2017 Camaro ZL1 Rated Slower than the Hellcat Challenger, but Less Expensive

Now, before anyone goes running to the comment section to insist that the Camaro ZL1 will be faster when “insert real world variable here” – this piece is based strictly on manufacturer’s claims. We all know that there will surely be private owners who lay down better times and we all know that we will see some incapable owners turn in awful times, but based strictly on the claims of the two automakers – the Camaro ZL1 is the slower of the two supercharged muscle cars in a quarter mile battle.

GM Announces Camaro ZL1 Performance Figures
We learned recently that the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will have more horsepower than originally expected, with 650 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque rather than the preliminary figures of 640hp and 640lb-ft of torque. Today, we learned from GM that the 2017 Camaro ZL1 with the new 10-speed automatic transmission will dash from a stop to 60 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds while blasting through the standing quarter mile in just 11.4 seconds. Those numbers are achieved with stock tires on an unprepped track surface.

That second figure is the key in this discussion, as the 2015-2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has an official quarter mile time with stock tires of 11.2 seconds. In other words, based just on the manufacturer’s claims, the Challenger is still the quickest stock muscle car in the world.

For those wondering, the 0-60 times for the Challenger with the 8-speed automatic transmission vary, with the quickest being 3.5 and my personal best being a 3.6 – also on an unprepped track with stock tires. With little practice, 3.7 0-60 times in the Hellcat Challenger can be achieved very consistently, so depending on the real world numbers, the Camaro could be a little quicker out of the gate, but it will most certainly be a “driver’s race”.

However, with the Camaro’s official ¼ mile time being 2 tenths of a second slower than the Challenger’s official time (which was certified by the NHRA), the longer race may be a tougher one for the ZL1.

The Camaro ZL1 Costs Less
General Motors has also announced that the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 coupe with the manual transmission will have an MSRP of $62,135 while the ZL1 convertible with the manual transmission starts $7,000 more at $69,135. Both of these prices include destination charge.

For comparison, the 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (coupe – there is no modern Challenger convertible) with the manual transmission and destination starts at $65,190, so the new Camaro ZL1 starts more than $3,000 less than the Challenger.

GM hasn’t announced the price increase for the 10-speed automatic transmission which was equipped for the official performance numbers of 3.5 0-60 and an 11.4 quarter mile, but we do know that adding the 8-speed automatic to the Challenger increases the price by $2,995, bringing the base price of the quickest Hellcat Challenger to $68,185. Even if the new 10-speed gearbox adds $5,000 – which seems unlikely considering that the Challenger’s automatic only adds $3,000 – the Camaro will still have a lower MSRP compared to the Dodge.

Again, once we see the 2017 Camaro ZL1 in the hands of private owners, we will almost certainly see quicker-than-official numbers from the supercharged Chevy – but based on the manufacturer’s official claims, the Hellcat Challenger continues to hold the record as the world’s quickest stock muscle car.