As nearly all things being relative, either this Camaro SS is that lame or the hopped up Cobalt is that good around the ‘Ring. Or both?

Go look up the last C&D Lightning Lap test, the Cobalt is that good.

Shame, my four door would suck that ugly front end off when I went by…

i think its pretty good that it beat the cobalt because that actually beat some good cars!

I would rather wait for the Toyota/Subi machine or just get the Hyundai Genesis coupe that will run ‘Rings’ around any CamarSlow or Rustang….I wont even mention that boat Challenger.

Buy Toyota (or Honda) because theyre cars last longer and have better resale value. (but the Koreans are doing a good job coying Toyota)

No More Oil For Toyota,

Eat your words on Toyota and the Koreans, because as I speak – the rental car company I work for keeps buying up tons of Toyotas and Hyundais that will be filling the used car lots in the next year. Hear that? That’s the sound of Toyota’s values being flushed down the toilet.

Didn’t they do an 8:20 time earlier this year? That must have also been an “80% prototype”. Shaving a few seconds would place it in 997 territory, can’t complain about that.

I think thats in the vicinity of the last gen M3. I’m sure someone will look it up for us.

Has the Kia Soul lapped the ring yet and put all these sportscars to shame?

@Jake66, Toyota’s value will always beat GM’s or any domestic–any time ,any place, any day. so whatever you think of Toyota, it’s even worse for GM or any domestic. thats a fact.

Buy Toyota (or Honda) because theyre cars last longer and have better resale value.

Ring times are not really as relevant as many people might think. The track is being constantly improved , made smoother, bumps get removed , corners get more grip , etc. More recently tested cars will always have an advantage over cars tested a while ago.
I’m not saying the Camaro is bad, i like the car, but Ring times are not 100% relevant.

Nürburgring Information

Official length of the Nürburgring is 12.9 mi

As the full main straight cannot be driven at speed due to the modern exit/entrance there, these laps are usually timed “bridge to gantry”, which is only 19.1 km (11.9 mi) and thus about 30 seconds shorter. Additionally, there are two speed limits (one in Breitscheid, and one on “Doettinger Hoehe”) on tourist days, which also impacts the lap time.

Lap Times of most common known cars:

2009 Nissan GT-R 7:29
Ford GT 7:40.6
Audi R8 8:04
BMW M3 E92 8:05
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 8:11
BMW M5 E60 8:13
–> Camaro 8:19
The Camaro’s time is faster than the Audi S5, Lexus IS-F, and 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS.

the main thing with GM resale was because they sold so many fleet vehicle, now they are cutting back and toyota is expanding into the company vehicle sector, which will drive their resale down further… not too mention, toyota has been playing off the “toyota has better quality” for too long, and every new model GM vehicle is on par or better in quality, and especially ford vehicles… also, toyota used to be able to claim awesome fuel mileage, not so anymore… any smart consumer that is open minded can see these things.. lol also, 9/10 toyota and honda vehicles are bland and pretty much just a ‘point a to point b vehicle’, no fun in between destinations

the fact that the camaro SS only best the Cobalt SS by a few seconds speaks more highly of the cobalt than the Camaro… personally i think the camaro time should blow the doors of the time of the cobalt not be within the same neighborhood. Also ill wait to see what the official production lap is before i make any real judgement calls. since there is no video and it was an unofficial lap in a prototype asopposed to the a production set, that number could change quite a bit . *:19 could be some number anyone just threw out there to help the hype

Oh, come on! This comments section is turning into a discussion about RESALE VALUES and QUALITY when it should be about THE ‘RING.

Congratulations goes out to Chevrolet and GM for making a Camaro that can get that lap time. Now, take it for a spin around the ‘Ring in full production trim – or better yet in Z28 trim (if it ever comes out).

Good new ya, Camaro is finally deliever to dealership this spring and starting price at $24,000.

Woo hoo, about time GM.

Camaro V6 – $24,000
Dodge Charllenge 3.5, V6 – $23,000
Ford Mustang 4.0L, V6 – $20,000

i wish they made an race-super-sport version that would be lighter than a regular ss.

I wonder where the Mustang GT and the Challenger SRT8 would fit in that. I would put the Challenger as being roughly as fast and the Camaro, having more horsepower to make up for the weight. The Mustang would suffer for its SLA but might stun people by not being totally left behind.

i actually cant imagine a mustang doing good at all!

Someone on this site a while back mentioned that the Cobalt SS was either going to be upgraded to 290 horse or that GM was offering a factory warranted upgrade to that figure. If this is true it might be enough to put the Cobalt back ahead of the Camaro.

“80% prototype” Camaro SS: 8:19
$30,995

Cobalt SS: 8:22.85
$22,995
———————————pathetic on the CamarSlows’ part. Impressive for the Cobalt…but by 50K it’ll likely break down…or sooner and be worth a quarter of it’s original price in 2 years.

Vette ZR-1: 7:26.4
100K

“pure prototype” Toyota/Lexus L-FA 7:24
100K
———————————be afraid Dumbestic drivers, especially when the Subaru/Toyota UNDER 3,000 lb, 220 HP RWD coupe for under $20,000 comes out in 2011. Buy your Camaro now, because likely there wont be a 6th gen. believe me when i say this and the fact that Toyota/Honda will eliminate 50% more of the Domestic nameplates/market in the next 10 years or less. hence, the only time Domestics will be worth something as extinct ‘Classics’.

Buy Toyota (or Honda) because theyre cars last longer, have better technology, better safety, better mpg….which equals better resale value.

great point johnnycanuck

Blakkarr, in C&D’s Lightning Lap competition the Challenger SRT-8 was 3.3 seconds slower per lap than the Cobalt SS a VIR. I would be surprised if the SRT-8 can keep up.

