A Rare “GMMG Phase III” 600 BHP Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar

This is one of 69 examples of the GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar that were built, and it’s one of just 31 examples of the most extreme version – the 600 bhp Phase III.

The car was developed by Matt Murphy of GMMG in Georgia as an unofficial celebration of the 75th anniversary of the original high-performance 1969 Camaro ZL1. Chevrolet didn’t want to build their own commemorative car, but Murphy and his team refused to let the anniversary pass unobserved.

Fast Facts – The GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar

• The GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar, developed by Matt Murphy of GMMG in partnership with Berger Chevrolet, was an unofficial tribute to the iconic 1969 Camaro ZL-1, marking its 75th anniversary. Chevrolet declined to produce an official commemorative car, prompting this independent effort to create a modern homage with just 69 total examples built.
• Inspired by Chevrolet’s original 1969 ZL-1 – a legendary drag-racing special equipped with a hand-built, all-aluminum 427 cubic inch V8 – the GMMG ZL1 Supercar followed suit with a potent V8. The highest-performing Phase III variant boasted a 600 bhp all-aluminum LS6 V8 with forged internals, high compression, and specially modified heads.
• Available in three phases of ascending power: 400 bhp (Phase I), 475 bhp (Phase II), and 600 bhp (Phase III). The GMMG Camaro featured performance-oriented suspension and braking upgrades in its top-tier variant. This allowed the Phase III version to genuinely compete with contemporary supercars, demonstrating extreme straight-line speed and improved handling.
• Today, these GMMG ZL1 Supercars are rare collectibles, especially the Phase III versions, of which only 31 were built. The example featured here has only 250 miles on the clock, making it arguably one of the best survivors. It’s expected to command $140,000 to $160,000 USD at the upcoming Mecum auction in mid-May.

The Importance Of The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1

In 1969 Chevrolet released what would become the most desirable Camaro ever made – the ZL-1. This was a drag racing homologation special based on the already high-performance Camaro SS platform, with its upgraded suspension including heavy-duty coil springs and shock absorbers up front, with heavy-duty leaf springs at the rear with matching shocks.

Just 69 examples of the 1969 Camaro ZL-1 would be made, not because people didn’t want them, but because they were just too costly for most to justify. The reason for the high cost lay under the hood, where you’ll find an all-aluminum 427 cubic inch (7.0 liter) V8 that was fitted as part of the COPO 9560 package.

These engines were each painstakingly handbuilt at the Tonawanda engine plant and they included an aluminum block and heads, a high-lift camshaft, and forged internals – all contributing to a factory-rated output of 430 bhp at 5,200 rpm and 450 lb ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. However, period dyno tests of factory ZL1s revealed their output was closer to the 550 bhp range.

Surviving examples of the 1969 Camaro ZL-1 are now worth well into the mid-to-high six figures, and they’re widely considered to be among the most collectible Camaros of all time, if not the most collectible outright.

The GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar

As the story goes, Matt Murphy of GMMG in Marietta, Georgia, and the team at Berger Chevrolet in Grand Rapids, Michigan had tried and failed to get Chevrolet to build a special high-performance version of the 1999 Camaro to mark the 75th anniversary of the release of the original 1969 Camaro ZL-1.

Undeterred by the setback, they instead teamed up to develop their own homage to the ZL-1. In true 1960s/1970s style the car would be built in three “Phases” with power and performance climbing for each Phase.

The car they would develop would be named the GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar, and the inclusion of “Supercar” in the name was no marketing hyperbole – the highest performance version was producing 600 bhp and could go toe-to-toe (in a straight line at least) with many supercars of the time.

The Phase I version of the new ZL1 would be the most tame, though the word tame is doing some heavy lifting here as it was still capable of 400 bhp. The Phase II version was good for 475 bhp, a healthy bump in power.

It would be the Phase III version that really lit the American motoring world on fire however, with its 600 bhp output and the slew of upgrades to suspension and braking systems designed to allow the car to actually handle the new output.

Just as with the original Camaro ZL-1, only 69 examples of the new GMMG ZL1 Supercar would be built. Of these, 31 would be the highest-performing Phase III version (some sources say 37).

The reason the Phase III was so powerful was thanks to the specially built, all-aluminum 12:1 compression ratio GMMG LS6 V8. Inside this engine you would find a 4340 forged crank, 4340 forged connecting rods, JE lightweight pistons, a high performance cam, and ported and polished heads.

The GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar received rave reviews in the motoring media of the time, but the car seems to have been largely forgotten now, as new generations of the Camaro have come and offered their own high-performance variants – few that could compete with the Phase III GMMG however.

The GMMG Camaro ZL1 Supercar Shown Here

The car you see here is one of the original examples of the GMMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Supercar from 2002. Importantly, it’s also a Phase III variant that comes with all that additional horsepower, and 575 lb ft of torque.

It has just 250 miles on the odometer, having been carefully preserved its whole life. It’s now unequivocally one of the best examples of the model in the world, if not the best.

It’s due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in mid-May with a price guide of $140,000 – $160,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Mecum