It's A Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Vs Corvette ZR1 Track Face-Off!
For whatever reason, the Chevrolet’s Corvette ZR1 just wasn’t as fast at the Nurburgring as expected. But how might it do at a shorter track, like Hockenheim?
Thanks to Sport Auto, we get to find out. The German publication put the ridiculously handy Christian Gebhardt behind the wheel and sent him out on the track’s short configuration to see how it might get on. Oh, and he also had a go with the Camaro ZL1 1LE. Packing 745bhp, the ‘Vette has around 100bhp more to play with, so does that mean this is a walkover, even at a short track? Skip the next paragraph if you don’t want to see a spoiler…
Assuming you don’t mind knowing the result or have just watched it, here are the numbers: 01:09.6 for the Camaro, and 01:06.9 for the Corvette. Yep, that’s a pretty clear victory for the ZR1, which isn’t exactly surprising. As well as the extra power, the ZR1 is on semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, where the ZL1 uses slightly less focused Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar boots, albeit of a design bespoke to the car. Oh, and a base Corvette is a somewhat more athletic starting point for a track weapon than a base Camaro.
What’s particularly interesting though, is Sport Auto managed to get a Z06 around Hockenheim not so long ago in exactly the same time…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Now where’s the demon or red eye or hellcat
Fun Fact of the Day!
Tracks have CORNERS
Do you understand “Corners”!
Now thats a mouthfull
Ford Mustang GT350R and Ford GT knock on the door
Howdy. Naaaice wetha we havin Yall
Now step asside for tha REAL champion
Where do you plan to buy a GT350R or Ford GT? You can actually buy a ZL1 1LE and will be able to buy a ZR1 when released. If you could actually buy a Ford GT, it would be over a million bucks! So, you want to consider cars that can’t be bought…”REAL Champions”??? Nope!
Oh, a friendly competition
Of course the ZR1 will win when it has more power and handles better. It would be more interesting how the Camaro ZL1 fairs against the Corvette Grand Sport. They are fairly similar in price and the ZL1’s power advantage might be balanced more with the Grand Sport’s handling advantage
I see GM does make their Model Names up out of leftover Letters or does the ZL-1 1LE actually mean something?
1-LE stands for limited edition i think
At least they give cars real names like Camaro, corvette, Cruz etc. ZL1 is a trim level and 1le is a track package.
ZL1, Z28, z71, zr1, 1LE are all production nomenclatures…. simple as that. They arent made up its what they legitimately use in factory for parts.
They are factory codes like Z28 was when originally produced. The ZL1 is code for that specific model. 1LE is the order code for a more track specific suspension package and is available on multiple Camaro models, even 6 cylinder models. Its like ordering a Corvette Z06 and the optional Z07 track package.
The zr1 really is a bit of a disappointment. I hoped for some supercar killer performance and now its about 3 seconds slower than the porsche gt2rs in hockenheim. Its still an amazing car tho.
I’m ok with it being 3 seconds slower considering it’s less than half the price.
The gt2rs is a supercar killer too
Have you looked at the price difference? We’ll see, if a mid-engine Vette comes out, where the difference is. Plus, have you tried to buy the GT2RS? Got $500,000+?
Damn, only 3 seconds slower? Thats pretty wild. The GT2RS is a beast. ZR1 great car great value, gj GM
Stick shift (yes, I know they’re more fun) in the Camero verses that killer 10-speed auto in the ‘Vette? I think the Camero could have closed the gap a little with the same tranny…
ZL1-1LE is only available with 6 Speed, because its lighter than automatic version.
Negative ghost Rider….no 10-spd auto for the Vette. Only an 8 speed. And while the 10 spd is the most impressive automatica transmission to date, the 8spd in the vettes has left something to be desired in this generation.
Also worth noting the ZL1 had a manual and the ZR1 was auto and he wasnt shifting himself
Even if both cars has a manual, the ZR1 would have still won. Kinda hard to argue with 100 more horsepower, a more extreme aero package, and grippier tires
I want to see Randy Pobst drive the ZR1