What is it that a performance car needs to properly conquer the fearsome Nordschleife? Surely it is not sheer power alone as it has to be coupled with razor-sharp handling in tackling the countless corners and getting it back safely to the finishing line. And it looks like GM is making their way on top with the new Camaro Z/28, as the American muscle lapped the Green Hell in a time of 7:37.47.
Of course, that is not the most impressive time done around one of the toughest circuits in the world, especially with the Porsche 918 Spyder’s recent domination in the production car lap record at just 6:57. But we should remember that the Z/28 did this time without the fancy all-wheel drive system or the widely-used dual-clutch gearbox of today. They did this time by using the simple layout of a V8 engine mated to a six-speed gearbox with the all the power being sent to the rear tires.
And to make things trickier, the Nordschleife was receiving some drizzle during the Z/28’s attempt. “One of the challenges of testing at the ‘Ring is that the track is so long that conditions can change radically in a single lap. Adam Dean, the development driver for Z/28, did a heroic job driving in deteriorating conditions”, said Al Oppenheiser, the Camaro’s chief engineer.
With the 7:37.47 time, the Camaro Z/28 triumphs against cars like the Lexus LFA (7:38), the Porsche 911 (991) Carrera S (7:37.9), the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 (7:40) and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (7:40). The Z/28 is powered by a 7.0-liter LS7 V8 engine producing 500-horsepower, linked to a Tremec six-speed manual transmission. It also comes with a limited-slip differential, carbon ceramic brakes and Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj1h75vA1Jw
