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Sun-in-face and wind-in-hair are elements that have lured convertible buyers ever since the days when all cars were convertibles. Of course, wind-in-hair in those earliest days rarely reached 30 mph.

Wind velocities have ramped up since then. A lot. Today, it's not a question of whether you can get your hair gloriously ruffling in the breeze. With certain cars it's a question of whether your hair will remain anchored to your scalp as the speedo needle climbs.

The ZL1 convertible is an excellent example of this modern phenomenon. It's the most powerful Camaro ragtop in a 46-year history that's heavily littered with potent fresh-air Chevy pony cars.

As aficionados will no doubt recall, they're called pony cars in part because the name of the species progenitor was inspired by a kind of horse—the Mustang. And in part because of the basic concept: a relatively lightweight car with lots of ponies packed under the hood.

That certainly applies to the ZL1. Like its coupe counterpart, it is propelled by GM's supercharged and intercooled 6.2-liter overhead valve LSA V-8, essentially the same engine that makes superstars of the Corvette ZR1 and the Cadillac CTS-V.

In this application its output isn't quite on the same level as the Corvette (638 horsepower, 604 pound-feet of torque)—after all, we can't have Camaros cantering up to the starting gate with more muscle than the top hoss in the corral.

But 580 horsepower and 556 pound-feet of torque is enough to produce face-distorting thrust—or at least a very big grin—and will transport its operator to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, according to Chevrolet.

This may be a little optimistic. In comparison tests, including our own, the ZL1 coupe wasn't quite that quick, and the convertible weighs "a couple hundred pounds more," according to Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser. In the absence of hard numbers, we estimate about 4200 pounds.

But judging by an afternoon of vigorous motoring on lightly travelled byways in western Michigan, it's hard to imagine anyone stepping out of this car and expressing disappointment with its power. Its tidal wave torque comes on early and ramps up to a plateau that resembles the geography of Nebraska. The scenery blurs, and the driver's hair goes vertical.

Leave the Tremec 6060 six-speed manual in one of its taller gears—fourth or fifth for example—and the LSA's muscle covers a broad range of cruising, almost like an automatic transmission. To shift or not to shift—the LSA V-8 is happy either way.

(The ZL1 option list does includes an automatic—GM HydraMatic 6L90—also a six-speed, but it would be a mistake to deprive oneself of the crisp shifts, positive engagements and forgiving clutch of the manual.)

Horsepower asterisk: While this is the hottest convertible in the entire General Motors inventory (there's only one other, the Corvette), and eclipses legendary Chevy ragtops like the 450-horsepower 1970 Chevelle 454, it's upstaged by Ford's latest Shelby GT500 convertible, which churns up 662 horsepower, 631 pound-feet of torque, and weighs a little less.

Not to put too fine a point on it, it'll smoke the ZL1 convertible when the stoplight turns green.

But when the road gets kinky, it's a different story. The Shelby may be the maharaja of muscle in straight ahead sprints, but the ZL1 is not just a one-trick pony. In the world of fast sweepers, esses, and decreasing radii, its magnetorheologically-damped (GM's Magnetic Ride Control) responses are distinctly quicker, its steering more accurate, and more tactile.

Beyond that, the ZL's braking power is commensurate with the supercharged muscle, grip is abundant via a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires on 20-inch wheels, and ride quality is surprisingly compliant, considering suspension calibrations attuned to the performance potential.

Like any convertible derived from a coupe, substituting a folding top for the ZL1's roof structure required compensatory stiffening elsewhere—the source of Engineer Oppenheiser's additional 200 pounds.

In the ZL1, the additional elements include subdural bracing (a front X brace, engine cradle stiffening, and V braces at the rear); reinforcements to the driveshaft tunnel; additional bracing for the transmission support; and a cross brace connecting the front shock towers.

The extra mass pays off with a structure that's basically free of the chassis quivers that afflict some ragtops, something that can't be said for the current crop of Mustang convertibles. And it gives this Camaro the edge in handling.

What all this adds up to is a formidable droptop that's Chevy's hottest-ever. And if it's upstaged by the Shelby GT 500 at the dragstrip, its engine output trumps that of convertibles with some pretty fancy pedigrees—the Aston Martin DB9 Volante and Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, to name two.

Moreover, its all-around performance is better balanced than its opposite number from Ford, it's docile enough for everyday use, and the subdued basso profundo of its exhaust will cause owners to seek out tunnels, so they can revel in the reverb.

And let's not forget the delicious aura of menace that distinguishes contemporary Camaro styling.

At $61,745, including destination charges ($900) and gas guzzler tax ($1300), the ZL1 isn't exactly inexpensive. That's a little more than the Shelby, and just about enough to bolt you into a Corvette Grand Sport convertible.

But of course the Corvette doesn't include a back seat. And there's something to be said for having the most potent Camaro convertible in history.

Articles Source : roadandtrack