Check out what happens when a stock Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 takes on a brand new Corvette Z06 in drag race action.
Once again we return to rainy and cool British Columbia, Canada at Mission Raceway Park to watch the festivities as two North American giants face off.
On the left, we have a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Under the hood is a 6.2-L supercharged LT4 V8 engine with 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. Power is routed to the rear wheels through a 7-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic (we’re never given a peek inside the cabin, so it’s hard to tell which one this particular Corvette has). Zero to sixty is done in around 3 seconds with a top speed of 185 mph.
And then on the right, we have a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Coincidentally, the Camaro also has a supercharged LT4 engine with the same 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. It is roughly 300 lbs heavier than the Corvette, so zero to sixty takes 3.5 seconds instead of the low 3s. It also comes with a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic transmission sourced from Ford.
On paper, the Corvette should have this one in the bag. Although possessing the same power, the Corvette is significantly lighter and more streamlined than the Camaro, but as with any race where the cars are closely matched, it usually comes down to the driver.
Race 1 proves that when the Corvette has an absolutely terrible launch. Rather than accelerate smoothly off the line, the Corvette spins its wheels for what seems like an hour before finally finding traction. In this case, the Camaro’s greater weight actually proved beneficial in order to ensure it had enough traction to launch off the line.
The Camaro finished in 12.27 seconds at 124.42 mph, while the Corvette posted a dismal 12.74 seconds at 118.71 mph.
Perhaps learning their lesson, the Corvette opted for two attempts at a burnout before their rematch. This allowed the Corvette a much better start where it kept ahead of the Camaro for the full quarter-mile run, although just barely.
In round 2, the Corvette finished in 11.97 seconds at 121.45 mph, while the Camaro finished in 12.02 seconds at 122.61 mph.