Here’s a brand-new in-car video of the 2014 Camaro Z/28 running the Nürburgring in the wet. The clip includes some neat telemetry features—check it out.
First, a brief refresher on the 2014 Z/28: This is the road-course friendly version of the Gen 5 Camaro, sporting a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual gearbox and the 500-hp, 7.0-liter dry-sump LS7 V8 from the Corvette Z06. It makes less power than the supercharged Camaro ZR1, but minus the blower and air/water charger cooler, there’s less weight up high and over the nose.
This GM video features the Z/28 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit with a very damp back half. The lap time is a 7:37.47, which, as the GM folks hasten to point out, is quicker than the published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S or the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. Other benchmarks include the slower 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at 7:41:27 and the quicker 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 with a 7:19:63.
For added fun, check out the info stream across the bottom of the screen. From left to right: animated track map, time and speed, fender cam, and a neat little circle graphic indicating the g forces. Video below.
I’m impressed, but I’m more of a Focus ST kind of guy. They’ve done terrific things with the Camaro but they won’t have succeeded until Europeans and Japanese are clamoring for them. Chevy may not need the sales in foreign countries but they need the image. They can’t lean on the Corvette forever, you have to have more attainable supercars with a following like the Subaru WRX once had. This looks like it could be the ticket.
I’m impressed with how fun and manageable the car looks.