Showing posts with label Z/28. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Z/28. Show all posts

Sunday, June 27, 2021

IROC-Z Camaro: Chevrolet's 1980s Road Course Legend

 

Camaro IROC-Z



IROC-Z Camaro History 

Back in 1984, Chevrolet wanted to produce a Camaro that would closely mimic the Camaros that were being used to race in the IROC (International Race of Championship) Racing Series. 

The good idea was pushed forward when Chevrolet signed on to be the official sponsor of the IROC Racing Series. This move gave Chevrolet permission to use the name IROC on their Camaros, which in turn spawn the birth of the road course king, "IROC-Z Camaro".


The IROC-Z Start

Starting in 1985, the new IROC-Z became available to the public and would go on to be produced as a Camaro performance option until 1990. The turn of the decade brought up the end of the licensing agreement with the IROC Racing Series. Chevrolet had other plans for the future of the Camaro and decided not to renew the sponsorship with the race series and dropped the IROC-Z from production.

For those years that the IROC-Z was in production, they became such a staple in the Camaro lineup, Chevrolet would drop the Z-28 from production for the years of '88, '89, and '90. The IROC-Z would become your primary choice if you wanted a performance-based Camaro. 

When Chevrolet halted production for the IROC-Z because of their licensing agreement end with the IROC Racing Series, they also had to drop the IROC-Z nameplate. After a few years on hiatus, the Z28 performance package was brought back for 1991.  


The IROC-Z: A Better Camaro

What mostly stood out about the IROC-Z is its 5.7-liter (350-cu.-in.) Tune-Port Injection (TPI) engine which was bigger than its sister motor, the 5.0. 

5.7 Liter Camaro Engine



The 350 TPI came with a four-speed 700R4 automatic transmission and a special suspension package better known as the 1LE package that included: 
  • 4 wheel disk brakes
  • 3.42 positraction rear-end 
  • An aluminum driveshaft
  • Large 12" front rotors
  • Aluminum calipers
  • Engine oil cooler
  • Gas tank baffles 
  • Larger anti-roll bars
  • Specially valved Delco-Bilstein shocks
  • Larger diameter sway bars
  • Steering/frame brace known as the "wonder bar" and
  • More aggressive springs that lowed the Camaro by .05 inches.


1989 IROC-Z Camaro



The special Camaro would also get 16-inch rims, an upgrade from the smaller 15-inch rims, more aggressive side-skirts for the body kit, large IROC-Z decals on the doors, and special trim.

Although throughout the years the IROC-Z was released from the factory with a few different trim options and setups like t-tops, controvertible, and even a 5-speed transmission, the most common trim options are mentioned above. 

Important? It should be noted that although the 5.7-liter IROC-Z Camaros are the most common and sought-after Camaros of all the IROCs, if you're looking to buy an '85, you can find them with the bigger 5.7-liter engines, but they will not be original. In '85, they only came available with the smaller 5.0-liter engine.

5.0-Liter Camaro Engine



Unfortunately for the IROC-Z, it was produced in a time when power was not a priority, and the horsepower and torque numbers it boasted in the mid-to-late '80s sucked in comparison to today's sports cars. But the reason why the IROC-Z is a collector car and will stay a collector car is not because of its power outputs, but because of its connection to the IROC Racing Series and its road course capabilities. 

Shopping for an IROC-Z Camaro

If you're searching for an IROC-Z, you must be careful for there are a lot of impostors out there. A lot of the exterior IROC-Z options such as the vented hood, front spoiler, and ground effects options were available for order on regular Camaros, Z28s, and can be bought as aftermarket pieces. So check the VIN numbers and do some research via. some reputable sources before you go laying down big money.

Red IROC-Z



If you already own one, I would suggest saving it and passing it on to someone in your family, because in time they will be just as valuable as a Camaro from the Muscle Car era.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

1968 COPO Camaro Z28 Convertible: The Rarest Camaro Built

package (B4C-RS)










Rarest Camaro Every Built


1968 COPO Camaro Z28 Convertible

This 1968 Z28 convertible was a signal ordered (1-of-1) COPO Camaro built specially for Chevrolet’s General Manager Elliott "Pete" Estes.

1967 was the first year Camaro made its debut in the auto industry market. In '67, Chevrolet only built RS and SS Camaros for driving purposes and built Z28 Camaros for the SCCA Racing Circuit. The Z28s were not cars you could buy at the dealership or drive legally on the streets.


