-information display between the gauges.

Make sure to ask us during your test drive about upgrades like larger 8-inch touchscreen, and enhanced driver-information center. The SS model offers up magnetic ride control and dual- mode exhaust, which are both standard on ZL1 models. One thing to keep in mind is that even at the mid-range LT1 trim level, you get to enjoy the 6.2-liter V8, Brembo front-disc brakes, performance suspension, 20-inch wheels, and vented SS-style hood! The Camaro has been a legendary and lightning-fast performance car for decades, and we’re excited about just how awe-inspiring and memorable every single drive is from behind its wheel.

Chevy Camaro Deemed by Car Connection “Best Performance Buy for 2020”

Aaron Cole is the experienced and well-versed editor for The Car Connection, and he began his latest feature about our prized Camaro by lamenting that “These are halcyon days for horsepower”. In regards to the best reasons to purchase one, he opens up with saying that nothing provides as “intoxicating a mix” in regards to the horsepower and throaty V-8 for the price. The SS model focuses heavily on the 6.2-liter V8, which cranks out 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with the 6-speed manual transmission that Aaron ranks as the most engaging out there, and rises up from zero to 60 mph at around 4.3 seconds.

When compared to the LT1 model, the SS features a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen, Brembo Brakes, performance tires, and a digital instrument information display as standard. The SS also provides the addition of available magnetic dampers that really mold the car into a shining star on the track. After the additional finesse of a 1LE suspension tune, the SS is ready to take on anything track-related, with a lot of heart and sheer muscle.

When stacking up the Camaro to it's prominent crosstown rival in the form of the Mustang, the Car Connection team points out that they love the 5.0-liter V8 that makes 460 hp, but the Camaro beats out the Mustang when it comes to handling. In regards to the Mustang GT, it is improved with a Performance Package 2 upgrade, but after extensive driving, was still not deemed as nimble when it came to navigating every single little bump and turn on the track. It was not long ago that cars that boasted more than 400 horsepower were usually going to hover around the six-figure range, and all of us here at West Chevy of Knoxville agree that these are exciting times for anyone who wants to experience this type excitement on a bit of a  budget.

This is the longstanding “pony pride” of the Chevy line that Car and Driver bills as “endlessly enjoyable to drive”, and offers up something for everyone as far as driving experience overall. For 2020, the lineup also saw the addition of a new Rally Green paint color  and a few other options to hone in and personalize your Camaro. The LT1 Model is the entry point designed to make V-8 power more accessible to the masses, but the SS is where you see truly linear power delivery, and heart-pumping acceleration enhanced by the dual-mode exhaust.

The professionals who have years of experience with high-performance cars that have driven the Camaro as of late say that the brake performance is fantastic: aggressive and assuring responses are the norm, and every time you engage it's obvious that years of research and development more than paid off. Key safety features include available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision warning, and available rear parking sensors.

New Camaro Model Announced For Thrilling 2020 Nascar Cup Series

Last week the announcement was made that Chevy teams in the 2020 Nascar Cup Series would be driving the Camaro ZL1 1LE, which will be the fastest, most track-capable production Camaro of all time. This exciting and world-class car will replace the SS for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, and so far this year, the ZL1 has produced seven wins. Chase Elliott has 4 under his belt, and Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and Justin Haley all have one each.

With the new model, engineers went hard to work optimizing aerodynamic performance by using computational fluid dynamics, simulations, and full-scale wind testing to hone in and create the best track contender possible. The new ZL1 1LE is the absolute highest performer within the Camaro lineup, and the Chevy namesake has won a record of 39 NASCAR manufacturer championships, seeing 13 titles in a row from 2003 – 2015. Chevy drivers have achieved a record 31 championships, including Jimmie Johnson's record-tying seventh three years ago. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series will be the 72^nd season for the thrilling sport of stock car racing, and the 49^th season for the modern-era Cup Series.

The season will begin at Daytona International Speedway with the Advance Auto Parts Clash, the Gander RV Duel qualifier, and the 62^nd running of the sun-splashed Daytona 500. Just two weeks ago, it was announced that Go Fas Racing created an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing to glean chassis, data, and technical support from them beginning next year. On October 16 of 2019, JTG Daughterty Racing announced that they signed Ricky Stenhouse JR to a multi-year deal, and three weeks later, Landon Cassil stated in an interview that he plans to stay put in the StarCom Racing no. 00 Chevy for 2020.

