Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 laps the Nurburgring in 7.41.27

Sometimes it may seem as though German models rule the roost in the high performance sports car segment, but those models may have learned a valuable lesson today. Jason Laird, GM’s Executive Director for Product and Technology Communications, posted the following on his Twitter account: "Mark Reuss just confirmed ZL1 Camaro lapped Nurburgring in 7.41.27."

GM hasn’t confirmed the official time of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s lap, but so far it sounds as though it is completely legit. Once confirmed, it will place the new ZL1 just a notch under the new generationPorsche 911’s recently reported time of 7 min. 40 sec.. It will also prove that the Camaro is faster than models like the Audi R8 V10 and the Porsche GT3 which lapped the ring in 7:42. We’re interested in knowing what the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will have to say about this.

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is powered by an LSA 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that delivers a total of 580 HP at 6,000 rpm and 556 lb/ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. This power is just enough to sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds.

General Motors has just confirmed that the ZL1 has lapped the Nurburgring race track in 7:41.27, nearly 40 seconds quicker than a Camaro SS tested at the legendary German track in 2009. The car was driven by Camaro Performance Engineer Aaron Link and raced the track with no modifications. "The Nurburgring is unlike any track in the world," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. "Each lap includes fast straights, sweeping off-camber turns, hairpin corners, and elevation changes. In order to do well on the ‘Ring, the car has to do everything well – including acceleration, braking, and lateral grip. Breaking an eight-minute lap in a 2+2 production car is a tremendous accomplishment, and validates that the Camaro ZL1 will truly be track-ready from the showroom."