Vince Piggins, Chevrolet's Manager of Product Performance at the time was ready to change that for '68, but the only way he could get the Z28 into regular production as a street-legal car was to get Estes approval.


So Piggins plan was to give Estes a Z28 to drive with hopes he would fall in love with it. The only problem was Z28s were only designed as hard-tops and Estes only drove convertibles. Piggins knew if he gave Estes a hardtop to drive, he would park the Camaro in a company garage where it would sit until someone else moved it.


Piggins decided to fix that problem by rolling the dice and building Estes a convertible 1968 Camaro Z28, the only 1968 Z28 convertible that would ever be built. The gamble paid off. Estes drove the Camaro as a daily driver and loved it, in fact, he loved it so much he gave the go-ahead for a full line of regular production Z28s for 1968.


Where is the 1-of-1 1968 Z28 Convertible Now?
After Estes sold the Camaro in December of '67, this beautiful rare Camaro was not really known to the public as it spent more than 20 years being sold back-and-forth to front office GM employees. But in 1991, the Camaro made it to a public auction and at that time became the highest selling muscle car of all-time with the hammer dropping at $172,000.


Unfortunately for the buyer, Al Maynard, when the purchase was made, he realized all of the Z28 special parts had been removed and the Camaro was put back to RS trim. But Maynard had a plan for that, he bought another Camaro equipped with everything that originally came with the Z28 back in '68 and put the car back to its original being.


Maynard said, "This is the Pete Estes car! It has all the original sheet metal with absolutely nothing out of place. Everything is date coded correctly, and every piece is absolutely correct. It is the only one in the world." This Camaro is truly a gem and in today's standard, if a Camaro like this rolled across the Barrett-Jackson Auction block it could possibly fetch about a million maybe more.





Special Parts:
  • Folding Rear Seat
  • Auxiliary Console-Mounted Instruments
  • Auxiliary Lighting
  • Power Windows
  • Remote Outside Mirrors
  • Custom Seat Belts
  • Positraction
  • 1969 Prototype Fiberglass Hood
  • Cross Ram Air Hood
  • Coated Factory Headers
  • Performance Suspension Package
  • Four-Wheel Disc Brakes
  • Blue Light Stereo Radio

It’s always a good thing when a piece of car history ends up in the hands of someone who knows what it is and appreciates it the way it should be appreciated. Hopefully this COPO 1968 Camaro Z28 convertible sticks around for many generations to come.

Rich With Words

Saturday, February 25, 2017

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Pushing Limits No Camaro Has Before



Image result for 2018 chevrolet camaro zl1 1le

Looks like the picture is stretched, right, but it's not, that's the new 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE! Revealed the day before the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway, this Camaro could be Vehicle Chief Engineer of Camaro, Al Oppenheiser's, best yet. 

This Camaro in its disguised form was many times throughout the winter mistaken for the next Sixth Gen Z/28. When Oppenheiser was asked why not a Z/28? His reply was if and when that next Z/28 does happen it will only come back out as a naturally-aspired vehicle the way it was attended to be when it was created. He also went on to say the car was built for the track but is a little bit more streetable than the last Z/28.  

This new 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE gets around the GM proven grounds track three seconds faster than the last ZL1. But make no mistake, it's not because of a new drivetrain, this new track car will still be using last years ZL1 power source, the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 connected to a six-speed manual transmission. (no automatic available

So what makes this monster so much better than the previous year's ZL1? The 1LE track package of course. For the first time in a long time Camaro is going to ditch the already very effective Magnetic Ride Control Shocks and upgrade to a set of Multimatic Spoiler-Valve Dampers. With a stiffer frame and the largest tires to every be found on a factory Camaro, this suspension should hug corners like your grandma hugs her grandkids.    

There is more to the equation. The body is outfitted with large dive planes in the front and a huge Carbon Fiber spoiler in the rear. The body also host a new and bigger front-splitter and a larger grille to help get more air into the engine compartment. Six-piston front, four-piston rear Brembo brakes will help you stop while those larger tires will be a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 3R's to help grip the asphalt in just about any track conditions. 

Image result for 2018 chevrolet camaro zl1 1le

The new version of the 1LE still gets some of  the old styling with the satin black wrapped hood, black side mirror, and blackout taillights. This new version will also come with other ZL1 perks such as the eLSD Positraction Management System with the same line-lock and launch capabilities. And all ZL1 1LE Camaros will come with the Performance Date Recorder (PDR). 

