cars news 10: 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Smokes Previous ZL1’s Nurburgring Time

The new 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the company’s most powerful Camaro, ever and its new Nürburgring lap time ensures it will keep that crown for some time. Using the same supercharged LT4 V-8 from the Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V, the Camaro ZL1 makes an astonishing 640 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque. However, the most talked about nuance in the 2017 ZL1 is its new 10-speed automatic gearbox.

This is the first time we’ve been able to see this new transmission in action and it did not disappoint. If you pay close attention to the tachometer in the video, you’ll see the lightning-fast shifts this new transmission is capable of. Chevy’s driver doesn’t even use the car’s paddle shifters to complete the lap. It’s a bold strategy that paid off.

The fifth-generation Camaro ZL1 lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:41.50, faster than the 997 Porsche 911 GT3, Lamborghini Murcielago SV, and Audi R8 V-10. The upcoming sixth-generation Camaro ZL1 managed to shave a full 11.67 seconds off that time, completing a lap in just 7:29.60. That’s as quick as a Ferrari 458 Speciale, Nissan GT-R, and almost as quick as the 991-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

A race driver letting an automatic shift for him is the biggest endorsement this new 10-speed transmission could get. Has Chevy built a supercar-slaying Camaro? After this video, we can’t wait to get behind the wheel and find out.