The Chevrolet Camaro has come a long way since its inception in the year 1966. The most recent version that we all would easily recognize is the Bumble Bee – thanks to a sci-fi flick called Transformers. The movie was a great success and even in India, people went gaga over the action and the graphics. The popularity of the movie, and the Bumble Bee in particular, excited GM to the extent that they brought in a Bumble Bee Camaro at the 2010 edition of Auto Expo.

It was a visual treat for the audience visiting Expo, and guess what – we were the only auto magazine to have driven it! Back to what this story is about – the Camaro ZL01 and it packs in supercar technology and performance worthy of sports cars of a much higher pedigree.

The overall design on the outside is basically pretty much the same when compared to the regular Camarao but there’s an aluminum hood with a carbon fiber air extractor. The prominent ZL badge on the side shouts out the more aggressive character and the forged aluminium 20-inch wheels look as sinful as devil himself. The front splitter, side rocker extensions, rear diffuser and a spoiler all add to the sportiness of the car. The headlamps too have been upgraded and they now feature LED halo rings making the front stand out even more than before.

Under the muscular shell beats a 6.2 litre, supercharged V8 engine that produces 580 bhp and 754 Nm of torque. It gains the distinction of being the most powerful engine ever fitted to a Camaro. For a track-focused performance, the ZL01 comes with a 6-speed manual gear-box while a six-speed automatic with Drive, Manual and Sports modes can also be ordered.

With so much power being available on just a tap of the foot, this Chevy features something called the Performance Traction Management and Magnetic Ride Control which is basically a traction control system which has five different modes offering everything from rain to race. The Magnetic Ride control uses Magneto-Rheological fluid in the shocks through computerised reading to create a staggering movement of 1000 times per second depending upon the setting.

The Camaro ZL01 is not only a chip-controlled monster, but an extremely moving feat that stands as testimony to the brilliance of technology and human efforts. Respect.