Consider this for a moment. If you’re fortunate, you might be able to acquire a discounted Camaro ZL1 from the stock, whereas the C8 Stingray starts at $68,300 but offers 490 horsepower instead of 650 horses. You could, of course, opt for the 670-hp Z06 or the brand-new, electrified 655-hp E-Ray, but then you would need to write a check for at least $112,700 or $105k, respectively.
However, some individuals don’t mind the extra money if it means standing out from the crowd. Allow us to provide an example that demonstrates how appearances can be deceiving. The fine folks at the racing-focused ImportRace channel on YouTube typically enjoy races at Island Dragway but also appreciate Bradenton’s racetrack.
One evening at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, they came across something both menacing and stunning – a C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8.Z51 Edition, featuring a striking combination of light blue and black racing stripes, a black roof, and color-coordinated accents on the wheels. It came out to ‘party’ that night alongside a fellow GM representative, an inconspicuous all-black Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, including the wheels.
The distinction between a 495-hp naturally aspirated sports car and a 650-hp supercharged muscle car is quite evident, at least on paper. However, the C8 has the advantage of its innovative mid-engine configuration, which should provide superior traction and weight distribution. Nonetheless, while drag racing may appear straightforward, one must always remember that there is an art to extracting the maximum performance from these prepared surfaces.
It appears that both drivers could benefit from additional training as neither of them delivered an impressive performance. The Camaro ZL1 had a better start than the C8, which struggled to find traction and spun its wheels quite a bit. However, the gear changes in the muscle car were lackluster, to say the least. It’s possible that the ZL1 had a manual transmission, and the owner didn’t have optimal control over it.
In the end, the V8 engines roared as these sport and muscle cars raced towards the finish line – but their elapsed times were far from impressive. The Camaro ZL1 barely emerged as the victor (11.9 seconds), while the stunning Stingray was more about style than speed (12.32 seconds). Nevertheless, let’s set aside any irony and appreciate these precious moments because no one truly knows how much longer we’ll have the sixth-generation Camaro. It’s also refreshing to see the rare C8.Z51 Edition hitting the road instead of sitting idle in a garage, waiting for its value to increase for a profit-driven scheme.
According to the Source autoevolution.com