bossco

Lol, I dont envy an F5 product planner at all The V6 is pretty damn good and maybe you could slot something in there but IMO the price for a V6 SE would be knocking on V8 territory and the V6 SE would be rendered moot as far as value goes (it would be the same for a small displacement V8 SE)

Say GM comes out with the LSA powered Z/28 and there is a spot between the SS and Z/28, what do you fill it with? The low buck LS7 mentioned above and call it a ZL1? 75hp is a good shot in the arm and alot easier to handle than an extra 130, so do you end up with a ZL1 that renders a Z/28 moot in handling and occasionally acceleration as with the SS vs. GT500 debate.

If Ford does come out with a 400hp 5.0, I suspect they will be in the same delimma with the GT500 even if they switch to an AL 5.4. The GT will be in the sweet spot in terms of what you get for the money and Ford will have a tough time slotting in something that offers any value over the GT without stepping on GT500 toes.

99SilverSS

For this Camaro and this economy and GM's current state I say leave the Z28 alone.

BUT... IF I was in charge of this Camaro and had some money to put in to a Z28 I would go the way of what Ford has done with the Cobra R. I would address weight and look to chop 200 lbs off by any means necessary (carbon fiber, insulation removal, delete radio and back seat) then use the LS7 or 7.0L drivetrain and upgrade the suspension to a level that only hardcore enthusiasts would want or enjoy complete with lightweight road racing wheels and price it right at GT500/SRT8 territory. The goal would be all around performance in that the car would be as at home on the drag strip as it is on the road course with street driving secondary. That would be a modern intrepetation of the Z28 for this Camaro IMO.

I doubt GM's finances and their current CAFE thinking would allow such a car and there is the question if this Camaro really needs the Z28 but it's fun to dream.

jg95z28

Ah, but keep in mind, there's actually historical precedent for the Camaro to get the DI V8 first. Some tend to forget that the first Chevrolet to get the 350-cid sbc was in fact the 1967 Camaro SS, and not the Corvette.

2010_5thgen

maybe when the vette gets redesigned for the c7 they will use the 6.2 DI in it? thew vette is due to change in the next year or 2. the z28, if/when it comes out, would probably be around the same time as the vette redesign.

Z284ever

I am so torn on this, but I see where you're coming from, and really don't disagree. If I thought that this car could have an effective Z/28 package, which respects it's heritage, could outperform it's competitors, and be a business and marketing success, I'd be all for it. In fact, for those who've been around here long enough to know me, you know I'd carry out a forceful campaign for a Z/28.

Like someone posted earlier, Chevrolet has sort of painted itself in a corner here.

Z28Wilson

Well, that would CERTAINLY be a hardcore, limited production car then - because nobody wants a completely stripped $45,000 performance car. How many 2000 R's did Ford make, 300? Shoot, even the Z06 gets frills like a radio, HUD, etc....I think a Z28 that takes such a "gutted" approach would be utterly pointless.

Yeah, you've got a car that will run with a GT500 - but it's a shell compared to a similarly priced GT500.

Z284ever

And in the end, that "gutted" car will probably still come in somewhere north of 3700 pounds.

wildpaws

Absolutely correct, no other Chevy model got the 350cid until '68!
Clyde

AdioSS

True, but when the SS became the entry level V8 Camaro, they threw historical precedence out the window.

I wonder how much power and torque a square-port head, VVT 4.8-5.3L LSx would make? (I guesstimate 335~350hp/340-360tq.) Would it be too strong for the V6's transmission(s), rear end, and brakes (and 18" wheels) when paired with slightly less weight? Or might it be better to increase the displacement of the V6 to 4.0-4.2L to get the same power, but less weight. ???
Historically, that might be a better Z28

wildpaws

I would disagree with your options being "Historically.....a better Z28". Just as I disagree with an LSA powered Z/28! What the first gen. Z/28 lacked in engine displacement compared to the SS did not also mean that the Z/28 lacked HP or performance compared to the SS. The 350 cid base SS engine (295HP '67/'68, 300HP '69) was no match for the 302 cid 290 HP Z/28 engine, trust me when I tell you that all of us Z/28 owners from back in the day didn't even concern ourselves with the 350 cid SS. A 396 cid 325HP SS was also no real concern, the 396/350HP could be a concern, the 396/375HP was a concern. While the Z/28 lacked the displacement, it was a far higher revving engine than all of the 350 cid and 396 cid versions except the 396/375 which also had a solid lifter camshaft and was high revving. Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of the other posters that Chevy has painted themselves into a corner on this one, there is not much they could do to differentiate a Z/28 drivetrain from the SS drivetrain in the fifth gen. Camaro and the weight of the ZetaII platform also leaves little to be worked with. What I could see (but don't expect to happen) is a smaller displacement DI V8 in the 450HP range for a Z/28, I also am not sure if we will even see a Z/28 any time soon (if ever) in spite of many of us wanting one.
Clyde

BigBlueCruiser

3700lb 475/475 Z/28 mid12s@116-117

7.0 production line engine
lightweight seats(aftermarket if necessary Recarro)
aluminum driveshaft
titanium exhaust
ultralight alloy wheels
Partial sound insulation removal

low $40Ks

Can be done in 6 months.

Z28Wilson

You're not dropping 200+ pounds doing these things. Doesn't the SS already have an aluminum driveshaft? I know the 4th Gen did....

2010_5thgen

actually when i replaced my exhaust with borla, it probably was a 30 lbs weight difference with just that. fiber glass or carbon fiber hood and fenders should drop another 15-20lbs.

Z28Wilson

I keep going back to the Z06. The C5 Z06 saved 18 pounds with the titanium exhaust over the stainless steel setup. In all, the car saved 38 pounds over the standard MY 2000 hardtop model, which also included things like thinner glass, reduced sound insulation and lighter wheels. This is why I say, you aren't going to cut 200 pounds out of the car by taking out/re-engineering bits and pieces of it.

The only way to cut real, meaningful weight is in the structure itself. Anyone want to ask Chevy for an all-aluminum version of Zeta just like C6 Z06?

Z284ever

I agree, NO WAY are you going to take 200 pounds of mass out of this car and end up with a saleable product.


This thread really makes me sad. For those who have been around here awhile, remember all of those on fire, 20 page threads we used to have on the Z/28? What it is. What it isn't. What it should be. What it can be.
Well, here we are in the real world now, and the consensus by the Z/28 faithful is (and I consider myself one of them), I give up, you just can't turn this car into a Z/28.