Why the IROC Camaro is Now a Classic
The late ‘80s were a tough time for muscle cars. With the auto industry shifting to high fuel economy vehicles, how did the IROC Camaro come out on top?
Written by Elaine Duvet
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Known for street racing and doing donuts in the parking lot, in the ‘80s, the IROC Camaro was the Camaro to have. What started out as a racecar quickly made its way into mainstream media.
The reimagined Chevy Camaro
With its inaugural season in 1974, the International Race of Champions (IROC) attracted talent from CART, Le Mans, NHRA and NASCAR. From recent season championships, 12 racers were invited to compete.
According to
Dan Cummins Auto Group
, the IROC opted for the Porsche Carrera RSR in 1974 as its standard, universal competition vehicle. But when it decided to elect the Chevy Camaro a year later, the race fizzled out by 1980.The IROC Camaro returned in 1984, but instead of giving the governing body a new Camaro Z/28, Chevrolet designed a commemorative muscle car known as the 1985 IROC-Z/28. The pony car had more responsive handling, higher performance and was also suitable for the everyday driver.
With less than 3,000 units produced, this classic car won a series of awards including Car and Driver's 10 Best List for 1985 and America’s “best handling” car. But in 1990, the coupe was taken off the market at the end of General Motor’s sponsorship agreement with the IROC.
A couple of final models emerged like the 1991 Z28 (with the B4C Special Service package). It was initially designed for law enforcement but was still available to everyday consumers. The double striping came to fruition in 1992 as the 25th-anniversary model.
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The Camaro that thinks it’s a Corvette
It didn’t take long for the IROC-Z to beat out the IROC Z/28. This options package featured awesome paint colors, 16-inch wheels, a lower body, and halogen fog lights.
The upgrade also included “the rear-wheel drive and the Tuned Port Injection 305 cubic-inch V8 engine, capable of producing 215 hp and 275 ft-lb of torque,” Dan Cummins reports. All things considered, even with 15-16 mpg, the IROC-Z was arguably the most powerful autos created at the time.
With ground-effects striping and special graphics, this sleek car came with improved aerodynamics and coil-spring suspension. Its deeper chin spoiler with lower ground effects complimented the rounder, redesigned front fascia. The streetcar was also fitted with callout badges, branded door decals, and ornamental hood louvers.
Chevy went to great lengths to protect this third generation from corrosion. The automaker used “galvanized metal on the upper suspension towers, the underbody rails over the rear axle, the outer wheel housings and trunk floor, the insides of the quarters and sail panels, as well as the inner door skins,”
Hemmings
reports. Zinc-rich primer and urethane film were also incorporated.According to
GM EFI Magazine
, “Changes in decal placement, interiors, wheels, options, and safety equipment took place during the IROC’s tenure, with its basic appearance and appeal remaining the same.” The IROC-Z Camaro was one of the few cars to solidify a legacy during an era that began shifting focus to eco-friendly and fuel-efficient options.The IROC-Z Camaro wasn’t perfect, but the legend still lives on
MORE: Chevy Could Be Waving Goodbye to the Camaro When They Release the 2024 Special Edition
Though this front-engine, rear-drive is tons of fun to take for a spin, there are a couple of drawbacks to this third-generation variant.
The choices you had for an engine were less-than-great, and the car was too expensive with too much weight.
MotorTrend
reports that “the Chevy guy looking at new IROC Camaros could choose from the top-of-the-line TPI 350-cu in. L98 (225 hp), the midline TPI 305-cu in. LB9 (215 hp), or the sleepy 4bbl L69 (190 hp).” The 350-cu in option eventually became much pricier than its competitors like the Pontiac Firebird Formula 350.In 1987 alone, Chevy built 38,889 IROCs. Luckily, the 1985 model and
used
IROC-Zs can be found across the states. The price sticker for these pre-owned Camaro’s is about half the price of what they went for when they first hit the market, at a low $10,000.And fortunately, the drivetrain is easy to maintain and not a pain to repair. With a functional racy cockpit that gives us all the retro feels, it's hard not to love and long for this vintage blast from the past.
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