Ever wonder what it would be like to be given free reign to race a 500+ hp, tire-shredding, asphalt-devouring all-American muscle car around a professional racing circuit? Well, our friends from Car and Driver sure know how, and are allowing the rest of the world to partake in the breathtaking thrill-ride of a 2014 Camaro Z/28.
At Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, the crew from C/D had a no-restriction hot-lapping session in Chevrolet’s latest 2014 Camaro Z/28. With some 505 hp on tap, warmed tires, and a tank full of Premium, the Z laid down some rather quick lap-times filled with the drama of that throaty V8 burble. So without further adieu, cue the video, cut the lights, turn up the audio, and enjoy the clip.
Comments
I love that V8.
You will find soon the story in Motor Trend where the pit the Z?28 against a AWD Porsche Turbo 911S and the AWD Nissan GTR Track Edition.
They first asked Al Oppenheiser what the 0-60 was and the quarter mile. He told them I don’t know. He said that the car was not a drag car and was made for lap times. Car and Driver did the test and found the car to be lacking to the others in the 0-60 and quarter mile.
But then they went to the track and the Porsche laid down a good time as did the GTR. Then the Camaro came out and put down a time just a little slower. Well they checked the tires and found they had too much air. So they reset the pressures and went out and beat both convincingly. Note too this was on a cold day where it was hard to get heat into the tires that the Z has that thrive on heat.
Now they stated in the story that many scoffers will say this was not a GT3 or the latest Nismo but you can counter that this was in the cold with a Z/28 that also included the air Conditioning and Stereo system that can be deleted for 50+ pounds more weight loss. And keep in mind the Camaro did it with an aging suspension and only RWD for less money.
Nice that this car is able to handle cars the Z06 is to be hunting and it makes one ponder just what the Z06 will do with the suspension it has under the car. I think we all will be in for some big surprises.
Just wait till they get the new Camaro with less weight and a newer platform under it. It may have the makings of a economy supercar of its own.
Note the same issue ranked the Buick Regal T type Turbo right with a BMW and over two other cars. I have not read the full story but they did praise the older Regal so we may have even more fun when the new one arrives.
GM is on a roll as these older cars are just hints of what they can do with the new platform. Refinement is a pretty thing.
With the talk of HSV coming it makes me wonder just what they would have to do to top GM’s own in house engineers. In the past the cars were never finished or refined to their potential. Today the engineers are turned lose and told to do what they can do. It has been since the 50’s since GM had this kind of thinking and even then they still had limits placed on them.
Scott I’m not surprised at all that the z/28 did as well as it did. Remember how well the ZL1 did when it debuted? In one of the comparisons of the time, it was compared against the GTR and said to be the superior car to drive. In fact it was stated that the ZL1 was only let down by the weather (again a cold day and it rained earlier if I’m remember the article correctly). So the ZL1 struggled in the 0-60 and drag times. But in the curves and overall handling contest, the ZL1 trumped the GTR.
Wait, it was Road & Track…here’s the vid:
scratch that, I watched the vid and because of the weather it WAS slower on the track.