We knew that General Motors was testing the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 earlier this year at the famed German Nürburgring, but even when Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser posted an image on social media showing a pair of ZL1s at the track – there was no mention of any lap times.
That all changed this morning, as GM has finally announced the official Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time for the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and it is very good. In fact, it is the best time ever turned in by an American car with a back seat, beating every other muscle car and falling short of only the Dodge Viper and the Chevrolet Corvette.
Really, when I say that it beat every other muscle car, I am simply stating that the 2017 Camaro ZL1 beat the 5th generation Camaro, which was previously the quickest American car at The Ring with a back seat. The Camaro Z28 ran a 7:37.4 to set the record back in 2014, which had previously been set by the Camaro ZL1 back in 2012 when one ran a 7:41.27. Neither Ford nor Dodge have made a Nürburgring record attempt (that we know of), so the Camaro is relatively unchallenged – but that doesn’t diminish the quality of its time any.
For comparison, the 2017 Camaro ZL1 is faster than the 2013 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT, the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 and the 2015 Audi R8, while falling short of the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 by less than 2 seconds.
In short, the 2017 Camaro ZL1 is better than any American muscle car ever in terms of lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife while also being able to compete with some very good – and very expensive – supercars.
The video below shows in-car action of the 2017 Camaro ZL1 blasting around the Nürburgring, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
