DETROIT – The 2012 Camaro ZL1 recently recorded a 7:41.27 lap at the Nurburgring. That is nearly 40 seconds quicker than a Camaro SS tested at the legendary German track in 2009. Measuring 12.9 miles (20.8 km) and including some 154 turns, the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife (“north loop”) is widely considered the world’s most-demanding course.
The Camaro ZL1 used for the lap was a production-intent model, with no performance modifications, driven by Camaro Performance Engineer Aaron Link. The Camaro ZL1 recorded its time of 7:41.27 from a flying start.
“The Nurburgring is unlike any track in the world,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “Each lap includes fast straights, sweeping off-camber turns, hairpin corners, and elevation changes. In order to do well on the ‘Ring, the car has to do everything well – including acceleration, braking, and lateral grip. Breaking an eight-minute lap in a 2+2 production car is a tremendous accomplishment, and validates that the Camaro ZL1 will truly be track-ready from the showroom.”
More than 30 percent of the Camaro SS was re-engineered for the Camaro ZL1, which arrives at U.S. dealerships in the first quarter of 2012. Watch the video on Read more!