So what will this 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE cost you? Well, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, the suspected MSRP will probably be somewhere around the $68,000.00 mark.   






Saturday, May 3, 2014

Chevrolet Tries to Prevent New Camaro Z/28 Cloning By Restricting Specific Parts






So the word is out, with the successful completion of selling out the 2014 Z/28s so fast, rumors sparked that Chevrolet would up the ante for 2015 and produce 2,500 Z/28s. That is no longer a rumor, there will be a total of 2,500 Z/28s built for 2015 as opposed to the 500 built for the 2014 year.

But more interesting than the limited edition Z/28 selling out so fast, to help keep the rarity of the Z/28s exclusive to the owners who actually shelled out the $75,000.00 for the Camaro, Chevrolet has made a move to prevent the cloning of a Z/28 by restricting the sale of certain parts.

Raging from high-performance parts to cosmetic, Chevrolet sent a list of 35 different parts to dealers that make up the Z/28 package and are not to be sold on the market to individuals or companies that can't prove the ownership of a Camaro Z/28.

Some of those banned parts include: the Brembo brake system and carbon-ceramic rotors, 19-inch wheels, rear differential, and rear axle, front fascia, the "flowtie" grille badge,  Recaro seats, hood scoop, fender flares, rocker panels, and rear fascia and spoiler, and the list goes on.

Now if it's the power of the Z/28 you are looking for, you can buy the power-plant in the form of a crate motor. The 505-horsepower 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 has been available since it was placed in the C6 Corvette ZO6.

It's easy to see why Chevrolet would want to put this plan into motion, but the question is just how long will this plan prevent cloning of Z/28s. They want to clone prestigious cars has been around since hot rodding its self. So even if Chevrolet won't sell these specific parts, aftermarket companies will see an even bigger market to make money. Nevertheless, no matter how many clones are out there, they can't take away from the authenticity of a real one and numbers don't lie. If you have a true Z/28, 1-of-500 or 1-of-2,500, you still have a significant piece of "Hot Rod History." 



Thursday, February 20, 2014

How Does The 2014 Z28 Kill the Road Course

LOS ANGELES, CA. NOVEMBER 20:Chevy Camaro Z28 car on display at the LA Auto Show LA Auto Show at the L.A. Convention Center on November 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA - stock photo
Since its outstanding performance at Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack -- the toughest road course in the world -- otherwise known as the Green Hell -- talks about just how badass the new Z/28 really is, have never slowed down.

Not only was the Z/28 amazingly fast and ran a whole four seconds faster around the Green Hell (7:37.47) than it's more powerful sibling, the ZL1, it also ran faster than the Porsche 911 Carrera S and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

What made this 505hp monster so quick around the Green Hell? Chevrolet engineers say it has to do with three main key factors that they put most of their focus on: increasing grip, increasing stopping performance, and reducing weight.

Recently, Chevrolet released a list of 28 improvements that made it possible for the Camaro to accomplish such impressive times:


1. LS7 engine with dry-sump oiling: features a durable forged-steel crankshaft, lightweight titanium connecting rods and high-flow cylinder heads with lightweight titanium intake valves, as well as racing-style dry-sump oiling system.


2. TREMEC TR6060 six-speed manual transmission: with short throws, smooth gear synchronization and shift feel, the gearbox has the capability to stand up to high-performance engines.


3. 5.1-ratio short-throw shifter: provides quicker, more precise-feeling gear changes.


4. Track capable fuel system: he road course-ready fuel system is designed to keep the primary fuel pump reservoir full even under hard cornering.


5. Air intake system: the LS7 uses a unique open air box intake system to make the most of high-rpm airflow into the engine.


6. Differential cooler: incorporates an integral heat exchanger, eliminating the need for an external pump, wiring, relays, temperature sensors and fan.


7. Strut tower brace: the same as on the Camaro SS 1LE, provides extra chassis stiffness by tying the towers together.


8. Uprated lower control arm ride link “travel limiter” bushing: offers 50-percent greater stiffness at high load than the SS.


9. Active dual-mode exhaust system and high-flow converter assembly: engineered to provide high-flow and muscular sound character under aggressive acceleration, while attenuating noise levels in cruising conditions.


