I covered these roads in my BMW M3 G80 last year and would pick the ZL1 over it any day without any second thoughts.
BHPian vj123 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Team-BHP meet – Tail of the Dragon
- Duration: 4 days
- Fuel cost: $450.13
- Fuel consumed: 92.8 gallons (351.2 liters)
- Distance covered: 1756.7 miles (2827.1 kilometers)
- Fuel consumption in mpg: 21.3 (best), 17.8 (average), 11.1 (worst)
Link to the detailed meetup report
Last month, I took the ZL1 to the Team-BHP meet at Tail of the Dragon and it was a blast. Prior to the trip, I completed the second break in service at 1500 miles and replaced engine oil & rear differential oil.
I was able to cover the 9-hour stretch between Michigan and North Carolina (sans food and fuel stops) with ease. It was a comfortable GrandTourer and the features that stood out during the highway cruise, other than the power delivery, were Magnetic ride suspension and Recaro seats. I had to get used to the Alcantara material in the seats which was warmer than a typical leather seat but the cooled seats took care of that issue.
Sport and Track modes brought in significant differences in power delivery, throttle response, suspension travel and ZL1 tackled those mountain roads like a champ. Once warmed up, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires offered plenty of grip in the corners and it gave immense confidence in pushing the vehicle along those curves.
At the end of the drive, the wheels were covered with brake dust and Brembos did the job except for one instance where I misjudged a sharp curve. I wish it came with carbon ceramics which would have held better during those sprinted drives.
I enjoyed the “Performance Shifter” feature the most during those sprinted mountain drives. This feature is activated based on acceleration, braking and cornering inputs which prevents transmission upshifts and also opens all exhaust valves bringing in plenty of pops & crackles with the supercharger whine.
As I spend more time with the vehicle, I can understand the reason behind the rave reviews about this car as it excels in day-to-day driving as well as track duties. I covered these roads in my G80 M3 last year and would pick the ZL1 over the M3 any day without any second thoughts.
Keyword: Took my Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a car meet & enjoyed every bit of it