300AGT

Well they ran the ZL1 on the Grand Course out at VIR and got a 2:52.4 how dose that lap time compair to you guys that have ran VIR in your Boss 302 this last year ? Car & Driver ran a 3:02.8 in a LS Boss 302 . Its looking like the ZL1 is going to give you guys a run for your money if the camaro guys have the ***** to take there car to the track. They did a thread over on the ZL1 Camaro5 forums asking would you track your car. Its looks like there mostly car waxer over there and not road racers . Here the link to the lap .

11SHELBYGT500

Don't care until a production LS1 does something and after that I probably still won't care.

06GT

ZL1 had better enjoy the spotlight now while it can, before the '13 GT500 gets on the streets!

JPC

I looked long and hard at the ZL1 and when I heard the $55k++ base price I was out..
.....and that was before dealers add their markup... I figure it's going to be $65k
too rich for me
so is the ZL1 a competitor the Boss?

Automagically

I still believe the Boss is a drivers car. A bit at a disadvantage to even a heavier yet much more powerful and advanced Camaro. It will be interesting to see how the new GT500 runs. But like BMW's M following the Boss truly sets its self apart. I'm sure if someone put a good blower and mildly better springs and shocks on a Boss it be quite a bit faster than stock. Making those straightaway runs quite a but quicker.

Wether I like it or not, forced induction makes up power in areas a NA engine just doesn't have. NA engines make you earn every inch. Every once of power. FI is brute force. Which has its merit don't get me wrong. But a Boss is like bringing an M4 to a shotgun fight.

MARZ

Well, the 550-horsepower 2011 Shelby GT500 lapped VIR in 2:58.48 which was eight seconds quicker than the 2010 Shelby it replaced. That's eight seconds quicker with just the addition of an aluminum block engine, performance pack suspension, wheels and tires and ten additional horsepower. Imagine what the 2013 GT500, with 100 more horsepower and, presumably, an even tighter suspension, will be capable of.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...-eight-seconds

5 DOT 0

That driver is on the edge and flying. That's a fast time but like others have said it's not a production car.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...r-times-page-7

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...to-2011-page-8

300AGT

The Boss 302 is a Great well rounded car and at the 42k you not going to find better .I was just wondering what some of the guys lap times for VIR were not try to look down on the Boss 302 just try to see just how fast the ZL1 is. I also like NA car over supercharge cars to .

Whammer

It would be pointless to compare members lap times at VIR with those of a professional driver. I can't see them being close EVEN if the car was exactly the same.

JeffL

ZL1 is fast.

CCTking

The new ZL1 is no slouch, the next gt500 is gonna have to break a sweat to show its true dominance. Cant wait till the comparisons start happening once the g500 hits the streets!

Driver72

Motor Trend recently tested a Camaro ZL1 against a Boss 302 LS edition on a race track of similar length and times as VIR and the Camaro ZL1 was 2 seconds or so faster.
What I would expect from a car with 130 hp more ALONE. But the ZL1 has a very advanced IRS with Magnetic suspension!!!!
That suspension should be worth another 2-3 seconds....but with a professional driver (Randy Pobst) behind the wheel of the two cars, he was only able to get the Camaro ZL1 around the track 2 seconds and some change faster than the less powerful and less advanced suspension Boss 302 LS (not too mention $8k cheaper Mustang too).

So this time on VIR which is 10 seconds faster than the Boss 302 is hard to believe at this point.

Keep in mind for the Camaro ZL1 to pull off that kind of time, it would have to be faster than these cars around VIR:

2012 Nissan GT-R
Porsche Panamera Turbo S
Chevy's own Corvette Grand Sport and even the ZO6
Ford GT
Porsche 911 GT3
Audi R8 5.2 V10
Dodge Viper
Ferrari F430 Scuderia

and only be about a second behind the Chevy Corvette ZR-1

**One other caveat about this because I'm not sure.
Does Car and Driver test their lap times of the cars from a STOP.
In this video the test driver was at full speed when he crossed the start line and the timer started.
If Car and Driver does the same thing, then I question this videos accuracy, and mainly if the car was stock.
But IF Car and Driver tests their lap times like Top Gear where the car starts from a dead stop, then in fact this video could be true, and you can add probably 8-10 seconds to that time if the car actually started from a dead stop!***


I call BS at this point that that car was stock until it's tested by some independent source and drivers on the same track with a car that's known to be stock because it's not supplied by Chevy.

