History has shown time and time again that bandwagons roll into town as soon as a cool car hits the streets. New cars offer new opportunities for the aftermarket and judging by the full frontal assault of bad taste at SEMA, the bandwagon for the 2010 Camaro is chock full.
SLP, however, are no strangers to smallblocks. Back in the day, aka 1991, Pontiac started selling the Firehawk, a stonkin'-fast hotrodded Firebird Formula offered as an option right at the dealer. It was SLP that did all the heavy lifting in creating the Firehawk, and the result was just about the coolest -- and most powerful -- thing this side of the 911 Turbo of its day.
These guys are veterans, and they've since turned their know-how to the 2010 Camaro you see here. It's the SLP ZL575 Camaro. We drove it, tested it and brought it to MD Automotive's Dynojet chassis dyno. You know, in the name of science.
Hit the jump.
You might have already guessed that the ZL575 promises a power output of 575 horsepower. Taking the Camaro's stock LS3 powerplant from 426 to 575 hp requires boost, and the heart of the ZL575 is the bolt-on supercharger kit centered around a four-lobe Eaton TVS blower similar to the one on the Corvette ZR1.
Supercharged engines usually have a distinct whine. Not the ZL575. The blower is pretty much silent, and its sound signature consists only of intake and exhaust notes.
It made for a surprisingly mellow experience on the dyno... and then I checked the dyno display after performing the first pull.
Running on 91 octane, the ZL575 proved its mettle, kicking out 558 horsepower at 6,450 rpm and 513 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm. Five runs on the dyno were nearly identical, suggesting that SLP did their homework on the engine calibration. No fuss, very little variation, just clean and consistent pulls. The SLP just goes about kicking ass in a nonchalant, matter-of-fact way.
And the shape of the stock torque curve remains remarkably intact, just lifted way, way up. When you consider drivetrain loss, the ZL575 is easily generating more than its 575-hp claim. SLP has been here, done this before.
We'll be sharing our full test of the SLP ZL575 with you next week.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
notabigdeal says:
10:42 PM, 11/18/09
Boring... There seems to be a lot of camaro's that end of on dyno's. Is there anything else? Not that i don't like them... its just... is there any other high powered tuned machine out there?
lt1boy says:
06:18 AM, 11/19/09
Holy Jesus balls. This thing makes over 400 ft-lbs of torque at 2000 RPM. You could probably spin your wheels by just nudging the gas pedal. That's just sick and wrong.
You guys might have guessed it by my name, but I used to drive an LT1 powered F-Body, and I'm glad to see how the very easy power gains from after-market support is being shown to the general public now.
sabastian says:
07:13 AM, 11/19/09
Oh goody. Just what the world needs: another tuner Camaro. I love that for the same price as the ZL575 mod, you could buy an entire Camaro LS.
1krider1 says:
07:43 AM, 11/19/09
You SHOULD have posted the EXACT model of Eaton supercharger (1900 vs. 2300) SLP used and how many psi is being generated at the intake. Also, a complete list of modifications (headers, exhaust, fuel system, clutch, etc) should have been printed.
Can Insideline start posting DETAILED articles written by knowledgeable experts?
If not, can you please hire some?
I'm a real estate professional and I seem to have more knowledge and experience than the writers on this site.
1krider1 says:
07:50 AM, 11/19/09
A before anyone trys to argue with my post or refer me to the follow up article, referrring to the superchager by it's NAME (1900 vs 2300) and how many psi it's making on this car should have been the LEAST data mentioned....even in a teaser article.
The quote "Eaton TVS blower similar to the one on the Corvette ZR1" shows how little this author knows about the supercharger.
They're obviously regurgitating what a SLP rep told them......and what is all they know about this supercharger.
lt1boy says:
08:18 AM, 11/19/09
Inside Line readers, stay tuned for next week's article - the twin turbo Lingenfelter LS7 Camaro SS. Dyno numbers will be revealed, but we're still too lazy to get off our butts and get some performance numbers.
jkavanagh says:
09:49 AM, 11/19/09
1krider1,
You might have missed it, but there's a link in the blog to a detailed spec sheet that includes everything you're looking for and more.
lt1boy, re-read the last sentence of the blog. Two key words in there: full test.
Thanks,
Jason Kavanagh
lvranger says:
10:48 AM, 11/19/09
Wow, jkavanagh, that was the most reasonable response to a bunch of trolls that i've ever seen. Kudos.
1krider1 says:
02:53 PM, 11/19/09
Jason Kavanagh-
If you want to post a link, then do it CLEARLY without hiding it as the "ZL575" text in the "It's the SLP ZL575 Camaro" sentence.
The link is hard to find and NO ONE has any clue what the link leads to.
Lvanger:
I'm a troll for pointing out obvious journalistic shortcomings ???
You do realize these are the same tools that criticize the C6 Corvette that rules the N-ring on street tires because they don't have the talent to drive it to it's potential, right?
Maybe I should become a auto journalist and you should get off your knees and get that out of your mouth.
1krider1 says:
03:04 PM, 11/19/09
After reading the "hidden" link to some of the specs, I realized LPE is NOT running long tube headers on this car.
Adding a set of long tube headers (Kooks or American Racing) will INCREASE power and DECREASE boost due to less back pressure.
LPE is the best in the business, but choose to adhere to ALL emissions standards.
Personally, I would bring my "off road" vehicle to East Coast supercharging in NJ and do the same blower, but have long tube headers installed with a custom tune. It would make more power, for MUCH less money, and the custom tune would be better on emissions than a stock car.
If I'm accuse of bias towards one shop, I'm happy to state LPE are the kings if you can afford them and don't mind having 100% emmissions and transporting your car to LPE. Cartek and Vette Doctors in the NYC/NJ have good reputations on the LS1techforum and Corvetteforum as well.
spdracerut says:
07:07 PM, 11/19/09
1krider1, I'm not sure you've noticed the 'format' of this blog. The posts are generally short and to the point.
Also, the links are VERY obvious unless you're color blind. You also need to take into account the readership; the average reader of this site could care less about the specific model of Eaton blower nor know the difference between models even if they were listed.
The statement of the four-lobe TVS blower being similar to the one used in the ZR1 is correct. They are both of the same basic design; i.e. not old school 3-lobe, not centrifugal, not a turbo.
How much psi does the blower make? It's probably in the link. Again, keep in mind the 'short' format. In the end, what people really want to know is how much HP the package puts out. As you said, boost is also dependent on the entire setup of the car, so listing the boost by itself is almost meaningless. Since we're keeping the entry short, that leaves out listing all the 'parts' in the seutp, which you can easily click on the link to find.
lvranger says:
11:12 AM, 11/20/09
"You should get off your knees and get that out of your mouth."
Wow, with class like that how dare I call you a troll?
If you don't like the site why don't you go ahead and ask for your money back?
mkturismo says:
10:55 AM, 11/28/09
Those are impressive numbers indeed, but I personally would rather spend the money on a track special package that would make this chassis more manageable through the apex's. Come on guys its practically 2010, racing stoplight to stoplight is getting old!