Johnny, I heard that too. Was supposed to be offerred through GM Performance Parts. 290hp for the FWD cars for $600 -ish. I have tried to look for it but haven’t seen it yet.

Toyota, If it’s pathetic for the Cobalt SS to be almost as quick as the Camaro SS because of the price difference……what about the Cobalt SS being quicker than the IS-F? And what about the Caddy CTS-V which is about the same price as the IS-F? Does this make the IS-F pathetic?

Dr, not at all. I said the Camaro was pathetic NOT the Cobalt SS. Toyota never released IS-F lap times on the ‘Ring. But the Cobalt SS did beat the IS-F on C/D Lighting lap, which i give credit for also beating a few commendable cars like the WRX, BMW 135i, AudiS5, HondaS2000.

..it is an impressive car, but 1 car doesnt make a company profitable or reputable. and like i said on my previous post, by 50K it’ll break down. if it doesnt break down how much do you think a Cobalt with 50K miles will be worth in 2-3 years?

Buy Toyota (or Honda) because theyre cars last longer and have better resale value.

ok, were getting back to the “twice daily” schedule for news about a car that will be old the day its first sold… *vaporware vaporware*

I honestly don’t care if the Camaro turns out to be slower than the Cobalt. But it better show me a blistering quarter mile time.

That’s an impressive ‘ring time, especially considering the Camaro is a muscle car. That’s also faster than the BMW M3 E46, which ran an 8:22.

It’ll be hard to beat this car for bang for the buck.

People who are shocked at the closeness of the Cobalt SS’s time compared to the Camro SS should be ashamed of themselves. Go pick up any racing game that features the ring in it, and see how it is to drive. Constant tight corners, uneven pavement, high speed bends. Yes, the ring has a few straights, but they’re not race-track smooth. A car with a light and agile body will make up HUGE time in the bends, while a muscle car can only shave a few seconds off on the straights.

Also consider that humans have to drive the course. Cars that are easier to push to the limit will do better. Look at the GTR’s time- it has a fancy transmission, fancy suspension, lots of power, and good grip via AWD. Cars like the ZR1 do excellently for similar reasons- excellent power to weight ratio and a great suspension setup. The Cobalt SS does well for the same reasons- good setup, adequate power, but NIMBLE and easy to drive on the course. Cars like the IS-F don’t do as well as they could because they aren’t based on a racing chassis. Look up the Top Gear review of the IS-F and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

But just like we Americans obsessed over 0-60 times for too long, now it looks like the ring is some magic measuring stick. In real life people buy performance cars not for race track performance, but for real-life driving feel and value. That’s where the Camaro shines in my opinion. It’s set up like a GT, which is (in my opinion) the best set up for sportiness and power. Sure it’s not as fast as a Corvette, but the concessions it makes to be more affordable and more livable as a daily driver are what makes it shine. When you compare the Camaro to what’s out there now, you can tell it really does have a lot of passion, engineering and thought put into it. Stands on its own easily.

DrCruelty @ 03/17, 12:11 AM,

That’s a little surprising. Not really. CHRYSLER is awkwardly inconsistent when it comes to performance. But a bit of Suspension tuning will fix the CHALLENGER’s woes. A bit of weight loss won’t hurt either. But if ROLLS ROYCE and BENTLEY can move 5200lbs like 3800lbs, DODGE or some smart tuners should be able to do better with a 4200lb car.

Also I think this is the LAST time anyone will tolerate SLA on the MUSTANG. It’s been fun but even if this is the best SLA ever, it is still not good enough anymore. If the rumors are right, the next Really all-new Mustang, due in 2013 or so I think, assumed to be based on the Falcon (Still waiting for that car) or the current version of the car at the time, will have a proper all-wheel independent suspension. If they don’t the segment dominance the MUSTANG has enjoyed for 40 years is going to come to a screeching end.

The big question now is whether or not the CAMARO can capitalize on its apparent “better-ness”.

Z06ified @ 03/17, 9:19 AM,

“[The Camaro will] be hard to beat this car for bang for the buck.”

A fact most people forget about American muscle cars. Overall more useful, great potential, and it doesn’t cost a fortune to have one and make really yours.

@ FSVT_ROCK. Your price comparison is worthless. The ****ty Mustang V6 has only 210 hp while the V6 Camaro has 300hp. It is really saying something on GM’s part when their V6 can have the same output as Fords V-8 found in the current (not 2010) GT. The 2010 only gets a 15 hp bump (taken right from the Bullit).
As for the Challenger. That V6 puts out 250hp. The Camaro is worth the price premium. Not to mention it is better looking than both IMO.

Ford needs to kick it up a notch with their engines in the mustang if you ask me. It is sad when you have Nissan/Infiniti using their VQ V6 putting out 330hp while Mustang “increases” their V8 output to 315hp. They just aren’t very efficient. They seem to rely too much on forced induction (GT500) to get big numbers.

Im just saying.

whether it can capitalize on its “betterness” or not isnt really the question… rather… will GM be able to finally bring it to the stores before their all bankrupt and gone with the wind…

according to some die-hard gm-nuts (no pun intended), there must be gazillions of those cars in GMs lots… question is: if everybody want one of those, if theyre waiting for sale, if GM needs the money… why the heck dont they deliver them so they will at least get SOME money of their own…? or is it more comfortable for lutz and his clique to live off taxpayers money?

if they can get the CTS-V to lap it in under 8 minutes this car needs to be able to, id say.