New Camaro ZL1 1LE shown Testing at Nurburgring (Video)

A brief video showing a pair of 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE test cars in and around the famed Nurburgring in Germany suggests that GM is almost certainly overseas, looking to set a new Ring Record for American muscle cars.

Dating back to the 5th generation ZL1, some Chevrolet Camaro has held the record as the quickest American muscle car to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife and as you are reading this, the newest Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 holds the record in question. However, the arrival of the more aggressive ZL1 1LE package has everyone expecting to see a new Ring record by the Camaro and based on the video below – that next record attempt is well underway.

Camaros Lead Muscle Cars at the Ring
The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 currently holds the record for the fastest American muscle car to lap the 12.9-mile Nurburgring Nordschleife course. The supercharged ZL1 claimed the record by running a 7:29.60, beating the old record of 7:37.4, which was set by the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. Prior to that, the 5th generation (2012) Camaro ZL1 held the record with a time of 7:41.27 and before that – there were no official American muscle car times worth keeping on record at this point.

It has long been expected that Ford Motor Company would take a run at the Nurburgring record with the new Shelby GT350R Mustang, but so far, there has been no word on an official time for the new Shelby Mustang.

Even though the Camaro holds the top three spots on the list of the fastest American muscle cars at the Nurburgring, it looks as though GM is looking to set a new record, as the YouTuber Carspotter Jeroen – whose work has been featured here before on TorqueNews – caught a quick glimpse of the 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE working out on the world’s most famous road course.

Camaro ZL1 1LE on the Ring
The video, which you can check out below, shows what is clearly a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE stretching its legs on the Nurburgring. We only get about 10 seconds of track action, but there is no question that this is a new ZL1 1LE test car, complete with manufacturer’s plates. The brief footage shows the aero-heavy muscle car rocketing down a long straightaway and that is all, as the next clip takes us away from the track.

This second clip shows a pair of 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE test car driving around near the track, including a white car and the red car from the on-track footage, and a white Corvette Z06 which might be used for benchmarking.

While we don’t get to see any really exciting track footage of the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, the cars caught by Carspotter Jeroen show that General Motors is back testing at the Nurgburgring. Since these cars are about to hit the market, it seems unlikely that they are doing any product testing, so it is far more likely that they have these cars over there to reset the Nurburgring muscle car record.

Of course, whenever GM announces a new Nurburgring lap time record for the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, you will find it here on TorqueNews.