Video looks great. I had to refresh 2-3 times before it would launch.
Car looks fast to me. Suspension seems a bit bouncy but at that track it's to be understood. Some body roll is noted too but again that's the Ring.

One thing is sure the exhaust sounds good. They have done their homework. I remeber Scott posting that picture of them listening to exhaust notes of other cars to compare.
They did well!
Sounds like the LS3 Vette with the optional dual mode exhaust opened up. Just the right amount of rasp and growl. No supercharging noises being emmited. Maybe this is the SS.

I wish there was a way to drown out the announcer and just hear the car. I think they have the models switched but it's Edmunds afterall.

This Camaro has come a long way. When I think back at the 3rd and 4th Gen F-bodies and how they would never have been tested at someplace like the Ring as I'm sure GM felt they were good enough. To see this car finally get the respect and propper development that it needs to be more than just good enough. New GM and new Camaro!

 

"With the start of production for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro still a year away, the engineers at Chevrolet still have plenty of time to fine-tune this car, so these Nürburgring tests are just the beginning."

I sure hope they are wrong, i thought production would be starting in about 6-8 months.

 

Cool!

And I guess no thread about the new Camaro is complete without arguing about the top model.

 

The 1st gen Z/28 and SS may have had different missions, but the top dog was the SS 396 375 HP.

The Z/28 reigned supreme during that timeframe by default. Any time the SS has been in the lineup, it has trumped the Z/28.

 

Yep, I hope they come out and say the top model is going to be called the Camaro Type R. That would be hilarious.

 

The 375 horse cars were neat, (unless you wanted to turn the steering wheel). And rare. Most were the the SS350 or mild 325 hp SS396 versions.
I had a '70 SS350. Nice enough car, but wouldn't even hold a candle to a Z/28.

Oh btw, I've never heard an owner of a 375 horse car call it an "SS". They always refer to them as "L-78 cars". That's so no one confuses them with the milktoast Camaro SS versions.

 

Thats interesting, I've never heard anyone refer to their car as that actually lol but it makes sense. I am happy to call mine a sport coupe though gotta downplay why the 307 is so loud...

As for the video the mis-information is sad at this point, and I like how they noted that this Camaro will be for more than going in a straight line ( as if they were never noted for that in the past)...

 

Great video for those who are having problems viewing just refresh or close out of the window and re open to see it.

 

The SS396 was the top dog of the SS cars - not the entire Camaro lineup.

The SS396 was faster in a straight line (but not by much). The Z/28 would absolutely destroy the SS in any race that involved turns, though.

Also, if the SS was the top dog, the "banner carrier" so to speak, why did it go away in the early years of the 2nd generation? Why did the Z/28 survive, and for a much longer time than any run of an SS model?

 

That's just down-right DIRTY!!!

..... I mean, in a dirty car-**** kind of way!!

 

Because the Z28 was the plain standard V8 model for awhile, and when performance died so did the big dawg...

You guys have just proved the main point why the SS should be the top dawg (I believe the inisders are right and it won't be though); we've had the Z28 as the standard defacto V8 model since the mid 70s on when all we had was the Z28 or IROC-Z28s. Now all of a sudden it's going to the expensive, super z06 style car? Doesn't fit IMO, but whatever.


In the heyday of street straightline dragracing in the musclecar era there is no way the Z28 was seen as the top dawg factory street Camaro. That's dreaming.

My father had a L-78 powered SS ordered new at the very end of the '67 model year, his best friend ended up w/ a 67 or 68 Z28 (before he moved to a bigblock SS car as well). To hear BOTH of them talk there was no comparison for king of the hill on the street...

I certainly don't see a heavier (presumably) SC'd 500+ hp monster as really the true spirit of the original Z28 either.

In the end I'm happy if the Z28 is the top model for the 5thgens though. I've had plenty of Z28s over the years and what I want now is a nice SS, the 400+hp level SS looks perfect for what I want.

 

Which one cost more? That is the one that was the "top dog"...

 

In the 60's all top line standard performance cars were SS.

There were some special edition order codes like ZR-1, Z06, Z-11, Z-28 and others.

The reasone the Z took over for the SS as a standard performance edition was Chevy did away with the SS for a while in all lines as the fuel prices and lines did not play well with the SS Line.

The Z even went away after it became mostly a sticker package. The sales of the TA proved that a perfromance name could still sell and Chevy jumped back into the game with the SBC Z. SS was pointless at this time due to the fact the engine was a SBC 350 and most but not all SS were well known as BBC. Also the Z28 name was only a Camaro name.

Besides the Z was a Camaro not a Chevy so it would be better to promote it as such.

Fast forward to today. The SS will be the performance standard and the Z will return to what it once was a special order code on a limited edition Camaro.

Having the Z as the standard car is like Ford calling the Shelby a standard Mustang and the GT the GT the $45K coupe.

If the Z is so special you need to make it as it once was the best all around performer with the ledgendary history just like the Shelby is to the Mustang. The best and special car is that one just with in reach not the one that everyone can buy.

This has nothing to do with who has the biggest engine or who has the fastest time in the 1/4 mile. It all has to do with marketing. Chevy today will offewr many SS models with many different lines but none will offer a Z/28 So if you expect anyone to plop down 40 plus grand on a Camaro it had better ber special and the best model. Why would anyone want to pay 40 plus grand for a with the SS name shared with a Cobalt or Trailblazer? All good vehicles but not good enough for the top Camaro.

The key is the Z28 is Identified by all possible buyers as a Top Camaro and only a Camaro for years. GM wants this car to sell to more than just past Camaro owners who split hairs over letters. They want what the to give the General public what they believe is the best or special name.

The bottom line here is most of us should really care less on the name as we are already sold on the car. They could call it an Vince Piggins special for all we care as we are already sold on the car.

Marketing on this car has evolved over the years and will continue to do so yet with this gen. SO let them do what they need to do to sell cars and the rest of us just enjoy the video and years of a great car no matter what the name.

 

 

Hmm we are still on the dead horse that is SS Vrs. Z28(Z/28,Z-28).. This thread is about the camaro doing laps at the ring.. not its model...(or speculation done by an internet car site..)

I love the exhaust note.. you really hear it on the first pass...

And yep it still looks as small as it did a week ago...