They have been raced in stock-car racing, trans-am road racing, drag racing, dirt track racing, top speed contests, and stoplight grudge matches. Some of the versions actually made by Chevrolet are actually full-blown race cars that are road legal. Whether it was cruising the boulevard in the Vietnam Era or tearing up the track in the new millennium, these cars have been there.

They have had every iteration of engine from pathetic Iron Duke 2.0 4 cylinders to wooly supercharged beasts capable of lifting the front wheels under acceleration. From Bon Jovi listening Mulletheads cruising the beach with the T-Tops open to setting quarter-mile class records the Camaro has been the everyman's car.

15 ZL1 Sleeper

The original ZL-1 was simply a special order code that became available 2 years after the model first appeared starting in 1969. It could be ordered with a deceptive plain-jane trim such as the model above, or it could be ordered with the R.S. package that included hidden headlights, a spoiler, and upgraded trim, as did the S.S. and Z-28 models come also. What made the Zl-1 so famous and collectible today is the fact that it was never a production car. General Motors banned engine sizes above 400 cubic inches in intermediate-sized passenger cars, with the exception of the Corvette. while the Camaro was often sold with two versions of the 396 engine, when a buyer or dealer specified a ZL-1 option, he got an aluminum 427 engine built to conservatively deliver 425 horsepower with a high-lift cam.

14 Fred Gibbs Marque Camaro

Via: Bing

Fred Gibbs special ordered many cars with L-78 396 engines such as light-weight Chevy II and Novas, but in 1969 he supposedly ordered 50 ZL-1 cars from Chevrolet Central Office Production forms, known as C.O.P.O. cars, and dressed the cars in all manner of racing equipment such as aftermarket fiberglass hoods with scoops, numerically lower rear axles for drag racing and snubber bars for traction. As you can see by the specimen above, he wasn't shy about advertising that he had them. Unofficially the Zl-1 motors were said to really make around 480 horsepower with open headers, not the rated 425.

13 B4C Second Generation

Police Departments in the 1980's and '90s needed high-speed pursuit cars that could accelerate, brake and corner as well as high-performance cars that may be fleeing them. Not satisfied with the 4200 lb Caprice as the only option for police, Chevrolet offered stripped-down z28 muscle-cars with gear specifically designed for police duty including heavy-duty cooling systems, upgraded brakes and suspension. The cars made from 275-350 horsepower at the wheels and came with both 6-speed manual transmission and 4-speed automatics. They were as fast as any production car made in America at the time with the exception of the Corvette. They also were commonly ordered with additional roll-over and collision protection not normally found in passenger models.

12 B4C First Generation

via wikipedia

Upgraded z28's adapted for police use at the last minute, these cars came with either a 5.0 liter tuned port injection engine producing 230 horsepower or a 5.7 version rated at 275 horsepower. They came standard with 4 wheel disc brakes, uprated suspension and light sets for police use along with a heavy-duty electrical system and heavy-duty cooling system. Rare for the time was a 5-speed manual transmission option and the more common 4-speed automatic was the usual choice. For the 80's they were a fast car.

11 Iroc-Z

via Haggerty

Named after a limited series of matched race cars that ran identically prepared cars from 1972 until 2007, the Camaro was the chosen model for these races all throughout the 1980s. The streetcar only bears a resemblance to the stock-cars, nevertheless they sold by the millions and had a cult following. Actually they were a luxury upgrade package for the famed z-28 model that included stripes, 4 wheel disc brakes before they were standard, better-looking interior and lighting groups came standard with the IROC-Z and the very fashionable T-Tops were an option. Available as both a 5.0 liter and a 5.7 liter model, almost all of them came with a 4 speed automatic, although there are rumors of some coming with a 5-speed manual transmission.

10 Yenko S.C. New Millennium

via thedrive.com

Recapturing the sales and amateur racing fame Yenko Chevrolet had in the late '60s with it's branded C.O.P.O. models, Yenko has utilized the new Camaro spec'd with the supercharged Zl-1 engine from the Corvette, the drivetrain is said t produce between 480 and 650 h.p. at the wheels according to who's telling the story. The engines themselves are a limited production hand-assembled 6.2 liter engine topped by an Eaton-supercharger. Chevrolet has a special team that assembles these engines and they are put together slowly, not on an assembly line. These cars come with either 6-speed manual or a 10 speed automatic with active management and a paddle-shift manual mode. Yenko brands these cars with their own body cladding and styling trim.

9 Camaro R.S. S.S.

via JustJared

Two option packages in 1 car. By far the most sought after collector model and the hottest car that was available to the mass market for the first generation. Upgraded from the standard 283 and 327 engines, and given 3-speed automatics or 4-speed manuals these cars came with 3 engines. The first option was a 275 h.p. 350 and farther up the line came a 325 h.p. 396 and the top option was a 375 h.p. 396 that really made about 420 h.p. These cars were fantastic lookers as they came with a hidden headlight option, stripes, option interior and nice controls for the time. The R.S. package sometimes showed up on 283 and 327 powered cars without the S.S. package, but that was rather rare, as most buyers wanted speed and luxury.

