GM Design Chief Ed Welburn confirmed in the Frankfurt Auto Show Camaro Z28 that the program is back on track. As reported in April, the Z28 has been substantially completed, signed with the design, but the final design and certification work has been suspended due to GM’s financial situation went out of control.
With GM now bankrupt, the Z28 program was restarted. Why? Insiders say the business case Z28 now makes sense because the new UAW contract have reduced labor costs on the machine to the point where you can hear GM price is competitive – and far enough away from the Corvette. This is the good news. The bad news is EPA certification requirements for durability and GM: The Z28 is unlikely that sale until the end of 2011.
Our images are very close to the final signed-off design, based on photos of a clay model scale we have seen. Key details of note are the most deep front bumper with an open front with the grille and reflectors mounted vents deep on both sides. The Z28 also gets a mesh grille different from that of a standard Camaro.
At the rear is higher than a spoiler lip that runs the entire width of the car. A new rear bumper fascia is a section with deeper tailpipes integrated. The wheels are 20 inchers with an aggressive “diapason” five-spoke model.
A new hood features a large, forward-facing scoop. Below is the 6.2 liter supercharged LSA V-8 that powers the Cadillac CTS-V. As we have already confirmed, this is a good engine, offering 556 horsepower at 6100 rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3800 rpm.
The near-4300 lbs-CTS-V thunders 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds and nails the quarter mile in 12.3 seconds (automatic) or 12.4 seconds (manual). Top speed is limited to 175 km / h in the car (to preserve the transsexual), but the manual storm in a highway merge 193 mph. How Z/28 will weigh 200 to 300 pounds less than the CTS-V, can nail 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and run the quarter in the low 12s. Z28 Chevy ponycar this could be the fastest since the legendary ZL-1-powered COPO 9560 Camaro built 40 years ago.
The Z28 is likely to be available only with a six-speed manual transmission, unless GM can shoulder some of the certification of the car the work already done for the CTS-V to get the full range at low cost.