JeffL

the ringer talk is too funny. the car did what it did.

OLOABoss

Spoken like a true Ford Fanboy. . Seriously good driving, a little sketchy @ South Bend. The Grand course is definently more of a handling course than the full course and as such doesn't reward hp as much.

Peter

flySWA737

Yes but can the ZL1 fly?

Fenderaddict2

Eh, maybe the ZL1 isn't a better track car than the Boss after all...

http://cars.about.com/b/2012/02/27/c...camaro-zl1.htm

06GT

While I'd like to poke at the ZL1 here, this really doesn't have anything to do with the car, it was a driver error. I feel bad for the journalist, I'll bet he felt like a real idiot when that happened.

bluesun

Tons of horsepower and a great suspension. If the thing was not so darn heavy it would be a real contender. Let's face it, it's close enough that people are just going to buy it based on looks or brand affiliation.

ShaneM

lol i thought the ZL1 had an iron clad, make you look like a track god traction and stability control system.

Driver72

Well I just spoke to the guys at Car and Driver, and yes the times on the Lightening Laps are from a running start like this video of the ZL1.

But again, I'd question this particular car that was provided by Chevy and this "advertisement" was sponsored by Chevy and set up by Chevy.

Here is the problem I have with believing this was a stock ZL1 as you'd buy off the dealer lot.
1. They don't disclose that it is and therefore it could be "tuned" up for this run and they wouldn't be lying or deceiving anybody.

Then there are the physical facts:

This ZL1 has the same engine as the CTS-V, same gear box and essentially same suspension (yes the ZL1 has the Gen 3 version and the CTS-V still uses the Gen 2, but let's be honest here, the Gen 3 is not leaps and bounds different or better, just a new phase, it's not like the difference in a stock suspension vs an adjustable Bilstein or anything).

The ZL1 is only about 150-160 lbs lighter than the CTS-V Coupe and has only 24 more hp and no more torque than the CTS-V. So while it will have a bit more top end pull, at lower and mid rpms the torque difference will be very similar.

Yes, the ZL1 has massive tires giving it better grip, but other than that, the difference between it and a CTS-V coupe is essentially 24 hp, 150 or so less lbs, bigger tires.
Those are the "main" differences.

Yet it supposedly laps VIR 12 seconds faster than the CTS-V coupe??

For comparison sake:

The Corvette ZR-1 supposedly can only lap VIR .5 seconds (that's 1/2 second) faster than the ZL1 Camaro, but the ZR-1 has

58 more hp
48 ft-lbs or torque more
700 lbs LESS weight
lower center of gravity
better aerodynamics

Even if you discount EVERY thing else, the ZR-1 should be able to run around a 4.1 mile road course .5 seconds faster JUST based on it's acceleration abilities.
When you take in the less weight, handling, braking, etc etc, there would be a gap of several seconds.

It's just a bit fishy to me that a ZL-1 Camaro that is only slightly more powerful, slightly less weight, and has slightly bigger tires (and probably worse aerodynamics), only slightly better acceleration ability can lap VIR 12 seconds faster than the CTS-V Coupe, yet the Corvette ZR-1 which has significantly more power, massively LESS weight, much lower center or gravity, wider stance, better aerodynamics can only lap VIR .5 second (1/2 second) faster than the ZL1.

So to believe this car in the video is a completely stock Camaro ZL1 you'd have to believe that Chevy would sell a car that is only 1/2 second slower around a long, fast road course, for 1/2 the price of their flagship performance car!

Again, I'll wait for an independent test of a ZL1 where the car is know to be production stock. Until then I feel you'd have to be quite gullible to believe the car in this video is a production stock ZL1.
If the professional drivers in an independent test can get within 1-1.5 seconds of this time, then congrats to Chevy, the ZR-1 becomes obsolete and the ZL1 becomes a Ferrari beater for $56k, and beats the brilliant and faster accelerating Nissan GT-R with it's AWD ability around a road course. Chevy better make a boat load of ZL1's if that's the case.