2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Spied Lapping the Nurburgring

Chevrolet’s newest Camaro met mixed responses on March 27 when its silk slipped off during the New York Auto Show.

On the one hand, Chevrolet made a bold claim: the Z/28 is faster on the track than its venerable ZL1. On the other, it had certain fans up in arms over the tail lights packages with its mid-cycle refresh. To be fair, the negative comments aren’t directed at the Z/28, but the Camaro in general.

Regardless, Chevrolet is testing its new colossus car on Germany’s famous Nurburgring. Chevrolet might seem a little silly for covering a car it already unveiled in camouflage for track testing, but at least the brand seems to be backing up the track time claim it made in March.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Faster than ZL1

In case you missed the details, Chevrolet’s revived Z/28 nameplate will come with a 7.0-liter LS7 V8 and is said to be three seconds a lap faster than the ZL1. That could amount to marketing malarkey. Then again, if that’s three seconds on a normal track, it’s Nurburgring time could be something quite impressive!

Still, it’s hard not to question why this car is still covered. It seems almost identical to the car in New York, but that doesn’t mean it necessarily is. Chevrolet skated around specifics with the Z/28 suspension by calling it “heavy-duty.” One of the ZL1’s key advantages is its Magnetic Ride Control and Chevrolet’s omission with the Z/28 seems suspect.

The ZL1 is still in production, and while the Z/28 is faster for now, Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser said in New York that the car will be “too track-focused for most drivers.”

Given that, imagine for a minute that the car pictured here is equipped with Magnetic Ride Control and the Z/28 body kit. There’s no way the work and money GM just dumped into building its new V8 will be reserved for the Corvette. Given all that, there’s a chance this could actually be a masked version of a a new range-topper that will appeal to a broader market.