Can the classic take down the modern monster?
Though the Chevy Camaro ZL1 may have ended production almost a year ago, it remains a legendary muscle car, renowned for its fierce power and agile handling. With a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 pumping out 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the ZL1 is a favorite for muscle car enthusiasts, rivaling models like the Hellcat and Shelby. Whether in its stock form or modified with additional tuning, the ZL1 remains a beast on the dragstrip.
Recently, the Island Dragway in New Jersey hosted a thrilling drag race between a modern ZL1 and an older Oldsmobile 442, bringing two generations of muscle face-to-face. While the ZL1’s modern engineering and monstrous power make it a formidable opponent, the Oldsmobile 442, a classic icon in its own right, showed that vintage muscle still has some serious kick.
Despite the ZL1's clear advantages in horsepower and technology, the race turned out to be much closer than expected, with the Oldsmobile 442 holding its own on the track. These kinds of battles between modern and classic muscle cars continue to captivate fans, showing that old-school horsepower can still be a force to be reckoned with, even against today’s most powerful machines.
Whether it’s the raw V8 power of the Oldsmobile 442 or the precision-engineered strength of the Camaro ZL1, this drag race was a reminder that muscle cars—old or new—are always ready for a showdown.