When the IROC-Z made its look available on the market in 1985, three engine decisions had been accessible. The bottom mannequin got here with the usual engine choice below the hood (a 5.0-liter LB9 unit that solely produced round 215 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque); a 155-hp LG4 engine and a 190-hp “Excessive Output” L69 engine had been additionally accessible. Two years later, in 1987, the IROC-Z’s record of engine choices was upgraded with the introduction of two new engines: the 350 L98 used within the Corvette, which produced 225 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque, and the elective, 305 small-block V8 (which produced 190 hp when paired with an automated transmission and 215 hp when paired with a guide transmission).
The IROC-Z Camaro occupied a peculiar nook of the muscle automotive panorama of the Nineteen Eighties. Being geared particularly in direction of dealing with relatively than uncooked, straight-line energy, the IROC-Z might nook at excessive speeds with minimal lack of traction, which gave it a aggressive edge when it got here to navigating tough corners on a monitor, however when it comes to muscle-car prowess, it was decidedly missing when in comparison with a few of its rivals. The IROC-Z didn’t produce the facility output that devoted muscle automotive followers anticipated and shortly gained a status for being extra targeted on look than efficiency. With its aggressive, angular strains and loud exhaust, the Camaro undoubtedly seemed and sounded the half, however when it got here to energy and acceleration, it did not fairly ship the products.