10. Belly pan: helps reduce front lift and contributes to drivetrain cooling.


11. Carbon ceramic brake rotors: 21.16 lbs lighter than steel brake rotors.


12. Brembo carbon ceramic brakes: 60-0 mph in less than 120 feet (36.6m).


13. 19-inch wheels and Perille P Zero Trofeo R tires: the widest front wheels/tires of any comparable sports coupe: 19x11-inch wheels with P305/30/ZR19 tires.


14. Lightweight wheels and tires: 29.1 lbs lighter wheels and tires than on the Camaro SS.


15. Zero-preload limited-slip differential: features a concentric helical gear set that generates friction proportional to the input torque.


16. Higher-rate coil springs and smaller-diameter stabilizer bars: the stiffness rate of the Z/28’s coil springs was increased by 85 percent in the front and 65 percent in the rear.


17. DSSV damper technology: the Z/28 is the first high-volume production road car to use Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve damper technology from Multimatic.


18. Uprated rear upper control arm bushing and lower trailing link bushings: 400 percent and 25 percent stiffer, respectively, compared with the SS.


19. Unique front fascia: although the Z/28’s fascia is based on the Camaro SS, the fog lamps, air dam and the upper-base grille are replaced with covers, reducing weight.


20. Front splitter: designed to withstand 250 pounds of down-force at its tip, it is matched with an aero closeout panel under the front of the engine compartment that also enhances aero characteristics.


21. Hood extractor: made of carbon fiber, it provides increased engine cooling by allowing hot air an exit route.


22. Front wheelhouse liners: work with the vehicle underbody to make the most of airflow.


23. Performance Traction Management: integrates the chassis mode selection, Traction Control and Active Handling Systems.


24. Rear spoiler with wickerbill: to meet down-force requirements for the Z/28, the spoiler was modified with a wickerbill--a small, vertical tab at the edge of the spoiler.


25. Thinner rear window glass: Chevrolet saved 400 grams by reducing the thickness of the rear window glass from 3.5 mm to 3.2 mm.


26. Lightweight rear seat: 10.3 lbs lighter due to reduced seat foam and a fixed seatback design.


27. Rocker moldings and wheel flare moldings: help increase the car’s down-force.


28. No air conditioning: 28.4 lbs were saved.



Friday, January 24, 2014

The 2014 Z/28.R Debuts at Daytona

 

Jan. 24th, in Daytona, the much intiacpated Z/28.R will make its debut on the track in the GS class of the IMSA Continental Tires SportsCar Challenge, a 2 ½ hour endurance event raced before the 52nd Rolex 24 at Daytona. As it competes, it will be the only car on the track that shares so many components as it's street version.



The two cars were built right next to each other making it no surprise they share so many similarities.
Campaigned by Stevenson Motorsports and CKS Autosports, the race version Z/28.R uses the same engine (505hp and 470lb. - ft. torque) and also users the same helical-gear limited-slip differential on the rear axle as the street version. They also share the same aerodynamics with the same rear-spoiler, hood vents, side sills, wheel and arc extensions and belly pan.

The Camaro was born for this type of racing. Just like the new Z/28's, the Z/28's of the muscle car era were built for the track. The original '67 Z/28 was built for the purpose of racing in the SCCA Trans-Am Series. 

Mark Kent, director of racing for Chevrolet says, “the original Camaro Z/28 was designed for racing and became an iconic performance car through its hard-fought victories.”

One can only hope that this Z/28 does the same. The Camaro will be racing against cars like Aston Martian Vantage, Ford Mustangs, Nissan 370Z, Porsche 911, all of which will bring competition to the table, but none of which will represent their brand better than Z/28.R. As a consumer, you can look at what is racing on the track and say to yourself, “hey, I can go down to the dealership and order one of these things.” And that you can do, just about the only thing that would be missing is the graphics and the mandated safety equipment required to race in these competitions. 

Monday, January 20, 2014

2014 Barrett-Jackson: 4 Chevrolets End Up Top Ten Best Sellers

A place where the most prestigious vehicles in the world are sold: The Barret-Jackson Auction held in Scottsdale Arizona took place this passed week. And some of the top sellers just happened to be four different Chevrolets. 


1967 L88 Corvette


1967 chevy corvette l88 2014 barret jackson

This is one of the rarest Corvettes every produced by Chevrolet. It is the only documented Red-on-Red Corvette known to come off the assembly-line. This rare muscle car boasting 430Hp but really was pushing out something more like 560Hp. Before the hammer dropped it brought in the highest price of the week at 3.85 million.



