When Chevrolet ran a standard sixth-gen Camaro ZL1 around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe in 7:29.60, many were quick to praise it. That’s a brutally fast time for a sub-$100K car, let alone one with the heritage the Camaro has…that is to say, look at any F-body and ask yourself if they ever had any business on the Green Hell. No, they don’t, but ever since the fifth-gen cars, Chevrolet has been pushing and pushing to prove that the Camaro can take corners and is more than a redneck joke waiting to happen. The ZL1 with the 1LE package is the ultimate expression (so far) of what the Alpha-based Camaro can be, both for power and for handling. The 1LE package is good news for anyone who uses their Camaro as intended (you know…driven hard and fast) and as for the 650hp/650tq LT4…well, power surely isn’t lacking there.

With the suspension dialed in to run the Nurburgring at maximum attack, and the stock Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R rubber on all four corners, Chevrolet unleashed a maniac of a driver. This is over seven minutes of gear-ripping heaven – that’s right, this is the TR-6060 six speed in action! Just think, this guy gets paid to drive like this. What a life.

The 7:16.04 lap time puts the ZL1 1LE just behind the Porsche 911 GT3 and the Dodge Viper ACR, but what’s more impressive is the list of machines that are eating it’s dust: Corvette ZR1, Ferrari 488, Pagani Zonda F, Maserati MC12. All from the pony car that everybody has a story about…it’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?