Being the best is a great feeling, isn’t it? We’re certainly excited that the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 recently was named Motor Trend’s 2014 Best Driver’s Car. In the award’s seven-year existence, the Z/28 is the first American car ever to win.
And, really, its triumph is no surprise. Building on the legacy of the original SCCA Trans Am-series contender introduced in 1967, the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 has race car features and plenty of oomph. Its chassis, suspension,tires and brakes are made
for the track, and its 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.
Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car contenders are selected from all new or significantly revised performance cars launched in the twelve months prior to the test. Editors complete a battery of tests -- 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 the winner.
“The transformation of the fifth-generation Camaro from ‘muscle car that handles pretty well’ to Best Driver’s
Car winner is astounding,” the editors of Motor Trend said in their
write-up. “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.”
Have you ever been behind the wheel of a Chevy Camaro Z/28? What do you think you’d be like on the race track? Swing by Jim Butler Chevrolet and let us know about your need for speed.