Bump C7 and 911, Eff Mustang.. Camaro Z/28 Named MotorTrend's Best Driver's Car

[Cmicasa the Great]

 

 

 

DETROIT –Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 is Motor Trend’s 2014 Best Driver’s Car. It’s the first American-brand car to win the 7-year-old award.

 

The Best Driver’s Car contenders are selected from all new or significantly revised performance cars launched in the 12 months prior to the test. To pick the winner, the editors of Motor Trend conduct objective and subjective testing – including digitally instrumented laps at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and high-speed driving up and down a 4.3-mile hill climb on a closed rural highway – to determine which car delivers the most engaging experience behind the wheel.

 

After completing that battery of tests, the editors of Motor Trend wrote:

 

“The transformation of the fifth-generation Camaro from ‘muscle car that handles pretty well’ to Best Driver’s Car winner is astounding. You feel the superior engineering in how the car responds to inputs both internal and external. From within, the car reacts immediately and precisely to your commands but doesn’t punish your mistakes. From the outside, the Z/28’s suspension attacks bumps and dips with an unbridled passion for keeping the tires on the pavement.”

 

Previous winners of Motor Trend’s Best Driver Car award were:

2007 Porsche 911 GT3

2008 Audi R8

2009 Porsche Cayman S

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 2S

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

 

“The mission for the new Z/28 was to create the most capable, best-handling Camaro in our history,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors’ executive vice president, Global Product Development. “As such, I can’t think of a better validation of that mission than for the Z/28 to be named Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car.”

 

The Camaro Z/28 builds on the legacy of the original SCCA Trans Am-series contender introduced in 1967. Its unique exterior is designed like a race car to produce downforce that presses the car against the track for greater grip and faster lap times. Comprehensive chassis and suspension changes, including a lower center of gravity, specific stabilizer bars, higher-rate coil springs and other chassis and suspension features have been optimized for the track – enabling more than 1.08 g in lateral acceleration and 1.5 g in deceleration.

 

Racing-bred dampers, tires and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes play important roles in not only maximizing performance, but making it more predictable and consistent with every lap. Engineers also made sure the Z/28 was as light as possible to maximize its power-to-weight ratio. Everything from lightweight wheels to thinner rear-window glass is used to reduce curb weight and improve the overall weight balance. The carbon ceramic brake rotors, for example, collectively save more than 20 pounds of unsprung weight, compared to the Camaro SS.

 

In fact, 100 percent of the unsprung mass – suspension, wheels, tires and brake system – has been changed from the Camaro SS, dramatically enhancing the balance and overall driving feel of the Z/28.

 

A 7.0L LS7 V-8 rated at 505 horsepower (376 kW) and 481 lb-ft of torque (652 Nm) complements the lightweight vehicle components to give the car an enviable 7.6:1 power-to-weight ratio. It was bred on the racetrack, with features designed for high-rpm performance and durability, including a durable forged-steel crankshaft, lightweight titanium connecting rods and high-flow cylinder heads with lightweight titanium intake valves.http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Sep/0925-camaroz28-motortrend.html

Wow... 6 years old and still racking WINS!!! I still remember people crying about the weight.. yet it continues to exceed naysayers


Loves me some GM.. Loves me some Chevy... Loves me some Camaro YUM YUM. 

Side not.. I saw a Z28 being marked up to $85K the other day. WOW!!~

Edited September 25, 2014 by Cmicasa the Great

[David]

Very Cool! Now drop in the Supercharger and you just destroy the Hellcat!

[A Horse With No Name]

The car deserved to win.  Without question.  Now I just need organ sales legalized so i can afford that 85K.  Anyone need a kidney?

[Z-06]

I can see someone with three breasts, but three kidneys a little overwhelming, don't you think?

 

Nevertheless, this is huge for GM. That LS7 always makes me smile when I start it. To me it is technologically superior than the Germans 6.2 M156 or 4.0 S65.

[Cmicasa the Great]

As much as I loved the LS7 I think the LSA and 9 were better situated motors in terms of available punch. The LT4 .. and in a way the LT1 have take it to the next level. This is the reason why the LT1 powered heavier Stingrays are pulling in times that are almost exactly the same as the lighter LS7 Z06s. The next gen Z28.. if it comes to fruition will most likely get the next iteration of the NA LTx motor, which I could easily see being stock.. 490-500HP.