if you’ve been following the HSV story since
the closure of local Holden manufacturing you’ll
know it’s diversi ed from hot Commodores into
multiple ventures. That includes taking Camaros
from Lansing in Michigan where they are built,
bringing them to Melbourne and converting them
to right-hand drive.
They prefer to call it remanufacturing
because the aim is to roll a car out that’s original
equipment spec. Part of that is obtaining full
vehicle compliance so import numbers are not
restricted. Few converters do that.
HSV has been offering the naturally aspirated
Camaro 2SS V8 in right-hand drive to eager
punters via Holden dealers since September
2018, lling a hole in the General’s line-up
created by the death of the V8 Commodore.
Back then HSV was pessimistic about
adding the ZL1 any time soon. Happily, as
we’ve reported since in AMC, hurdles have
been quickly overcome thanks to strong
support for the project from both Holden
and General Motors in Detroit.
Really, it’s only appropriate that the
ZL1 has come to Australia, and not just
because of the Jane connection. Many
later HSVs had a blower. Think of the
Gen-F GTS, Gen-F2 Clubsport and of cour
the farewell GTSR W1. All of them poweredby
small block Chevy V8s. But none of them are the
awesome LT4 that drives the ZL1 forward in such
fury. In local tune it makes 474kW and 815Nm,
which is slightly down on the US numbers. I’m
tipping you’re not going to notice the difference.
And it still tops W1’s 474kW and 815Nm to
make it HSV’s most powerful vehicle yet. And
yes, of course, it’s a pushrod, but there’s variable
valve timing, direct injection, the supercharger is
integrated into the intake manifold and fuel rails
and there are no less than 11 heat exchangers.
It punishes its rear wheels via the choice
of a surprisingly malleable six-speed manual
transmission or shiny new 10-speed automatic
transmission and an electronic limited slip
differential. Performance potential is towering,
with four second 0-100km/h times on-call with or
without the aid of customisable launch control.
Those mountains of tyre smoke are also available
at will, the auto even has a line locker to make
that process impossibly easy.
A bi-modal performance exhaust amps up
the soundtrack, active Magnetic Ride Control
dampers vary the suspension behaviour to suit
what you’re doing with the car, Brembo six-piston
monobloc callipers work with 390mm two-pieces
rotors up-front to do the stopping.
HSV has traded in the ZL1’s staggered 20-inch
Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres for local- t Continental
ContiSportContact 5 rubber, working on the basis
that they will provide better all-weather grip.
That’s the only real chassis change HSV has
made. You really are getting the authentic US
experience. Like the 2SS, HSV’s not tinkered with
the technical set-up; rather, its focus has been on
making sure everything works in right-hand drive.
The exhaust was modi ed to comply with
ADR pass-by noise limits and a bunch of unique
items had to be sourced or developed in-house
to achieve ADR compliance. These included tail-
lamps, headlights, seatbelts and exterior mirrors.
HSV had to develop a blanking plate to cover
over two driving lights for the front fascia because
ADRs only allow two DRLs, it had to add rear
wheel coverage spats and make modi cationsto ESCtune.It alsohadto developa newclutch
arm because the standard pedal clashed with a
rewall structural member. A new front swaybar
was needed because the original fouled the rack
motor when it was swapped.
All that gear doesn’t come cheap. The six-
speed manual version of the ZL1 will set you
back $159,990 plus on-road costs, the 10-speed
auto an extra $2200. That might stagger you, but
check new car pricing and you’ll see nothing on
the Aussie market these days can match it for
price and outputs at the same time. Nothing since
HSV itself stopped building cars anyway...
Hey, no-one could argue the ZL1 is the most
re ned car on the Aussie market – it’s hard to see
out of, is noisy, lacks safety gear like autonomous
emergency braking and has poor internal storage,
a miserable rear seat and a tiny boot – but if
outrageous bang is what you want for your bucks
then you don’t need to look any further.
My brief taste of ZL1 ends with driving
instructor Gavin Harvey chauffeuring some hot
laps. There’s more connection to the past here
because he’s the son of the legendary John
Harvey. Of course, ‘Slug’ drove for Bob Jane with
much success in the late 1960s/early 1970s, so
our day connecting past and present is ttingly
complete. The talent’s clearly owed on through
the generations because Gavin’s fast and
smooth or violent and sideways depending on his
aggression level. The ZL1 is happy either way.
In 1971 the ZL-1 ruled Aussie tracks. In 2019,
ve generations of Camaro later, it is the muscle
car King of Aussie roads. Bob would be pleased.STOP PRESS: As this issue of AMC headed
to press, news outlets in the US reported that
General Motors had suspended development of
the seventh-generation Camaro. The next-gen
Chevrolet Camaro was in its initial development
stages ahead of replacing the current sixth-
generation car in 2023. These uncon rmed
reports claimed information from ‘multiple sources
within GM’, reaching out to Chevrolet for official
comment but drawing only a statement of ‘we will
not engage in speculation’.