On October 1 of 2019, NASCAR officially released the rules listings for 2020. Among the

changes is the reduction of road crew members from 12 to ten, and teams with three or more cars are now limited to just three roster spots. This year after 21 years of being NASCAR's Premiere Fourth of July weekend event, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway will now move to August and becomes the final race of the regular season. Everyone here at West Chevy of Knoxville is beyond excited to see how the most powerful Camaro ever fares during one of the most exciting pastimes in America, and we’ll keep you posted right here as the multitudes of Michelin rubber hit the pavement!

2019 Chevy Camaro 1LE Ideal Shift Points Laid out in Detail by GM Authority

Every time we spot a Camaro on the road, it's long been a habit of ours here at West Chevy of Knoxville to slow down and check it out: the staff on duty at GM Authority just finished spending a solid week testing the 2019 Chevy Camaro 1LE Turbo, powered by the turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 LTG engine and equipped with the 1LE track handling package. They first took it to the drag strip, where they executed a quarter-mile time of 14.1 seconds at 103 mph. These are fantastic numbers, especially for a car that was not originally meant for the drag strip but engineered for the standard handling course instead.

Reduced weight, upgraded suspension, stickier tires, and limited rear slip differential all boost the car's performance in the road and track realms, as well as a casual daily drive. While the team was on the drag strip incorporating the best ways to get the car off the line as fast as possible, they also were able to closely observe how and when the 2.0-liter inline-four LTG engine makes power and torque. During the first quarter-mile attempt, they kept holding on the gears, pushing the boosted 4-cylinder engine to its 7000 rpm redline, which they first didn't realize was quite correct!

Since it relies heavily on boost to make its power, the turbocharged LTG engine hits its peak 295 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. Meanwhile, its 275 horsepower tops out at 5,600 rpm. After that occurrence, the turbo drops out substantially, and the engine understandably runs out of steam a bit. Because of this, it is not needed to just keep revving high on the 1LE in hopes of extracting more raw power. Instead, the GM Authority crew recommends shifting just under the 6,000 rpm mark, which enables the engine to fall back into the most generous allotment of its powerband.

By using this technique, they were able to alleviate a full 0.3 seconds off the quarter-mile time, with a best time of 14.1 seconds at 103 mph. The 2019 Chevy Camaro 1LE Turbo is equipped with the same “no-lift shift” feature as the V6 and V8 powered Camaro 1LE models: this allows the driver to change gears without releasing the throttle, which really allows the driver to focus intently on the RPM gauge while careening down the straightaway. We love it when the most experienced of drivers get Chevy vehicles out into their best natural habitat and open them up, and this feature gives us the inside scoop on the pointers for added gusto in the acceleration department!

50 Golden Years After the Beginning, eCOPO Camaro Race Car Concept is Born

It was fifty years ago that the original COPO Camaro was introduced to the public, and all of us here at West Chevrolet are constantly in awe of this car's potential for power, ability, and raw handling on the track. The new eCOPO Camaro Concept demonstrates a vision for electric drag racing, as the future has arrived, in the sense that planet responsibility and sustainability is at the top of many automaker's list, including ours. Developed by GM and built in conjunction with the Hancock and Lane Racing drag team, this new concept car is based on the 2019 COPO Camaro.

This is an entirely electric-powered car, driven by an electric motor that offers up the equivalent of more than 700 horsepower, and 600 lb-ft of torque. Testing time for the quarter-mile is estimated now in the 9-second range, and this is one concept that has pushed the power and racing envelope to the fullest, while at the same time channels the spirit of full-throttled and high-octane racing. Hancock and Lane Racing not only have a track record of success within the drag racing realm, but also benefit from strong ties to Patrick McCue, the brains behind the record-setting “Shock and Awe” electric drag racing car, and the Seattle-based Bothell High School automotive technology program.

The original 1969 Camaro models relied on the most creative engineering in existence to make them successful in the very exciting and challenging event of Stock Eliminator drag racing. The same level of dedication is evident in the ground-breaking new motor within the eCOPO, which sports GM's first 800-volt battery. This electric motor is based on a pair of BorgWarner HVH 250-150 motor assemblies, each with the capability to generate 300 lb-ft of torque, while utterly replacing the gas engine we have all become so accustomed to. It is mated to a conventional, racing-ready “Turbo 400” automatic transmission that boosts the motor's torque to the same solid rear axle put to use in the production COPO Camaro racers.

