With 70 more horsepower, 94 additional lb-ft of torque, and a claimed 200 fewer pounds of mass to push around compared with its predecessor, it’s really no surprise that the all-new 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is quicker than the previous ZL1 around the Nürburgring. More shocking, though, is that the new ZL1 chops nearly 12 seconds off the old car’s Nordschleife lap time.
With a recorded time of 7 minutes, 29.6 seconds, Chevy’s 650-hp muscle car not only beat the last-generation ZL1’s time around the ‘Ring by 11.7 seconds, it also bested the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R‘s run by 3.0 seconds. While the ZL1’s meaty supercharged V-8 surely helped the big coupe establish this feat, we’d venture that the car’s Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 tires, revised suspension, and new 10-speed automatic transmission were important factors. Yes, you read that right. Despite being offered with a traditional six-speed manual transmission, Chevrolet chose to run the ZL1 around the ‘Ring with the car’s available automatic transmission. And the bow-tie brand left the transmission to its own devices, as Chevy notes the car ran the ‘Ring in Track mode with the transmission’s Performance Algorithm Shift calibration making all the gear selections over the track’s nearly 13 miles of undulating tarmac.

WARNING: Graphic Content! 50 Years of Camaro vs. Mustang Sales Numbers
2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Debuts, Hopes t...