Chevy Camaro SLP Panther 600 (2012)

CAR GARAGE | Chevy Camaro SLP Panther 600 (2012) | Even once you find That promised land in the rev range, launching a supercharged Camaro on street tires is an exercise in patience. Unlike piano lessons, this kind of practice is seriously fun and useful in the real world. Do it right and the 600-hp Panther goes from zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds (4.3 seconds with 1 foot of roll out as on a drag strip). The 2012 Chevy Camaro SLP Panther's power delivery is so linear, so there's no predictable That worry of boost spikes, power surges or even a flat-footed-speed-shift sending you sideways. The shifter, short-throw an SLP job, offers a reassuring thunk-thunk. It's not the light, mechanical bolt-action precision you'll find in some dedicated sports cars. It's an indelicate tool for an indelicate car. Gotta love it in this delicate world.

It's been 12.5 seconds since we left the line and the TVS 2300 supercharger and Blackwing cold-air induction are now drowning out the wind noise here at 115.4 mph. Rocking the SLP into triple digits Panther was a familiar experience much as with the other supercharged Camaros we've tested before, but this time we had "Panther" stitched on the floor mats. Getting the SLP Panther out onto our favorite canyon road was another familiar experience, but not in a way we Could have predicted.

At speed, the Panther's SLP 3.974 pounds of mass does not go unnoticed. Rear-tire traction is almost annoyingly high. Besides more weight, the 2012 Chevy Camaro SLP differs from a traditional Panther Camaro by way of an adjustable coil-over springs and 20-by-9 front and 20-by-10-inch rear wheels. The SLP configuration That sent us had the Panther 1 inch lower than a stock Camaro. Ride comfort is fantastic, but the Panther's handling attitude is hell-bent on neutrality. Gone is the Camaro's turn-lean-set-corner approach to handling, replaced by a ride as flat as a presidential campaign promise. The rest of the afternoon is spent chucking the Panther into corners and leaving them with a Flourish That David Higgins would applaud.

It all starts with a base Chevy Camaro 2SS in either 1ß or trim.  The Namesake Panther 600 package is, at $ 24.995 the biggest hit; it's also where you get all of the good stuff like the SLP TVS 2300 high-output supercharger, SLP POWERFLOW exhaust, SLP Blackwing cold-air induction, SLP short-throw shifter, sport suspension SLP, SLP ZL1-style front fascia, "OEM-Quality" Panther badges, SLP black chrome wheels with gold trim, "Panther" embroidered headrests, "Panther" floor mats and a sequentially numbered dash plaque (1-100).

The Panther 600 kit also benefits from 1.85:1 aluminum rocker arms, high-lift springs and titanium retainers. At idle, They tick-tick-tickticktick Their warning, a redundant audio message to anyone who missed the visual cues Panther That this is not pussyfooting around. The black chrome 20-inch wheels Pictured here with gold trim and Michelin PS2 tires Super Sport Tacks on $ 2.995; the SLP splitter is another $ 495; the rear diffuser runs $ 1.195 and the SLP adjustable coil-over suspension is $ 2.595. Despite the fact That you buy your 2012 Chevy Camaro SLP Panther at your local participating Chevy dealer and it comes with a full five-year/100 ,000-mile powertrain warranty, it's still a tuner package and Thus Spake not subject to the EPA's fun tax. We averaged 14.7 miles per gallon over 637 miles in the Panther.