2017 Camaro ZL1 Sets Blistering Pace at Nürburgring
Chevy Racer Beats Predecessor by Nearly 12 Seconds
The all-new 2017 Camaro ZL1 is quickly shaping up as the performance bargain of the decade. On paper, you sure do get a lot of car for a base price of $62,000. Especially that monstrous powerplant – a supercharged, 6.2 liter LT4 pumping out 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. But this Camaro is more than just a straight line drag star, as we’re quickly finding out.
Last week, Chevrolet completed high-speed testing around its test track and notched a 200-plus mph top speed. This week, they’ve “rung” out the new Camaro ZL1 around the world’s most famous test track: Germany’s Nürburgring. And the new car continues to impress, setting a best lap time of seven minutes, 29.6 seconds. For reference, that’s a whopping 11.67 seconds quicker than the previous ZL1.
Those impressive results become even more astounding when you compare them to other, more expensive machinery. The new ZL1’s performance places it 33rd on the all-time fastest laps list. It beat out exotic rides like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT, Porsche 911 GT2, and notably, Ford’s Shelby GT350R. The track-focused Mustang finished nearly three seconds behind the Camaro.
Chevrolet promised that the 2017 Camaro ZL1 was going to be a special car, and so far they’ve delivered on that promise.
Just as it did with the 200 mph high-speed test, Chevy used a ZL1 equipped with the new 10-speed automatic transmission for this test. And test driver Drew Cattell left it in automatic mode the entire run, never once touching the paddles. As hardcore as us manual trans lovers can be, that’s awfully impressive.
Chevrolet promised that the 2017 Camaro ZL1 was going to be a special car, and so far they’ve delivered on that promise. For the money, you’ll have a hard time finding a more well-rounded and capable performance car once it hits the market.