1969 L88 Corvette Rebel

1969 corvette l88 rebel  








 
 



This Corvette manged to fetch $2.6 Million, making it the 2nd highest selling car of the week. This Corvette brought in so many potential buyers by its appearance and its appearances at so many winner circles throughout the years. It could very-well be the most recognizable Corvette of all-time. 



2014 COPO Camaro


2014 chevrolet camaro copo 


Every since the COPO Camaro first came around in 1969 there has been somewhat of a cult following behind it. The 2014 COPO is no different and that is probably what helped this bad boy sell for $700,000. That's a good price with proceed going to
the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans. 



2015 Chevrolet Z/28
 

2014 chevrolet camaro z/28 














Chevrolet did not stop with their charity, using the proceeds of this Camaro to help Detroit public schools. This VIN #001 Z/28 left the auction block with a price tag of $650,000. Between the anticipation of this Z/28 and the funds going to a great charity, this Camaro like the COPO went for well-over their sticker prices. 


 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

2014 Barrett-Jackson Gets the First 2014 Z/28

 

The 2014 Camaro Z/28 Vin #0001 - to be sold at the most famous car auction of all time, the Barrett-Jackson.

On January 18th the Camaro will roll across the auction block. The bare bones race-ready track-car will have the $1,550.00 option that includes a 6-speaker audio system and an air-conditioner. Both of which are not standard on the car unless specified when ordered due to the weight saving program by Chevrolet.

This Camaro is expected to bring some pretty big bucks. The Z/28 is the brand that made Camaro the powerhouse that it is today. It was born in 1967 with the Camaro, it was originally designed to run in the Trans-Am circuit. After over 35 years of service the Z/28 was put on the back burner, only to come back stronger than ever.


When the ZR1 made it's return, Chevrolet auctioned the very first production (Vin# 001) redesigned Corvette off at Barrett-Jackson as well and they managed to pull in a million dollars for it. So the intensity for how much this rare Z/28 will bring is there.

Although the ZR1 was considered a super car and the Z/28 is not, it has been able to clock times at the Nurburguing race-track in Germany, the toughest track in the world, better than it's bigger brother the ZL1, the Porsche 911 Carrera S, and the Lamborghini Murcielago.


A million dollars, probably not, but there will be some high-profile bidders with interest, that's for sure.

Friday, January 10, 2014

2014 Chevy Z/28 (No Air Conditioning)?



The New Z/28 is one of the fastest road course cars of its it kind. The Camaro went under major reconstruction to shave weight and boost performance times at the track. With a $75.000.00 price tag, most people would claim it is well worth what you pay for it.

Unfortunately there is a lot of squabbling on the Internet about how it is so disappointing that for that much money you don't even get an air conditioner with the purchase.

First-off, the Z/28 can be ordered with an air conditioner. Although it does come without one, if you specify that you want one they will put in on at the factory. Anyone, including dealerships has this option.



Lets say you buy one used and it never came with one from the factory. An aftermarket air condition can be bought and installed pretty easy. In fact, if you have some semi-knowledge of auto repair and have some tools, you could install one in your own driveway.

What's the logic behind no air conditioning?
It's simple: it cuts weight and it frees up horsepower. And for a car that is race ready, Chevy just doesn't see the reason for the air conditioner.

And for all of you Ford fans out there that enjoy pointing out the missing air conditioning, as if it was some kind of flaw. Let us not forget a special Mustang that Ford came out with in 2000. A Cobra R with a huge, ugly, senseless wing, no radio, no A/C, and a lot of space behind the front seats; that's because it came with no back seats. You could receive all of that for a price tag of $54,995.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

2014 Z/28 Camaro - The Fastest Road Course Car Available?




Expected to be released in early spring - 2014, the Z/28 may be one of the best road course cars for the price tag it will have taped to the window. No exact number yet, but the price is expected to be right around the same amount as you would pay for one of the other performing Camaros that Chevy has in it's line-up.

The latest trip to the most grueling road course in the world, the Nürburgring, the Z/28 laid down numbers on a damp track that beat not only it's sibling, the ZL1, but also the Porsche 911 Carrera S and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. 

The Camaro boasted a 7:37.40 lap time and Chevrolet believes that the time could improve by as much as four seconds depending on weather conditions. Not only was the track damp but toward the end of the lap it started to rain. 

