Want to Brag About Chevy Camaros? Check Out These 4 Camaro Facts
The Chevrolet Camaro has been the natural rival for the Ford Mustang since its inception in 1967. Along the way, the Camaro evolved into a multiple threat, with fast coupes, fuel-sipping entry-levels, and fire-breathing ZL1 track stars. However, if you really want to tick your Mustang friends off, brandish a couple of these Chevy Camaro facts, like where the venerable Camaro gets its name.
A Chevrolet Camaro has the fastest production muscle car time around the Nürburgring
When the 2017 Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE, locals probably didn’t expect the aero-endowed Camaro to be so fast. Then the crew unleashed the beast on the dreaded “Green Hell” with spectacular results. The ZL1 1LE smashed its lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:16.04.
That doesn’t just make it the fastest American muscle car around the track; it is the fifth fastest production American car ever to lap the famed track. In fact, the Camaro ZL1 1LE beat everything but Vipers and Corvettes. No wonder; the ZL1 1LE packs a 650-horsepower supercharged 6.2L V8 mill, advanced aero, massive brakes, and a track-ready suspension. If that’s not worthy of bragging, we don’t know what is.
The executives at Chevy made up an animal to name the Camaro
The name game began when Chevrolet conceived the Camaro in the mid-sixties as a direct competitor for the Ford Mustang. Some of the first names to gain traction included the “Chevy Panther,” and let’s face it; it doesn’t have the same ring. According to Thrillist, the marque mulled over 2,000 or more monikers before landing on “Camaro.”
Finally, when the press got their details in 1966 of the upcoming Chevy Camaro, it didn’t disappoint. The official release stated that the Camaro was a French-derived term for camaraderie, but a different GM story is much more entertaining. Specifically, they told the public that a Camaro is “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.”
It’s a fact; the 1970 Camaro was inspired by a Ferrari
The 1970 model, or second-generation, Camaro said adieu to the angular design language of the 1967 through 1969 models. Instead, the 1970 model took inspiration directly from one of Steve McQueen’s favorite cars, the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. The inspired design is apparent right from the start, with the second-gen car incorporating rounded proportions and a more European GT car aesthetic.
There you go, your Chevy Camaro derived design cues from a Ferrari at one point. Not too shabby for a fun Camaro fact.
The Dubai Police have Chevy Camaros in their fleet
If the powerful, naturally aspirated Chevy Camaro SS wasn’t impressive enough, Dubai picked it for service in their Police Department. The car is complete with the characteristic green and white livery, roof-mounted lights, and turn signal-integrated police flashers. Further, the department’s 2013 decision to incorporate the muscle cars into their fleet wasn’t just jest, as the Deputy Police Chief Major General, Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, labeled it a functional choice to modernize their complement.
Still, it’s a pretty cool sight, and the Dubai Police are famous for their over-the-top vehicular choices. For instance, they’ve fielded the Lamborghini Aventador and the venerable Bugatti Veyron. Not bad company for a Chevy Camaro to keep.
