The production of the Chevrolet Camaro, the American muscle car icon, is ending as we know it in January 2024. As such, Camaro enthusiasts are scrambling to get their hands on the final examples to be made available to the public. Among those exist the Panther Collector's Edition, and the Garage 56 Edition. However, word on the street is that these are already spoken for as limited extensions of the car, or they simply are price-hiked to relatively expensive figures.

That being said, once-offered options for this final sixth generation of the car aren't even available anymore. This includes things like the carbon fiber rear wing on the ZL1 1LE, and possibly the Performance Data Recorder, a must for many prospective buyers. It's a wonder how a 2024 ZL1 1LE variant is still available with all this going on. Despite the fact that the car is traditionally not pushed in advertising, GM probably cannot keep up with the increased orders as is.

As such, the only option that logically remains for most is to go to the used market for these offerings. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The car will be cheaper, still could be like new as lightly operated, and it will hold its value. On top of this, the consumer will have the right of choosing from the full range of available options, while avoiding that dreaded gas guzzler tax.

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The Fifth Generation ZL1: The Forgotten One

Camaro fans are rushing to get the car of their dreams, and many want a piece of the pie before it's too late. Having one of the final 2024 model sixth-gen cars is a cool conversational piece, but it isn't the be end all in the long run. This is especially true if the car is overpriced and lacks desired options.

Chances are the average Joe or Jane isn't going to get their hands on the Panther or Garage 56 and likely will have to settle with whatever they can get or afford. For these reasons, a used sixth-gen is a great consideration, for a cheaper example with all the possible options to boot. Nevertheless, there remains another alternative of merit, that being the fifth-generation ZL1.

Fifth Gen ZL1 Vs. Sixth Gen ZL1

If you want a muscle car, the general feeling is a rear-wheel drive V-8 coupe with a manual transmission. This takes options like the current GT500 off the table for some people, which despite being the mightiest Mustang ever in normal production, comes with an automatic only. One could definitely opt for an SS model in the sixth-gen, a Camaro that still comes with the 1LE track package, which on paper compares favorably to a fifth-gen ZL1. The Alpha platform of the current gen is lighter than its predecessor's Zeta chassis.

However, if one wants a no-compromise car, the option has to be the zenith variant, meaning the most powerful and capable mass-production car ever offered. Quite simply, this is the ZL1 in either of these two final generations as far as the Camaro is concerned. Not even the fifth-gen Z/28, with its naturally aspirated LS7, is as capable or well-rounded as the ZL1.

Undoubtedly the fifth-gen ZL1 was a game changer, garnering its name from the famed original, this was a track-ready car out of the box. Aside from sixth gen differences of more power; lighter weight; the 1LE option; and a 10-speed auto, the first modern ZL1 should not be so easily dismissed as a cheaper, but very capable alternative.

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Fifth Gen ZL1: World Class Performance, Bargain Bin Price

The Camaro has always been considered one of the most bang-for-your-buck performance cars, being cheaper than the Dodge, Mustang, and Corvette variants. In the last decade or so of ZL1's existence, it may not have been as powerful as those options, but it also isn't as expensive, and it is a better all-around performer than other make rivals.

The ZL1 has the least power over the top Dodge and Mustang, but it is in between them in weight, and it comes with more out-of-the-box than the Mustang does. Usually, the Mustang requires expensive add-ons to compare to what the Camaro has stock, and in terms of the 2012 ZL1, this is things like:

• Third-generation Magnetic Ride
• Performance Traction Management
• Factory engine and transmission coolers
• Factory brake cooling ducts
• Factory rear differential cooler

Though the Camaro and Corvette often share parts and tech, both being Chevy toys, the latter is really in a separate league. Still, the C7 makes its own case today. In addition to the sixth-gen Camaro, another option could be the GT350, but with a high-revving naturally aspirated engine, it is more like the Z/28. All possible comparable vehicles cost more than the fifth-gen ZL1 does.

2014 GT500 Vs 2023 Challenger Hellcat Specs

It's imperative to compare the 2014 GT500 to the fifth-gen ZL1, as the two are contemporaries. It was the advent of the 2012 ZL1, that forced Ford to increase the output of the GT500, from 550 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. This resulted in the figures above, which manifested with the 2013 GT500 model year. As far as the Hellcat, one could consider the Charger as well, but for our purposes here it is omitted as a four-door sedan.

