http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/05/g...gring-in-7-41/

Take it for what you will, but GM has turned a 7:41 at the 'Ring with the ZL1.

The irksome part to reading about a run like this is the lack of standardized testing which makes it pretty much an apples to oranges comparison with whatever else has been run there.

I really wish there was some sort of organization that would define a standard run (defined starting and stopping points with a defined launch or say enter the start box at a certain speed then start timing) much like you have official SAE power ratings that have to adhere to standard in order to recieve the SAE stamp of approval.

 

Impressive.

 

I expected somewhere in the high 7's. Very good time. Isn't that pretty much the same time the 07 Z06 ran? I

 

Just checked the wiki and I was correct nearly the same time with the ZL1 slightly edging the Z06.

Z06 in 2005 ran 7:42.99.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mhjG...layer_embedded

 

Nice times, but it's not a stock production car, roll cage, recardo seats, cup tires..

 

Hmmmm.... methinks the red GT500 put up a better time IIRC somewhere in the 7:3x range. Even though Ford hasn't made a peep about it.

 

How do you know? link?

 

The GM press release takes great care to emphasize that the car had no PERFORMANCE modifications. That is to say that the drive train and suspension is the same as those that consumers will be buying. They are also very careful to say that it is a PRODUCTION-INTENT car, not that it is the production ZL1. However photos of the interior of the car clearly show a roll cage and racing seats. (At those speeds, only someone intellectually challenged would be without those precautions.) Also, though I have heard claims about the tires--that they were 'cup tires', that they were 'stock' Camaro rubber, the actual GM press release does not mention the tires used at the track. Though GM specifically mentions track ready coolers for the engine, transmission, and differential, it makes absolutely no mention of a track ready roll-cage being offered.

Is the drive train the one you can drive off the showroom floor? Yes. The ZL1 is going to be one very fast car--nicely done by GM. Is the car that lapped the ring showroom stock? No.

BTW, it was also a test conducted by GM and not by an independent authority.
http://media.gm.com/content/media/us...ct/1006_camaro

 

That's an outdated time for the z06, new one is 7.19

 

watching the run, they had one hell of a driver. Car has hella understeer as well, guess that's to be expected from a huge muscle car.

Wish we knew what the GT500 PP would do there

 

As I understand it, the ZL1 will be using the same Michelin Pilot Sport Cup run flats that the ZR1 and Z06 (pretty sure not the same size) are using for its top tier tire, these are the same tires GM has used in the most recent 'ring runs for both corvette models.

The down side to using these tires are thier 60 or 80 tread wear rating as they are pretty much track rated tires as opposed to ultra high performance street tires (that'd be in Michelin's case the Pilot Sport Super Sport)

I think that the sport cups will be the standard tire for the ZL-1 which makes you wonder how many times a ZL-1 owner will spring 2 grand for a set of tires (I'll be generous and say 10,000 miles) when they wear out before down grading to a much longer lasting tire in the 20-30k range. The down side obviously being that the handling will deteriorate as a result.

 

Maybe--again, I didn't see anything in the official release that specifically mentioned tires. But it does makes sense that GM would offer something on the order of the rubber found on the ZR1 and Z06 for their top Camaro.

It's true that what works well for the track winds up being impractical for DD applications. Sticky tires on my MS3 make it hug the curves like a slot car, but I can't afford a new set of tires every 19K.

 

The ZL1 is a sick car! I can't wait to see how Ford responds with the GT500... would love to see some 'Ring times soon.

 

Correction ---> I stumbled across an article featuring the car that set the time. GM equipped it and ran with the GY G2SC tires atleast superficially the same tire that the GT500 is equipped with (I say superficially because tire formulations can differ from vehicle manufacturer to vehicle manufacturer depending on what they want from the tire).

 

I wish they would release those tires in Boss sizes. I had the chance to drive a gt500 around Little tally with those tires and they really felt far better than the PZeros.

 

Yep, the GY G2SC's have a really aggressive foot print with what amounts to pretty much a slick on the outside 3rd of the tire.

IMO, Ford could have have specified the Goodyear for the Boss as well, but they still wanted the GT500 to win out in instrumented testing (after all it probably takes two Boss 302's to equal what they earn off of one GT500)

Take a look at Michelin's Sport Cup tires and you'll see why the ZR1 knocked 6 seconds off its 'ring time for that matter.