Gas Guzzler Tax?

[Shark72]

Why do we pay a gas guzzler tax when our ZL1's come with the skip shift BS feature! I really don't understand why. Anyone who can explain this in plain English please!!!

[ZL1Naboz]

You paid for it it's easy to tune out

[Shark72]

Originally Posted by ZL1Naboz

You paid for it it's easy to tune out

I'm not sure what you mean, can you explain further?

[ZL1Naboz]

Go to apexspeed.com sponsor on forum and for like $25 you can snap in a CAGS eliminator module into trans harness and eliminates it.

[hawk02]

Originally Posted by Shark72

Why do we pay a gas guzzler tax when our ZL1's come with the skip shift BS feature! I really don't understand why. Anyone who can explain this in plain English please!!!

Because even with skip shift the ZL1 manual does not meet the minimum fuel economy set by the 1978 National Energy Act. Without skip shift the tax would be higher. Automatic owners pay double the tax because of worse fuel economy than the manual.

[Shark72]

Originally Posted by hawk02

Because even with skip shift the ZL1 does not meet the minimum mpg set by the 1978 National Energy Act. Without skip shift the tax would higher.

Wow, I did not know that about the automatic tranny!
I will probably put a skip shift eliminator in eventually but up till now, I have not had to much intervention with that feature. I just thought that, why did Chevy put it in the ZL1 manual transmission if it does not provide any benefit to fuel consumption and the gas guzzler tax.

[Nor Cal ZL1]

You can drive through the skip shift. Just do not shift until the notification goes away.

[ZO6 Bryan]

Tax Schedule
The IRS collects the tax directly from the manufacturer or importer of the vehicles. The following
table shows the gas guzzler tax rates which have been in effect since January 1, 1991. The
manufacturer or importer must pay this amount for each vehicle that doesn’t meet the minimum
fuel economy level of 22.5 mpg.
Combined fuel economy of: Amount
at least 22.5 mpg No tax
at least 21.5, but less than 22.5 mpg $1000
at least 20.5, but less than 21.5 mpg $1300
at least 19.5, but less than 20.5 mpg $1700
at least 18.5, but less than 19.5 mpg $2100
at least 17.5, but less than 18.5 mpg $2600
at least 16.5, but less than 17.5 mpg $3000
at least 15.5, but less than 16.5 mpg $3700
at least 14.5, but less than 15.5 mpg $4500
at least 13.5, but less than 14.5 mpg $5400
at least 12.5, but less than 13.5 mpg $6400
less than 12.5 mpg $7700

[Balasarius]

So if we have a combined fuel economy of 16MPG why do we pay $1300? Not that I'm complaining.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymod...t_Camaro.shtml

[Shark72]

Thanks Z06 Bryan, good information!

[Sidecardog1]

The skip shift is BS for sure. Like others have said, the eliminator kits are an easy install. However, your owners manual tells you what the controlling parameters are. The throttle position is kind of low and that's the one I use to get the interlock to go away before you shift as the throttle percentage is pretty low. Yours has a blower so it probably reacts somewhat differently than mine. It's like learning a different driving technique to work around it and every once in a while it catches me, but never on an on-ramp !

[hognutz]

Originally Posted by Balasarius

So if we have a combined fuel economy of 16MPG why do we pay $1300? Not that I'm complaining.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymod...t_Camaro.shtml

This topic is crazy and many don't understand it go read over on the C7 Z06 forum and you head will elpode. the epa combined number is not what they use to determine the tax.

they run separate testing don't try and figure it out just know that each car is tested and give a number. they use the table that Z06 brian posted in. Where people screw up is to try to give the car the number themselves. they try to figure out its rating and then use the table. so in the C7 Z06 example everybody was sure it would get taxed based on the EPA site but the manual did not and the auto did.

the skip shift will help the car get a better MPG in this testing so hence you get less tax.


on my soap box

just rev out first get to 2500 rpm and I don't hink you will every hit it. the only way you will ever activate the skip shift is grandma driving the car. I never disabled it and have never hit. I just rev fist get past the threashold.

[ClawSS]

or on a non-ZL1 side of things you get an L99 with DoD in an attempt to not pay a tax just to have an automatic and then spend money = to the tax to get rid of it.