Inside Line just got confirmation that the supercharged 500-plus horsepower Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 is back in the product plan and is set for production. It had appeared that the extra-high-performance Camaro had fallen victim to the cost-cutter's knife.
According to Ed Welburn, GM's Vice President for global design, the on-again, off-again Z/28 is back in the plan. The modified body is done, according to Welburn. There is still calibration work to be done on the powertrain, though. We're still looking at about a year's wait before the Z/28 would appear.
The basic engine is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, which sees duty in the Cadillac CTS-V. In that application, the engine makes 556-horsepower and is available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. There's no reason to assume that the Z/28 wouldn't be offered with both transmissions and only a fool would turn down the power much. The vehicle will come with a specific body kit with a slightly raised hood to accommodate the top-mounted intercooler/supercharger unit and a tall rear spoiler. Specific wheel design and suspension tune will surely be part of the package. Wider rear rubber might prove necessary, too, we'd think. (Obviously, this isn't a Camaro Z/28 in the photo, so you use your imagination and mentally add a hood scoop.)
Alongside this news, we hear that GM is considering doing a higher-performance version of the V6 Camaro, in hopes of piquing the interest of less traditional Camaro enthusiasts.
