I agree, this car will be far better than the current one. I think it's going to embarrass the ZL1 on all sorts of tracks, drag strip included. You can polish a turd all you want, but in the end you still have a turd.

 

"wow that's one quick POS"

 

Don't forget Magnetic Ride, which to some people seems to mean it can magically handle great despite it's grotesque weight problem.

So, in essence that is one big, fat, smelly POS that not only comes out of the gate like a rocket, it also rolls around corners leaving nary a skid mark.

 

I agree, once the power to weight ratio was flashed on screen and reported by Automobile magazine after the press event, I instantly started to doubt. For the record, the fastest 4200lb car at Nurburgring is the 2009 Mercedes SL65 AMG Black, it weighs 4123lbs, does the quarter in 11.6 and the Ring at 7:51.. it also has 670hp and 740tq... Not sure Camaro5s hopes of a 7:4X is possible with the extra weight.

I will find some humor in all this if it doesn't beat the CTS-V and... if there are never any official times released, I would say that is probably what happened.

Edit: Because there isn't an official time from previous GT500s, Chevrolet had to operate blind while tuning the ZL1. The 2011-2012 GT500s were capable of pegging the limiter at 155 at Nurburgring, this was the only limiting factor in those cars that kept them in the 7:57 to 8:00 minute fastest lap times. The test mules were said to be pulling 161-163mph (Red) and 157-159mph (Black and Blue) which would be good for a 7:38-7:43 (Red) and a 7:45-7:52 (Black and Blue). I did not personally confirm the speeds but it was talked about at the bridge among the watches. If the speed limiter is kept to 155mph then sub 7:57 times will be hard to achieve... This is also the reason Chevrolet attacked the 458, GT-R, 911 and Aston in areas that they knew they had won (HP, Torque, Power to Weight) but left the GT500 out of their presentation completely. No sense in bragging about PtW since the GT500 sits at 6.94 (7.24 ZL1), they also know that it is very possible (since they had probably witnessed the new 500s run) that there was obviously a power increase. I would be more impressed if SVT matched the ZL1 in HP and torque and still beat it in every other aspect of performance.

Bigger brakes: This doesn't necessarily tell me that there is more power in the car as suggested by some reports. This tells me that the car weighed a bit more than the 2011-12 GT500s and additional hardware was needed during testing. It is possible that the safety and test equipment in addition to the passenger required to monitor the laptop was where the extra weight was coming from but, if there is extra cooling in the car, weight will come up some unless SVT finds some areas to make up the extra weight. It is getting difficult to lose weight in the GT500 because there has been many weight saving measures taken over the last couple of years.

I have seen GT500s do 9-10 minute laps and complain about the brakes giving out, I have also seen a 2010 4.6 GT do a 8:25 and after some suspension, tune and tires close to 8 flat. The key to Nurburgring is speed and even more so is the top speed achieved in the 2km straight in the southern part of the track that goes passed Tiergarten.

The GT500 can handle itself through the turns, VIR for example, the GT500 was faster than the CTS-V during Car and Drivers Lightning Lap. If you look at the runs, the GT500 only managed 137mph in the straight (142mph in the 2:58.48 run) while the CTS-V pulled almost 144mph. However, the GT500 flat out beat the CTS-V in every other portion of the track.. every turn, every small straight... Entry speed, exit speed and corner speed were always 1-5mph faster. The GT500 won by almost a second but that 137mph in the straight decreased the run time that day by 5 and a half seconds. (2:58.48 vs. 3:04). This will be an excellent pony car battle coming up in a few short months, were talking about a GT500 that can lap VIR at 2:50 maybe faster... Something a 4200lb car cannot do at that particular track due to the violent S's...

 

Camaro ZL1 laps Nürburgring in 7:41:27

General Motors North American President Mark Reuss just claimed that the Chevy Camaro ZL1 has lapped the Nürburgring's Nordschleife in 7:41:27. That time places the upcoming top-of-the-line Camaro ZL1 just four hundredths of a second over the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Not bad, GM.

We already know the ZL1's SAE-certified horsepower is 580 @ 6,000 rpm and its torque figure is 556 lb-ft @4200 rpm. It's also the first car to get the quicker-reacting next generation of BWI's (formerly Delphi's) magnetorheological dampers, which apparently give it a contact-patch and shock-absorption edge on the Green Hell.
It also has NACA ducts on the undertray. You know, for transmission cooling. And also, apparently, for the win.

Source: http://jalopnik.com/5846922/camaro-z...gring-in-74127

 

I'll wait until both cars are tested on the same day with the same non-partial driver. You know, production versions with production tires. Not a full cage version with who knows what tires. Who knows, the ZL1 may be faster on the Ring. I just don't see a 4200lb car with 580HP doing a 7.41, that's almost GT-R like amazing.

 

They are saying that they did it on stock Goodyears and stock tune. I know the roll cage will help dramatically, that was something discussed last month about the GT500. I seen the MT video and it looks like the interior is stripped and the roll cage is GT spec. If you think a strut tower brace, rear seat X brace or sub frame connectors stiffen the car, a full roll cage would be like driving a factory race car.

There is a story that Scott always tells about when "Brand X" came up to them and asked them if their tailor was coming, a Suburban pulls up, they changed the seats and the wheels and drove off into the sunset. Why change the tires before you leave, I will never know... Could it be because semi-slicks are illegal in Germany? Yes, they are illegal in Germany regardless of their Department of Transportation approval.

Edit: Can anyone confirm if the 2013 GT500 was on Ford's test track on the 4th? I have one source saying he heard something running out there...