Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE Won’t Be Sold in Europe Because the Aerodynamics Are Too Dangerous
The extra bodywork on the fastest Camaro ever makes it hazardous to European pedestrians.
The 650-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, the boss of the sixth-generation Camaros, will not be available in Europe. You might think it’s because of limited availability, low demand, or emissions, but it’s for a much weirder reason. According to a feature from Motor Trend, the ZL1 1LE is illegal to sell in Europe because the aerodynamic bodywork is too dangerous for pedestrians.
A weapon on the track, Europe is worried this car would quite literally be a weapon on the street. Additional bodywork exclusive to the ZL1 1LE includes a huge front splitter and dive planes which serve a functional purpose in improving downforce and cooling. The fact that it all makes the car look badass is just a bonus.
Unfortunately, those extra wings and blades sticking out of the Camaro’s beautiful face are just too extreme for European roads. Getting hit by a standard Camaro would be bad enough, but to get run over by a ZL1 1LE would ruin your whole day with that extra bodywork attacking you, according to the report.
If these aero mods were purely cosmetic, it would be easy for Chevy to bust them off or just swap out the front end with a regular Camaro to make it legal in Europe. However, since it’s all functional and pretty important for making the ZL1 1LE the car that it is, this beauty just won’t fly across the pond.
The Camaro ZL1 1LE eats up the Nurburgring in just 7:16.04, which is 16 seconds faster than a Shelby Mustang GT350 R. The track is where this car was born—and unfortunately, that’s where it will stay as far as Europe is concerned. Our friends in Europe will have to settle for the "milquetoast" Camaro ZL1 without the 1LE track package.