First 2012 Camaro ZL1 Offered for Sale Goes for $250,000 at Barrett-Jackson Auction in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - September 25, 2011: The first 2012 Camaro ZL1 offered to the public sold for $250,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas on Saturday evening.

The car was offered by Fairway Chevrolet-Buick-GMC in Las Vegas, with 100 percent of the auction proceeds benefitting the YMCA of Southern Nevada.

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group, placed the winning bid and is expected to take delivery of his new Camaro in the first quarter of 2012. His will be the only 2012 Camaro ZL1 coupe produced with a Carbon Flash Metallic exterior. It will be the 69th ZL1 produced at the Oshawa Assembly Plant, in tribute of the legendary 1969 Camaro ZL1, of which only 69 were produced.

"Our family has been involved with the YMCA for more than 25 years," said Greg Heinrich, president of Fairway Chevrolet. "In that time, I have seen firsthand how the 'Y' helps young people, families, and seniors in our community. Today, the community's dependence on the YMCA of Southern Nevada is greater than ever, with the Y sponsoring one out of four members."

Hendrick's generosity will allow the YMCA of Southern Nevada to open its doors many more people who need a helping hand.

"Like the original, the 2012 Camaro ZL1 introduces a performance benchmark for the street and the track," said Russ Clark, marketing director for Chevrolet performance cars. "Offering the 69th Camaro ZL1 at auction was a fitting tribute to the 1969 model, and a great way to benefit such a worthy cause as the YMCA."

The 1969 is the most exclusive and elite Camaro in history. That year, "ZL1" was the code name for the 427-cubic-inch, all-aluminum big-block engine developed for Corvette race cars in the late 1960s, but found its way into 69 Camaros in 1969. The '69 Camaro recently was voted the "best Chevy of all time" in an online contest.

The engine was originally developed as a racing engine for the Can Am series, where early all-aluminum 427 engines had delivered encouraging results in vehicles such as the groundbreaking Chaparral 2F race car. It was similar to Chevrolet's L-88 427 engine, which had an iron engine block and aluminum heads, but the ZL1's aluminum block reduced the engine's overall weight by more than 100 pounds. The ZL1 engine was officially rated at 430 horsepower, but it was known to produce more than 500hp.

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is equipped with a supercharged 6.2L LSA V-8 engine that delivers 580 horsepower, and 556 lb.-ft. of torque. The ZL1's power is complemented by track-ready, advanced technologies including exclusive Performance Traction Management and third-generation Magnetic Ride Control.