I’ve got to hand it to Chevy. I knew the automaker pulled out all of the stops in making its 2015 Camaro Z/28, but, until today, I wasn’t aware of how far doing so allowed its car to go. Motor Trend chose the blue-collar bruiser as a competitor to the mighty Porsche 911 GT3 for a duel.
Given that both cars are track-focused specials, the match-up might not be that surprising. However, it seems to me that when a Chevrolet is tested against a Porsche 911, it’s usually a Corvette, not a Camaro. Also, you might think the nearly $70,000 difference between the as-tested prices of the American and the German would automatically leave the former out of the comparison, but you’d be wrong. Both vehicles are lean (compared to their heavier badgemates), concentrated, and ready to be driven hard.
The Z/28 gets praise for its brakes, power, exhaust note, and the fact that it can move in ways that seem contradictory to its weight and dimensions. Unfortunately, its girth and larger size put it at a disadvantage relative to the P-car on the Willow Springs track. The difference between the lap times of the two cars is not laughably wide, though. I’d say that’s pretty damn good for the Chevrolet, a largely analog car with fewer gadgets and a much lower price.
The following video is long, but it’s worth a watch – and a listen. The LS7’s sound is just another reason I have to hand it to the bow flow tie crew.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
