Link hits the Foxhole matted in 5th gear, at 157 mph.
When Chevy’s engineers set the specs for the 2012 Camaro ZL1, this much was clear: they wanted the car to be fast around a track, not just in a straight line. When word came in that the car had lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:41.27, it was pretty clear that they’d achieved their goals. The time puts the ZL1 on par with the latest Porsche 911 Turbo S, and just about seven-tenths of a second slower than the quasi-exotic Ford GT. It also makes the ZL1 faster than a 2009 Corvette ZR1, a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, an Audi R8 V-10 and a Pagani Zonda S.
Maybe the most impressive part of the video below is how hard GM test driver Aaron Link is working to go fast. There’s no denying that the ZL1 is still a big, heavy car, and it isn’t graceful on a tight and technically challenging circuit like the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Chevy calls the Camaro ZL1 used in the lap a “production intent” model, with no performance modifications added.
Link was pleased with the lap and impressed by the ZL1’s capability, saying, “One of the best moments is coming through ‘Fuchsröhre’, or Foxhole. The ZL1 accelerates at an unbelievable rate down through the tunnel of trees, and into a sweeping left-hand corner flat out in fifth gear. You have to have an extremely well-mannered, confidence-inspiring car to take any corner at 160 mph without lifting off the throttle – and the ZL1 was just brilliant.”
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