With the new 800-volt battery pack, there is a much more efficient transfer of power to the all-electric motor, and it is able to support faster recharging. This is all-important when it comes to the rapidly paced elimination rounds in drag racing, when time is of the essence. This is very exciting new territory in the technological realm, as drag strip racing is one very demanding and pavement-pounding performance arena that gasoline has dominated since its early origins. Each of the four included 200-volt modules in the battery pack weigh around 175 pounds, and are mounted strategically for ultimate weight distribution.

A full On-board Battery Management System monitors all temperatures and constantly changing critical voltages within the pack. It is also tied into a comprehensive safety system that is always evaluating the electrical components in a vehicle, for safe operation and proper function. This electric motor as the same bell house mounting pattern and crankshaft flange as the widely-used LS-family engines in Chevy's crate engine lineup. This is what allows it to bolt up to nearly any single one of the GM transmission family's lineup.

The possibilities are amazing and will open up numerous ways to limit fuel use in the drag racing realm, a place in which fully electric power was scoffed at just a few years ago. The eCOPO Concept joined the 50^th anniversary 2019 COPO Camaro race car along with two dozen additional Chevy concepts and show vehicles, finishing its run at SEMA in Las Vegas on November 2^nd.

Curbing the Desire to Drag: Camaro's Domination + Achievement List

 When the summer months begin their sultry drawl in Knoxville and the sun beats down, many racing fanatics get to curb their desire to watch a few races, or get down and dirty themselves with a little fresh (and hot!) asphalt. At the Knoxville Drag strip, you can catch the "Outlaw Heads Up" series during August, and get in on some of the very exciting action by hearing the engines roar. The Camaro has always been a front-running performer on the drag strip, and many racing fans love watching it outperform others on the drag so much, that they feel that they have to have one of their own.

The Camaro has more of everything that works to seamlessly connect the driver to prime pavement, and models such as the 2018 ZL1 equipped with the 1LE Track Package will forever reshape the way you think about racing technology. Front dive planes and adjustable suspension are just a few of the amazing attributes that keep the Camaro so very high up the ladder in pure appeal. Snagging up awards is one way that a car really proves itself in the marketplace, and the Camaro did just that in 2017.

J.D. Powers and Associates named the Camaro the "Most Dependable Midsize Sporty Car, Five Years in a Row." The company conducts surveys related to customer satisfaction, and buyer behavior in the car industry. The Camaro is absolutely dependable: with no current listed recalls, many run avidly on up to 200,000 miles with ease. While you are gleefully spinning your tires at the strip, the Custom Launch Control uses Performance Traction Control to keep rear tires spinning at the correct speed, and allows you to adjust both your wheel slippage and your launch RPM by means of the Driver Information Center.

Car and Driver is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has been a monthly authority on everything avid gearheads want to know for decades. Known for a bit of biting tone and general disdain for SUV's, their circulation of 1.23 million has always had a penchant for anything fast. The Camaro was named in Car and Driver's 2017 10Best, and hailed for its reliability and prowess on the road. With Electronic park brake, Keyless open and start, and Power Seats with Memory Package, it's a car that proudly puts to use its driver-centric array of technology.

Kelley Blue Book awarded the Camaro with the 2017 Best Resale Value award, an honor in a post-recession landscape where cash has consistently been king. We don't think that you would ever find a reason to want to get rid of this high-performing and purring beast, but if you do, you can be assured that you're gonna get a bit more cash back in your pocket than other makes have. Come visit us at West Chevrolet to check out the potential of owning a new Camaro, and the many different safety features it has. Side Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and 8 standard airbags in the ZL1 Coupe are all going to protect you at the first sign of any trouble.

Ask us how you can get on board with maintenance visits, and 5 years or 60,000 miles of Roadside Assistance with Courtesy Transportation. When the Camaro first rolled out in 1966, it was evident just what a landmark and sought-after vehicle it would become, and the days of summer are the most alluring to hear it roar irreverently down any drag strip.

Check out the all-new 2017 Camaro ZL1

Check out the all-new 2017 Chevrolet ZL1. It has been reinvented for the sixth-generation and made to excel in everything.