Meet Catherine Newman and her 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1. See what happens when younger guys approach her to challenge her driving. Newman, of course, is the Vice President of the Maryland Camaro club.
She personally owns three Camaros. "Agirl has got to have fun and Camaros are it for me," she says. Here is Catherine Newman in her own words.
This is my 2012 Camaro ZL1: the number 27 off the line.
I have a black scoop on the hood, which is rare. They are usually carbon fiber. So I stuck with the Black and white theme on all my mods that I have made on her.
This car handles so well. You are cruising along and before you know it you are cruising a little over the speed limit. The best thing is when I have a guy come up on me and challenge me to a race and has no idea what a ZL1 Camaro is. They think I have a Camaro SS, until I leave them in the dust. It’s fun not because I’m a girl, but it's fun because I'm an older women and they usually are younger than I am.
The car takes sharp turns like they don’t exist and I enjoy feeling the power under my feet. My 2012 ZL1 has 6.2-liter supercharged engine, which has 580 horsepower. This Camaro purrs like a kitten, but always ready to pounce.
I get pretty good gas mileage for that much horsepower. Currently I am averaging 16 miles per gallon. With all that being said, I had to change my Camaro's looks just a little to make her mine. I took the front grill off and put a predator grille on her. I put side scoops on where the gills are. Also, I took all the chrome lettering and changed them to black lettering. The engine cover, which was red, is taken off too and painted white with black lettering to make it pop. I had the strut bar painted too. I had the words ride the lighting painted in black. Among other things I changed the cold air intake to a Roto Fab that was painted white for me. I took all the caps off to oil and dipstick and so on to black with white lettering that says Camaro on them.
The door handles have been changed to handles that light up at night on them I plan on changing the rims out for white rims this spring. I have put some chrome on the inside to pop against the black interior. I put Zl1 Kick Plates on the doors. Chrome on most of the knobs. And I added a white cup holder. Lloyd Matt with embroiders Zl1 on them with red stitching to match interior. There are only a few more things I want to change and I'm done. Yet, most of all I have tremendous fun with my Camaro ZL1 and that’s what its all about for me.
* A Chevy Camaro Playing To The Sound Of A Small Block Beat, another TorqueNews reader's story. Have a special vehicle, send us the picture and let us know why it's special and unique to you.