Chevrolet to build 56 ZL1s to honor Le Mans-going NASCAR Camaro

Each year since 2012, the 24 Hours of Le Mans welcomes a race car to its grid. Known as a Garage 56 entry, this car need not fit in any of the race’s sports-car or from-scratch race car classes, and it will not compete for points. For 2023, IMSA has invited a NASCAR Cup Car—specifically, a Camaro ZL1 from Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, and Goodyear—to take this coveted spot. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, and 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller will share driving duties.

Naturally, Chevrolet has decided to celebrate with a special-edition run of road-legal ZL1s so collectors can remember the occasion.

First, a bit more on what these ZL1s are commemorating.  The pairing of team, manufacturer, and tire is no accident, as Hendrick Motorsports has more NASCAR race wins and cup championships than any other team, and the same goes for Chevrolet and Goodyear. “Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said General Motors president Mark Reuss.

The NASCAR Next Gen car debuted in 2022 and brought a host of changes. The traditional four-speed manual transmission was replaced with a five-speed sequential transaxle located at the back of the car. The change also eliminated the solid axle that had been a NASCAR stalwart since 1947 and allowed for an improved underbelly that increased downforce.

Another big change for NASCAR was the move from five lugs per wheel to a single center-lock setup. The change makes for much faster pit stops, surely a big bonus over the course of Le Mans’ 24-hour race. The Hendrick Motorsports team is on its game, too, having just won the Le Mans GTE Pit Stop Challenge.

The NASCAR Camaro ZL1 did require some changes for Le Mans, including modifications to its R07 small-block V-8 as well as real headlights. Stickers just don’t provide the kind of visibility needed for 200-mph rips down the Mulsanne Straight.

To celebrate this milestone in Camaro history, Chevrolet will build 56 Camaro ZL1s as Garage 56 Editions. Chevrolet’s Performance Design Studio gave each a Riptide Blue exterior paint, new for 2024 model-year Camaros, along with thin gold stripes that set off the larger white ones that run the length of the car. A NASCAR 75th Anniversary logo is prominently displayed on the front of the hood, and buyers will be able to opt for one of three additional graphics: a NASCAR windshield header decal, white Goodyear front wheel-arch decals, or door decals displaying 24, just like the Le Mans–going race car.

“When adapting a race car appearance into a production car, you want to showcase themes, proportions, and colors without making the car look out of place on the street,” said Marc Mainville, senior manager of GM Motorsport’s design studio. “The Garage 56 Edition captures the feeling of the race car while allowing the car’s athletic lines to be in the forefront.”

Each of the Garage 56 Edition 2024 Camaro ZL1s will use the ZL1 1LE’s fascia with dive planes and a wicker-bill spoiler on the decklid. In addition, each car will be adorned with a Garage 56 fender badge, Hendrick Motorsports logos on the sail panels, and Garage 56 emblems on the floormats and steering wheel. Naturally, the Camaro ZL1 rides on Goodyear rubber—specifically, Eagle F1 SuperCar.

With this announcement coming quickly on the heels of the Camaro Collector’s Edition, we’re wondering how many more special-run sixth-gens Chevrolet has up its sleeve. Production of the Garage 56 Edition Camaro ZL1 will begin later this year, and we expect to get pricing information as soon as orders open up.

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