Oppenheiser would like a ZL1 1LE Camaro that’s faster than the ZL1 1LE.
The 2018 Camaro ZL11LE is quick. It is so fast that it set a record at the Nurburgring last June with a lap time in 7:16.04 which made it the fastest Camaro ever to race around this famous German track. Al Oppenheiser is the Chevy Camaro’s Chief Engineering. He believes the muscle car can be even faster.
Oppenheiser spoke with Hagerty during the Detroit Auto Show and suggested that he would like to see the Camaro drop nearly 16 seconds from its fastest lap at the Nurburgring. Long-term goals include beating the Viper ACR’s lap time of 7:01.3 in the ZL1 and being the fastest American car ever at the track.
Oppenheiser stated, “As usual, any driver will get out the car and say that there’s more inside it.” We believe there is more to it. It’s something we will continue to play with. It would be great to see a Camaro with a speed of less than 7:00 at Nurburgring. It would be a great sight to see.
The ZL1 1LE is currently the most powerful Camaro, and it set the Nurburgring record lap time. The ZL1 1LE is equipped with performance add-ons such as racing-based adjustable suspension parts, front dive planes and a carbon fibre wing. It produces 650 horsepower (484 kilowatts), thanks to a supercharged LT4 engine.
In a separate statement, Bill Wise, Camaro ZL1 1LE rider and handling engineer, stated that the Camaro ZL1 1LE rewards those who push it hard. It offers complete control and the assurance that it will deliver lap upon lap.
Oppenheiser did not give details about how much power the Camaro will need to run a sub-seven-minute Nurburgring lap, but we believe it would be more than the current 650 horsepower. We’ve already seen the 2019 Camaro and we know it could adopt the seven speed manual gearbox from the Corvette. It is possible to get a more powerful version in the near future.
