Zac Quinn 
It’s not quite yet curtain call for the Chevrolet Camaro, but it is getting an epic send-off. A panther-themed Collector’s Edition will be released for fans for the final model year of the sixth-gen muscle car, but that’s not all, as the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro is readying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. Qualifying just wrapped up today, with this Nascar Cup Series-based endurance racer clocking around Circuit de la Sarthe in a balls-out 3:47.96 minutes. Far ahead of any LMGTE AM class car, which Corvette Racing will compete in with the C8.R for the final time. Of which, Corvette Racing qualified second in the LMGTE Am class with a time of 3:52.228.
Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro: Details
Since 2012, Le Mans has invited a 56th team to participate in the iconic endurance race, showcasing innovative machines with a nod to the future. Though the car makes its way around the track, it’s not a competitor as it sits in its own class and isn’t eligible to claim a trophy. But that won’t stop the Camaro’s drivers from sending this car around the corners and letting the ears of the French countryside enjoy the wavelengths of an American V8.
While the car is modeled after the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the engine is a Hendrick Motorsports 5.9-liter pushrod V8 with a redline and pure NASCAR sound. The 750-horsepower engine is paired to a sequential five-speed gearbox.
In the video above, the Garage 56 Camaro can be seen shooting through the corners amid the LMH, LMP, and GTE cars on the track. We can see in the video that the car was also tuned to turn left AND right, which makes driving this thing considerably more fun. We assume. As for the weight, it tips the scales at around 2,900 pounds which is a lot for Le Mans endurance, but considering how much that is compared to a NASCAR spec version, it’s a step up. Plus, that car has a lot of tire, and a lot of engine relative to the rest of the field.
These laps we see here are just practice laps. The real action of the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans will kick off this weekend. Though the Garage 56 Camaro isn’t expected to win, but it’s no doubt a people’s champion. In fact, Le Mans tickets have been sold out since December, meaning that Camaro drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller will have to put on a show for nearly a quarter million people.
