Camaro ZL1 Carbon Performance Package Hits The Track

Engineering excellence at Chevrolet Performance extends beyond the confines of the lab. It’s carried to the racetrack, driven through late-night tuning sessions, and fueled by a team that lives for speed.

“We have a group of folks that do these tasks outside of work,” explains Mirza Grebovic, Engineering Group Manager for GM Performance Parts. “We do this at work, we do it before bed, and we do it before lunch.”

That same hands-on passion drives Chevrolet’s newest creation, the Carbon Performance Package for the sixth-generation Camaro ZL1. The goal was to merge authentic track performance with unmistakable street presence.

Designed By Drivers

Grebovic regularly takes his Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing to the track, while Senior Design Release Engineer John Kalbfell spends his spare time behind the wheel of a 1969 Camaro. “Everyone in our group is passionate about performance,” says Kalbfell. “When we design parts, we know exactly what drivers want because we’re those drivers.”

The Carbon Performance Package reflects that mindset. It builds on the ZL1 1LE’s aerodynamic DNA, featuring a unique splitter with carbon-fiber end caps, a lightweight carbon-fiber hood insert, carbon-fiber rocker extensions, and a large carbon-fiber rear wing with a wicker bill. Optional Tech Bronze wheels add another layer of visual strength.

Kalbfell’s mission was to reach the aerodynamic precision of a ZL1 1LE while retaining the ZL1’s grand-touring capability. After extensive simulation and on-track testing, the team achieved aerodynamic downforce within five percent of the 1LE’s performance numbers, a balance that delivers serious grip without sacrificing drivability.

Track-Tested Technology

Development combined virtual and physical testing. Engineers modeled airflow using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), then validated results with laps at the Milford Proving Ground. “We put it in the hands of the same development team that built the original car,” Kalbfell explains. “They ran laps to confirm the aero balance, stability, and cornering feel were precisely where they needed to be.”

The project united GM’s aerodynamic division in Warren, Michigan, with its motorsports engineering team in Concord, North Carolina. NASCAR technology and data from high-speed testing directly influenced the final design. “We make sure the technology NASCAR develops and its high-speed learning translates to our factory-built performance vehicles,” Kalbfell adds.

From Racers To Racers

Grebovic’s own track experience helped shape this program. He bought a fifth-generation Camaro SS 1LE in 2012 and began taking it to events to understand customer needs better. “I bought something that’s track-capable to find out what I need,” he says. “What issues am I running into? What kind of feedback am I hearing?”

That first-hand knowledge helped guide engineering improvements that enthusiasts now experience in modern GM performance vehicles. “We really upped our game,” Grebovic notes. “Listening to owners and being part of that community gives valuable insight into how we can make our products stronger.”

Built For The Passionate

The Carbon Performance Package joins a long list of components in the Chevrolet Performance Parts catalog, ranging from off-road equipment to complete crate engines. Among the highlights is the 632-cubic-inch ZZ632/1000, a 1,004-horsepower big-block V8 that stands as the most powerful engine Chevrolet has ever built.

For engineers like Grebovic and Kalbfell, it’s all part of a tradition rooted in racing. “We’ve been mentored by people who have been in Performance at GM longer than us,” Grebovic says. “The slogan was always ‘from racers to racers.’”

Now available exclusively through the 2026 Chevrolet Performance Parts catalog, the Carbon Performance Package for 2017–2024 Camaro ZL1 Coupes proves that Chevrolet’s engineers don’t stop when they leave the office. They continue to learn, test, and push the limits, because performance is who they are.