Chevrolet announced that they’ve taken a good 13-seconds off the Nurburgring time set by their Camaro ZL1.
Being able to hustle around nearly two tons of Detroit muscle around the Nurburgring is no easy feat. But when you’ve got 650 HP, GM’s world-class Alpha platform holding everything together and the right aero package meant to keep everything stable under high-speeds, it’s just about the right combination to inspire confidence in any competent driver. According to GM in an official press release they dropped earlier today their track monster, the Camaro ZL1 1LE, obliterated its old record and posted a 7:16.04 Nurburgring time besting the ZL1 by a good 13-seconds. And like any manufactuer who wants to be believed, the proof is in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=445&v=t4zSIVpVMaw
If GM was going to employ any driver it was wise for them (no pun intended) to choose their very own ride and handling engineer Bill Wise. A true reneassiance man if there ever was one, Bill not only manages his own race team but is actively racing himself. It helps to have someone behind the wheel who not only knows what’s going on with the car but can translate that knowledge into tangible benefits for the driver.
“The harder you push the Camaro ZL1 1LE, the more it rewards you on the track,” said Bill Wise, Camaro ride and handling engineer and the driver of the hot lap. “It offers total control, with the confidence that it will deliver lap after lap.”
The 1LE package sets consumers back just $7,500 but with a combined MSRP a tick under $70K, the ZL1 1LE is the performance value King. For that money adding to that Alpha platform and supercharged LT4 you get special high-tech spool multimatic valve dampers, adjustable camber plates, an adjustable anti-roll bar, front dive planes, a fixed carbon fiber wing with three levels of adjustment and special all summer tires (Goodyear Eagle F1Supercar 3R Summer-only tires.)
Noteworthy is the fact that all 650 lb-ft of torque is routed straight through a 6-speed manual. That’s right, you can’t get the optional 10-speed automatic in this one.
And those dampers? Multimatic has battle tested these special dampers first in CART racing, in F1 with Red Bull Racing and endurance racing in WEC. In a good number of racing series, these are mandatory suspension equipment.
To put this Nurburgring feat into comparison, consider that just five years ago when 638 HP in a ZR1 Corvette was unheard of, GM’s hottest C6 ‘Vette managed to lap the ‘ring in 7:19.63 with a higher top-speed of 180 MPH down the longest straight.
It’s been proven. The newest generation Camaro is a world-class car with all the right performance specs and track rep to back it up. The 1LE adds even more track credibility to that.
Props to GM for not settling for less and constantly innovating a chassis that has yet to reach its fullest potential.
