GM design Chief Ed Welburn confirmed the Frankfurt Show that the Camaro Z28 program is back on track. As we reported back in April, the Z28 was fundamentally completed, with the design signed off, except the final engineering and certification work was put on hold as GM’s economic condition spun out of control. The awful news is EPA certification and GM durability requirements mean the Z28 is doubtful to go on sale until late 2011.
Our descriptions are very close to the final signed-off design, based on photos of a scale clay model we’ve seen. Main facts to note are the deeper frontage bumper fascia, with larger front aperture under the grille and the spotlights mounted in deep vents on other side. The Z28 also gets an unusual grille mesh compared with that of a usual Camaro.
At the back is a taller edge spoiler that runs the full width of the car. The rear-bumper fascia features a deeper part with integrated exhaust outlets. The wheels are 20-inchers with a forceful “tuning-fork” five-spoke pattern.Underneath is the 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V-8 that also powers the Cadillac CTS-V. As we have already established, this is quite a power plant, delivering 556 HP at 6100 rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3800 rpm.
The near-4300-pound CTS-V thunders beginning 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and nails the quarter mile in 12.3 sec in automatic or 12.4 sec in manual. Top speed is restricted to 175 mph in the auto. But the manual will storm to an autobahn-melting 193 mph. As the Z/28 will weigh 200 to 300 pounds fewer than the CTS-V, it can nail 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and run the quarter in the very low 12s. This Z28 could be the fastest Chevy ponycar since the famous ZL-1-powered COPO 9560 Camaros make 40 years ago.
The Z28 is possible to only be on hand with a six speed manual transmission, unless GM can piggyback some of the car’s certification on work previously done for the CTS-V to get the automatic into the choice at low cost.