It is an image of pure Americana: a pristine ribbon of asphalt as straight as a die, a convertible muscle car with a tanned and sunglasses wearing driver with a soundtrack provided by a combination of the lazy V8 under the hood and Chuck Berry's 'No particular place to go' on the radio.
However, should you change the radio to Golden Earring's 'Radar Love' and hear that voice in your head that drives your heel Chevrolet has the perfect answer in the Camaro ZL1 Convertible; the most powerful open car the company has ever produced with its supercharged 6.2-litre V8 churning out 580bhp and 556lb.ft of torque. These figures are not only ahead of contemporary muscle cars like the Ford Shelby GT500 but also European convertibles like the Porsche 911 Turbo and Aston Martin DB9.
The ZL1 Convertible features all the advanced suspension technology that allowed its coupé brother to lap the Nürburgring in 7:41.27, but adds braces to the under-body, transmission and suspension towers to combat the inevitable effects of taking a can-opener to the roof.
The Camaro ZL1 will debut at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show ahead of it going on sale in late 2012.
Paul Healy - 13 Oct 2011