2018 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Future Cars

Photo:Caranddriver.com

Future Cars

A prototype sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro that most likely previews the next-generation track-focused Camaro Z/28. The Camaro ZL1, with its 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 borrowed from the Corvette Z06, is the Camaro iteration all ate up with motor. This Z/28, as before, will be the Camaro that’s all ate up with eatin’ up, chewing, and spittin’ out racetracks. Just look at this camouflaged test mule’s borderline ridiculous aerodynamic add-ons, tires as wide as Kansas, and gaping air intakes all working toward a single purpose: keeping the Z/28 planted and cool while circling a track at abusive velocities. Is it possible that the prototype pictured here is some sort of club racer Chevrolet is developing? Yes, but the large-ish wheels, normal-looking side mirrors, and other conventional-looking details strongly dampen that prospect.

Why It Matters: As Chevrolet fleshes out the sixth-generation Camaro lineup, it’s gradually turning out a bunch of remastered hits from the car’s successful fifth-generation run. Since the latest Camaro arrived, we’ve already seen the introduction of a new 1LE performance package (now also available on the V-6 Camaro for the first time), the new ZL1 coupe, and the new ZL1 convertible. The only notable variant yet to arrive is the Z/28, a nameplate that goes back to 1967 and was reintroduced to the Camaro family late in the fifth-gen model’s life cycle to denote a no-holds-barred track-focused beast. Critically, Ford has been stealing headlines—and winning a 10Best Cars award—with its incredible Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R, meaning Chevrolet will be counting on the Z/28 to yank (hard) on the spotlight and get it focused on its muscle car. Based on this car’s wild body add-ons, we think Chevrolet is putting quite the effort toward unseating Ford’s GT350.

Photo:Topspeed.com

Platform: As before, the Z/28 will start life as a regular Camaro, but Chevrolet will give it a total makeover to enhance grip, downforce, and braking, as well as the cooling of critical components. We also expect the Z/28 to be lighter than its Camaro siblings, although stripping weight from the newly lightened sixth-generation Camaro won’t be as easy as it was for the heavier previous-generation car. These spy photos reveal how hard-core the new Z/28’s aero kit will be, with a shelf-like front splitter building on the already prodigious proboscis on the outgoing model, Corvette Z06–like rocker-panel extensions, and a colossal rear wing that appears to be adjustable. Curiously, this prototype lacks an elaborate—i.e., finned—rear diffuser, but perhaps it doesn’t need it with all of those other downforce-enhancing bits. In addition to the splitter up front, the front fascia wears aggressive canards on its cheekbones, as well as a vented hood (a design that Chevrolet has employed in the past to reduce front-end lift at high speeds by evacuating engine-compartment air) that appears similar to the one on the new ZL1. Speaking of vents, the grille on this Camaro is larger than the opening on normal Camaros and similar to that on the supercharged ZL1; it is flanked by two smaller intakes that, again, are larger than similar openings on other Camaros.

The fenders are pumped out to accommodate mega-wide tires front and rear, and the wheels appear to be quite large—we estimate that they’re 21-inch rims, one inch larger than those on the Camaro SS. Massive front and rear brake rotors very nearly fill those wheels, too. Chevrolet has cheekily placed Easter eggs on Camaros it has tested at the Nürburgring before—they appeared on a ZL1 test mule last year—which has us wondering about this Z/28 prototype’s bright-yellow Corvette Grand Sport–style hash marks taped to each front fender. This could hint at the origins of some Z/28 parts—we wouldn’t be shocked if the car’s brakes and adaptive-suspension dampers were donations from the Corvette Grand Sport—or it could be pure fun on the engineers’ part, a simple break from that dreary black-and-white camouflage.

Photo:Motoauthority

Powertrain: Besides looking bad-ass and being capable of defying physics, the previous Z/28 sat apart from the rest of the Camaro family by virtue of its engine. While every other Camaro utilized a 6.2-liter V-8 (either naturally aspirated or supercharged), the old Z/28 boasted the naturally aspirated 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 also used in the C6 Corvette Z06. The special engine made 505 horsepower, fewer than the supercharged V-8 in the contemporary ZL1, and yet the Z/28 was the most expensive Camaro available. We suspect that, this time around, the Z/28 may get a horsepower rating commensurate with its position at the top of the Camaro lineup. For reference, the 2017 Camaro ZL1 is putting down 640 horsepower from the same supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 used in today’s Corvette Z06 (which carries a ceremonial 10-hp advantage over the Camaro). While the Z/28’s power level is a mystery, we’re fairly confident the Z/28’s extra power will come from the very same supercharged LT4 V-8 as the ZL1. A six-speed manual transmission should be standard, while General Motors’ new 10-speed automatic—which debuted in the Camaro ZL1—may be optional.

Estimated Arrival and Price: Even though this Camaro Z/28 prototype appears largely complete, we suspect that extensive durability testing and a wish to give the Camaro ZL1 some breathing room at launch will push its reveal until next year at the earliest. Assuming a January debut at the 2017 Detroit auto show, the Camaro Z/28 would come to market sometime next year as a 2018 model. The new one should cost roughly the same as the previous Z/28, so figure around $75K.