The 2014 Camaro Z/28 from Chevrolet is lighter and drives faster than its predecessor even on rainy roads, Edmunds.com reports.

The latest model lapped the Nurburgring road course in a time of 7:37.40, which was four seconds faster than the domestic automaker's 2011 run in the Camaro ZL1.

The new Camaro is also faster than published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, according to Edmunds.

It managed that time on less-than-ideal track conditions with damp pavement and pouring rain at the end of the lap.

"One of the challenges of testing at the 'Ring is that the track is so long that conditions can change radically in a single lap," Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer, said in a statement.

"Adam Dean, the development driver for Z/28, did a heroic job driving in deteriorating conditions. Based on telemetry data from our test sessions, we know the Z/28 can be as much as six seconds faster on a dry track."

General Motors spent a week in Germany as part of the vehicle's performance-validation regimen, accumulating 10 hours and almost 1,000 miles on the track.

The 2014 Camaro, which is about 300 pounds less than the old model, is powered by a naturally aspirated 7.0-liter LS7 V8 engine that packs 505 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque under the hood, according to Edmunds.

A close-ratio six-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential. As with the original Z/28, air-conditioning will only be available as an option.

Pricing for the new Camaro will be higher than the old model, which starts at around $56,000.

"We will announce pricing likely in early 2014, as the Z/28 goes on sale in the first quarter of next year," Monte Doran, a Chevrolet spokesman, said in an email.

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