All About The Garage 56 Edition Aka 'Le Mans Camaro'
Chevrolet debuted the Camaro in 1966 as a 1967 model with a choice of six different V8 engines and a base price of less than $2,500. After six generations and a long history of success on the NASCAR circuit (including a decade of racing Camaros), Chevy will park the model for good in January 2024. Before scrapping the nameplate entirely, Chevy plans to release a very limited number of "Garage 56" edition 2024 ZL1 Camaros to commemorate its motorsports division's historic entry in last year's 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race.
The Garage 56 LeMans driving team consisted of seven-time NASCAR Cup series champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, and repeat LeMans winner Mike Rockenfeller. The car they drove at LeMans was a modified version of the ZL1 Camaro that Hendrick Motorsports runs on the NASCAR circuit. In a press release, Chevy highlighted the moment inspiration for the production model struck. "During talks between leadership from Chevrolet and collaborators at NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Goodyear, and IMSA, it quickly became clear that such a special race car needed to be accompanied by a production car representing yet another significant accomplishment in Camaro's storied motorsports heritage."
The Garage 56 Edition Camaro will have several special graphics
The 2024 Camaro Garage 56 Edition will have Chevy's racing spec 650 horsepower LT4 V8 engine. It will be adorned with several special graphics, including gold accents on the hood, a Garage 56 logo on the front fenders, and a circular NASCAR 75th Anniversary logo on the hood. A monochromatic stars and stripes motif adorns the raised cowl and roof, and the interior features Garage 56 emblems on the floor mats and steering wheel.
GM's design team wanted to use design elements to land the Garage 56 Edition Camaro in the sweet spot between race car and street beast, according to design exec Marc Mainville. "When adapting a race car appearance into a production car," he said, "you want to showcase themes, proportions, and colors without making the car look out of place on the street. The Garage 56 Edition captures the feeling of the race car while allowing the car's athletic lines to be in the forefront."
Only 56 of the special edition Camaros will be sold in the United States. Buyers will be given three additional graphics to apply if they want to make their car look more like the racing version: a NASCAR windshield header decal, white Goodyear emblems to go over the front wheel arches, and number 24 door decals to match the ones used in the Cup series on William Byron's car.