Unveiled at the 2013 New York Auto Show, GM's latest Camaro offering,
slated for the 2014 model year, draws on over forty years of pony car
fame. The Z/28 package has been absent since the Camaro's reintroduction
at the beginning of the decade. The original Z/28 was designed and
built with Trans-Am racing in mind, and according to Chevrolet the 2014
version has similarly been built with the track in mind.
The car is now the newest of four available hot Camaros, and slots in
somewhere between the 1LE (the $3,500 track package for the SS) and the
580 horsepower ZL1. There are a few little changes to make the car
lighter, and overall it weighs around 300 pounds less than the ZL1, but
the Z/28 is still a heavy car. But with that characteristically large
weight, there is the characteristically high power to go with it. With
an LS7 V-8 similar to the one you get in the Corvette Z06, the new Z/28
makes 500 horsepower and 470 lb/ft of torque, all of with runs through
Chevy's excellent TREMEC 6-speed manual and a limited slip differential.
As for track-specific elements, the Z/28 features an aerodynamic kit on
the body to produce downforce and keep the rear wheels planted,
including a pretty large front splitter that connects to an underbody
panel to reduce aerodynamic lift. Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, lighter
wheels, sticky Pirelli tires, a dry-sump oil system, and cooling systems
for the transmission and differential are other track-oriented
characteristics.
On the inside, Recaro racing seats with "Z/28" lettering on the
headrest keep the driver and passenger firmly planted during hard
cornering. To save weight, these seats are manually adjusted. The rear
seats are lightened but still present, as GM felt the Camaro should
still always be a 2+2 rather than just a heavier Corvette. A flat-bottom
steering wheel like that in the 1LE and ZL1 is also a good touch that
frees up legroom. On the outside, meanwhile, other than the vent in the
hood and the subtle aerodynamic touches, the Z/28 carries over the same
changes to the bodywork as the rest of the updated 2014 Camaro lineup.
These changes overall are quite subtle and aren't exactly better or
worse, they're just different.
The Z/28 will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to the lineup. The
Camaro is already widely praised in the motoring press and arguably the
best of this crop of modern muscle cars. The Z/28 will now offer the
amenities desired by the track-minded customer and will probably turn
faster lap times than the more expensive ZL1. It also, of course, has
the magic attached to the Z/28 name. Generations of car people have
respected it since it was introduced in 1967, and this new version seems
poised to pique the interests of the younger, newer drivers out there
for some time to come. If Ford Mustang, this car is going to be a tough
act to follow.