8 Original Z28

Via Hot Rod Network

Introduced in the 1967 model year as a de-stroked 327 engine option turned into a high revving solid lifter 302, this car was built to satisfy proof that so many were sold to the public to allow Chevrolet to satisfy homologation requirements to compete in S.C.C.A. Trans-Am road racing which dictated 5.0 or smaller displacement engines. The most famous model and the most collectible is the 1969 R.S. Z-28 package as it was the cleanest looking and had suspension refinements to improve handling and acceleration, where the mono-spring rear '67 and some '68s hopped all over the road under severe acceleration. 1969 was the last year of the 302, and the last year of competition for these cars, as the 1970 model year was powered by a 300 h.p. 350 and was a bigger, heavier car carried all the way into 1981 with few changes. Chevy's participation in racing ended in 1969.

7 1993 z28

via Wikipedia

1993 Z28. This was the re-birth of serious power and handling for this car. It was famous not only for being a re-body, but the engine power, transmissions, and overall quality were much higher than the previous generation. Factory stock, this thing could out-run kitted 2nd and 3rd generation cars. Refinements and power increase all through the '90s made this car sweeter every year, with only slight mods to the body. 4 wheel disc brakes with anti-lock finally became standard, putting it on par with the best Europe and Japan had to offer.

6 C.O.P.O Camaro

Via: myclassicgarage.com

Actually just an order form to special equip a Camaro in the early days of production, almost all of them ended up as base trim cars with either the 396/375 h.p, engine or the 427 engine that was not normally installed in the Camaro. As stated previously, more than a few ended up with the aluminum zl-1 off-road competition engine. Any dealer that had significant sales volume could order one and many did. Many came with simplistic dog-dish hubcaps, basic interior and lots of power. These were for guys that intended to race either on the street or on the track.

5 1970 R.S. S.S. 396 Camaro

This is a car a lot of aficionados don't know exists, it was largely outsold by the similar-looking 350 powered R.S. Z-28 of the same year, but this had the famed big-block, available in both 325 and 375 h.p. trim. This differed in style from the R.S. z-28 in the fact that the steel rallye hubcap wheels from the first generation came as standard and not the new for '70 steel slot rallye wheels on the Z. The R.S. package deleted the center section of the front bumper on both the z-28 and the S.S. which really made the car a stunner. Other versions without the R.S. trim upgrades weren't near as pretty. The bumper in name only wouldn't be available past the 1972 model year and by 1974 big ugly bumpers ruined the looks of the car to satisfy impact resistance requirements that came later.

4 1970 z-28

By far the most popular for that year. It was the first year of the second generation and the highest performer until the 1993 model came along. Unique to it was a 1 year only small rear fin, that was the only major styling difference from the 1971 and '72 that looked very similar. The 10 to 1 compression 350 lost 8 % power the following year when they reduced the engine to 8:1 and then things got worse all through the '70s as emissions laws and safety standards reduced performance and increased weight. After 1974 the "z" was actually dropped and brought back around 1978, with T-Tops as an option to entice buyers. The first 3 years of this style had a great looking rear window, but it was useless for backing up and the driver had to use mirrors to avoid a collision. What the z-28 lacked in power compared to the S.S. it made up for in handling due to weight and balance difference.

3 New Millenium 1LE package Turbo 2.0 4cyl

The 1 LE package denotes a premium handling and braking option group. These things are available with v6's making 335 h.p. ,v8's making 455 and 650 h.p. (Zl1 supercharged), but we're interested in their weird little 4 cylinder brother. At 275 h.p. when the turbo is spooled up this thing makes as much power as any Iroc-Z but it does it with an inline 4 cylinder engine. What that means is a significant handling improvement on hard cornering because there are over 250 l.b. of weight not there to have to maneuver. This car is still incredibly quick in acceleration and it's a winner. Premium Brembo Brakes with opposed piston calipers and cross-drilled oversize rotors come with this package.

2 Zl1 1LE 2018 and Up

This is the car nobody thought would get built, but they exist. You can buy one right now if you have the time and money. Available with a hand-assembled 6.2 Eaton Supercharged aluminum 6.2 liter engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, these things are insane. Carbon Fiber Wing and active ride control are standard. Really there isn't any current technology not seen in this car. Standard tires are 325 /30 in the back and 305/30 on the front-mounted to 19-inch wheels. The ride height is adjustable as is the down-force. It even has a city/country dual-mode exhaust system. Basically it's a supercharged upgrade from the S.S. 1Le. A race car with license plates.

1 1967 R.S. Super Sport 396 Convertible

While it was a little crude and unrefined in handling as it was rushed into production the first year, the '67 S.S. convertible is incredible and highly desired. If a buyer was lucky enough to option a car like this, he/she had a dreamboat on wheels. Available with either a 3 speed automatic or 4-speed manual transmission, this thing was a riot. They even had 2 different 4-speed transmissions available according to whether you wanted smoothness or robustness. With up to 375 horsepower in a car with only 3600 lbs, this thing was fast in a straight line. Many were fitted by the owners with snubber bars which helped to stop wheel hop under acceleration as the mono-springs made the thing a burn-out king for youthful drivers. It was a hell of an introduction to a new model line that has lasted over 50 years.