The automotive world may be abuzz with talk of the upcoming 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, but that spotlight shouldn’t outshine the the offerings from the General’s other storied sports car nameplate. The 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE is one of the most extreme cars the automaker has put out in a long time, and as this flaming burnout video shows, the “regular” old Camaro ZL1 is still a tire-shredding beast in its own right.
Packing 650 horsepower in its supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 engine in stock form, the Camaro ZL1 is capable of rocketing from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds on its way to a lowball top speed of 198 mph. It’s a lithe, track-focused machine, whether we’re talking about a road course or a drag strip. Our own Lawrence Ulrich had a blast burning rubber for 500 straight miles on his epic road trip from Charlotte, North Carolina to Daytona International Speedway, and it’s already become a favorite base for custom shops to create their own version of a Dodge Demon-slayer.
Vengeance Racing is an Atlanta-based General Motors performance outfit known for their LS engine builds. We’ve previously covered their work on the Camaro ZL1, and one of their recent projects is this 2017 model, which has been blessed with a new ProCharger supercharger and boosted up to 1,000 horsepower. The team apparently decided to consecrate the car with a monster minute-long burnout, which ends up lighting the rear brakes on fire in the video below.
Smoke show aside, we’re wondering why on earth the driver decided to roast the rear pads (and probably warp the rotors) instead of engaging the Camaro’s built-in line lock function, which holds the front brakes and releases the rears for and easy, sustainable burnout. It might be because the feature only lasts for 15 seconds—not nearly enough time to make a statement.
But whether or not you agree with his wasteful ways or low-RPM technique, it’s always fun to see rotors glow an angry red like that. We’re just glad we’re not paying for the brake job.