Also, the Charger is even heavier and more expensive, as well as automatic transmission only. As for the Challenger, today in 2023 it is a lighter car than it used to be, and the manual option has been returned. Of course, there are Redeye and Super Stock variants that increase the power output, but the Redeye isn't quicker than the standard Hellcat, as the tires can't put the extra power to the ground. Even so, those options make the car as expensive as over $80,000-$90,000.

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Fifth-Gen Chevy Camaro ZL1 Features

In today's car market, vehicle prices new and used have skyrocketed for a variety of reasons. The push to grab these final ICE cars before they go away altogether, perhaps ceding to EV variants, has made muscle cars not immune to this. Maybe the best time to grab a fifth-gen ZL1 was in 2018 after the next-gen 2017 ZL1 caused the former's prices to plummet seemingly overnight.

The previous ZL1 has since recovered its value. However, having always been cheaper than a Mustang or Challenger, this case still remains. All it takes is some used car shopping to realize this. Quite frankly, the performance differences don't justify the price gaps.

Rival And Contemporary Performance Specs

One can see that the performance gap isn't all that great considering the prices that all of these cars command today, and all are overkill for legal street driving. The sixth-gen ZL1 is faster in a straight line than the 1LE version, but the latter is the fastest Camaro ever around the Nürburgring. Yet the ZL1 1LE doesn't have mag ride, and the stiffer suspension makes it less of a livable daily.

The 2012-2013 ZL1 didn't change much, except for the fact that the upgraded infotainment touchscreen was offered in 2013. The 2014 models saw a revised rear-end styling, with the added option of Recaro seats, with minor driver display updates. Other than external paint color options, along with these changes, the fifth-gen ZL1 saw the same power output figures throughout the lifespan up until 2015.

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Squeezing More Power From A Fifth Gen ZL1

The Fifth-gen Camaro has retro looks that stand the test of time, being based on the iconic 1969 model. The car's revival in 2010 after the fourth generation's end in 2002, coupled with the popularity of Bumblebee in the Transformers film franchise, helped the fifth-gen Camaro outsell the Mustang. Not only that but despite what looks one prefers, the sixth-gen has never been as popular sales-wise as the fifth-gen.

In fact, the fifth-gen topped over 80,000 units in every year but 2015, in the U.S. alone. That's five out of six years, moving nearly 500,000 units in total, while the sixth-gen never reached the 80,000 annual plateau in America. If the looks, comparable performance, and lower cost aren't enough to convince one to take the fifth-gen ZL1 seriously, then one must consider the tunability of this monster.

Still, we're talking about a car with "No-Lift Shift," launch control, a standard six-speed manual Tremec transmission with a short throw, a supercharged fire-breathing V-8, with Brembo brakes and magnetic suspension, complete with a traction management system for the track, along with a heads-up display.

All this for under $60,000 new, and now for in the low $40,000 range mostly, while rivals pretty much start at $50,000 and likely cost significantly upwards of this. The fifth-gen ZL1 is a car that lapped the famed Nürburgring track in 7:41.27, the world-renowned supercar proving grounds, which in 2012 was faster than Porsche and Lamborghini models. If memory serves right, it was a top 50 time then, all-time.

The fact is, the ZL1's LSA engine only runs on 8-9 psi of boost from the factory. This means that there is room to play with and that simple bolt-on modifications can squeeze out significant power, as much as 725 horsepower or more. Yes the sixth gen's LT4 is the more powerful engine, but the LSA offers the most value. Not only is the LSA cheaper, but it has a bigger stock blower and isn't as challenging to tune as the LT4. Thus, it could be considered a swapper's dream. So if the stock version of the car isn't good enough for the driver, consider this information, but know that the factory engine output beats out these cars of the time for a fraction of the cost:

• Audi R8 GT; 560 Horsepower, 398 Pound-feet of torque; $196,800
• Maserati Gran Turismo; 405 Horsepower, 339 Pound-feet of torque; $122,800
• Mercedes SLS AMG; 565 Horsepower, 479 Pound-feet of torque; $185,750

Of note, only the Audi comes with magnetic ride standard, while the others didn't even offer this option.

All in all, the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is more than worthy of consideration today. It's a car that provides massive performance for the money, and that compares favorably to rivals. It's athletic enough for the track and agile enough to be a daily driver out of the gates. Pick one up for relatively cheap while you still can. Although too much for the street, forget any modifications, the car remains a blast to drive. Mash on that accelerator, open up the dual-mode performance exhaust valves and let all that power scream.