Get to steppin' it's time to go topless!

If you haven't heard by now, Chevrolet is prepping a new Camaro, the ZL1. And its mean. Yeah, it's a big boy, but it now has all the muscle it needed to prove its worth. Though what you should also know is that it is built almost identically to the new Cadillac CTS-V and CTS-V Coupe. So if you really can't wait they are available right now. You just have to get your Caddy that zigs at a very Caddilac V series price. Not to say this is no sale price slouch, this is the most expensive production Camaro to date. With 580 Hp and 556 Lb-Ft of torque, the power mark is well above its competitor the Shelby Mustang GT500. The article in Jalopnik has a nice little comparison of like qualified cars for perspective. For another round of perspective, the 1993 454 Chevrolet 1 Ton truck didn't deliver near that amount of torque, think more along the line of half that amount. It was capable of hauling the HD frame and a goose neck trailer with at least 2 cars on it. So imagine almost twice that amount of piston canon under the hood of a convertible, retro-themed, muscle-rocket! It gets the blood pumping in almost any heart. Though the Camaro steals its engine from the Cadillac, the LSA does deserve some serious credit. Chevrolet is using an engine that they have engineered to near bulletproof and now they are supercharging the dickens out of it. When everyone is going turbo, GM goes supercharged. In true 'Merican fashion. I will say that I think it's about time that the GT500 had some real competition. If you are ignorant enough to believe that the GT500 was out for Corvette blood, you are sorely mistaken and quite delusional. Maybe doing hot laps with a C5 Z06 you might have some success but the C6 has always been in a new league. But we aren't here to talk about that American hero, were here to talk about the high end muscle war that is about to commence in the ranks of the supercharged bullies. The GT500, current king of the hill and the now infamous Camaro ZL1. It will be interesting to see how long this feud last with all the recession talk and greenies out to hipsterize (yes I made that up) the Pony/Muscle market. I can regurgitate the specs all day long, and I can even tell you that the Camaro in top-on form crused the famed Nurburgring circuit in 7:14:27, quicker than a 2010 911 Porsche Turbo, or the Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV! I can ramble on about how the magnetic shocks are technology that you can find borrowed into the Ferrari 458 Italia. But this is just a lot of awesome and while a personal favorite for the Mustang, I can always apprecieate a great muscle car. It's what's in my blood and was what moved my interest as a car nut. So go wild and take your top off, 'cause this IROC ain't made for the drag strip!

Photo credit to GM.