Prior to the launch of its ZL1 program, SLP started its entire line of products (including the ZL1 Specialty Vehicle Program) from the 2010 Camaro SS you see before you. Superchargers, exhaust, engines, suspension, clutch packages, you name it–came from this development vehicle. And when it was all said and done, this vehicle sported its whole catalogue of fifth-gen parts that any customer could build on his or her own. What we found out in testing this vehicle is that the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
For better or worse, the SLP project car attracted attention wherever we went. In part this was due to the bold declaration of 770hp clearly visible on SLP's muscular hood (PN 100035) and its many other aesthetic enhancements (spoiler, badges, grill insert, close out panel, and stripes to name a few). There was no mistaking it for stock in looks alone and the accentuated burble of the exhaust certainly helped as well, which was delivered via long-tube headers with high flow cats and a PowerFlo X crossover (PN 30214) as well as a Loudmouth II axle-back (PN 31212). Meanwhile the surprisingly docile combustion and valvetrain noise was provided by a ZL 427 Supercharged Long-Block Engine Assembly with TVS 2300 Supercharger (PN 12542M). The package includes SLP's supercharger set for 10psi, which is bolted to LS3 heads and an LS7 block stuffed with a forged rotating assembly, 214/230 duration cam, 1.85 ratio rockers, double row timing chain, 85 lb/hr injectors, heavy duty oil pump, hardened pushrods, ARP head studs, and a 160-degree thermostat. This 10.82:1 compression motor also comes with a tune and a Boost-A-Pump. The idle is so tame you'd think its stock, and the car drives around town without a hiccup. Another astounding discovery was that an aftermarket radiator had the thermostat pegged at 170-degrees with the A/C system on at 80-plus degrees ambient temperature. A stock 2012 Camaro SS we had a week later couldn't even manage that.
On the highway we received numerous pleas from other cars to show them what it had, and from a roll the massive mid-range torque doesn't disappoint. Around town, the same can be said as the tame cam allows you to go from mild to wild depending on how heavy your right foot is. At which time, first and second gear can easily become useless. Sadly in drag testing, we found a very similar outcome. With a big slick tire and a rear end to stand up to it, I would estimate that the torquey SLP Camaro is capable of low 11-second times based on the 614-rear wheel horsepower it made on our Dynojet, its weight, and the 122mph trap speed it made during one pass. However, on street tires the best we managed was a 12.39 at 120mph with a measly 2.30 short time. On drag radials, we did manage a 2.06 sixty-foot, but the heat in September kept us to a 12.16 at 119. The cool 70-degree weather during testing on street tires proved that more power was not the solution to going faster. Granted there were three other factors at play: driver error (hey, I'm not perfect), heat soak from the positive displacement blower, and a possibly failing posi. The general feeling of disconnect from the rear tires made the car difficult to drive, couple that with a nervous 1-2 and 2-3 shift that had the car wandering all over the lane and you have one of the hairiest 12-second passes possible. Needless to say power shifting or even letting the clutch out quickly wasn't an option.