This was a 24 hour test for the Camaro, so not only did it run this one lap to impress, but it also ran for 24 hours with breaks only to accommodate the the tires and brakes. A a test of endurance that Chevrolet has been doing to their sports cars since the early 1990s when their fastest car was a 300hp Corvette. 

300hp sounds quite soft apposed to this Z/28 that brings a 505hp 7.0 liter engine to the table. That power helps it get around the track as fast as it does. But Chevrolet claims the real secret to it's fast times is the frame that is 300 pounds lighter than the ZL1. The combination of horsepower and lightness gives the Camaro the ability for more efficient braking going into corners and faster alliteration coming out of corners. 

These cars are race ready - you can order a radio and an air condition for the Camaro, but Chevrolet has claimed they will not be standard. Regardless it's a peer race car ready for the track right off the showroom floor.






Tuesday, April 16, 2013

2014 Z/28: Q&A With Chief Engineer


 

Al Oppenheiser,  Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Chevrolet Camaro has took a few minutes to answer some question with LSXTV  and Chevy Hardcore, about the thought process behind the all new road race ready 2014 Z/28? There is a lot of questions that have been asked in the past few years about the Camaro like: why a ZL-1 or a 1LE instead of the Z/28. Why the choice of the 426 naturally aspired engine instead of the supercharged LS7, 7.0 liter for the Z/28. Well here is Oppenheiser on some of those question and others like aerodynamics, weight reducing, and g-forces. 

 



Chevy Hardcore: Tell us about the significance of the new Z/28 to Chevrolet performance
.
Al Oppenheiser: “The most asked questions since we launched the new car in 2009 were: Where is the Z/28?  When are you coming out with a Z/28? Why didn’t you call the ZL-1 the Z/28? Why didn’t you call the 1-LE the Z/28? As I have said before, we are never done with performance. Have faith. We are never done making the car better, and this was the car that we knew was coming. The car itself had to be deserving of the historic Z/28 name. This one definitely is deserving. I’m telling you, this will be a car like no other that you have ever driven.”

CHC: What are some of the performance highlights, especially aerodynamics, of the new car that sets the Z/28 apart from all other Camaros?

AO: “If you start with an SS, which is our 426 V-8, we have gone after the things that make the car go around the track faster – Go, Stop and Turn are our three mottos.  The Go is the naturally aspirated LS-7 plucked right out of the Corvette.  These are hand-built at the Wixom Performance Build Center and have no shortage of power.

“We also set the team on a mission to put the car on a diet, and have set a goal to take at least 100 pounds out of the standard SS, which is more than 300 pounds lighter than a ZL-1. We are not done yet, but we have already met our goal of removing at least 100 pounds from the car. We have also done things like added carbon ceramic brakes on 19-inch 305-series tires, front and rear.  The overall unsprung mass at each corner is lighter. We have also down-gauged the thickness of the back windshield; and we redesigned the rear seat, using lighter weight materials, instead of removing it.


Oppenheiser
Al Openheiser
We have also done some things that you should do with a Z/28 track car. We have taken the air conditioning out of it.  You have to order that special. It does not come with air conditioning standard and it does not come with an audio system standard.

We’ve got one speaker in the car and the only reason that we have one speaker in the car is because you need a speaker to have the seat belt chime audible to the driver. You can option up, if you desire, the air conditioning and a base radio system.  We have been very strategic in where we have taken mass out of the car.

You mentioned aerodynamics. The car has a unique front splitter, different from the ZL-1. We have lowered the ride height, so that specific rocker panels, rear fascia, and rear spoiler in the car – at some point when we tell you how much, it will knock your socks off how much down force this car makes.”

CHC: Obviously with the LSA making 580 horsepower, was there a strategy behind picking the normally aspirated LS-7 for the Z/28 versus the already 580 horsepower available in the ZL-1?

AO: “Absolutely, that goes back to the question, ‘Why didn’t you call the ZL-1 a Z/28′? As you know the ZL-1 harkened back to the ‘69 aluminum block ZL-1 that we did. It had the highest horsepower that was in a Chevrolet at the time. We thought that a supercharged aluminum-block, high-horsepower engine was more deserving of a ZL-1 name, not a historical Z/28 name.  So, naturally aspirated and the 427, it just equates back to what a road racing car should be, and not to take anything away from the ZL-1, but if it were to stand true to the Z/28 name, a supercharged engine didn’t belong under the hood.”

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z28CHC: Speaking again of power-to-weight ratio as sort of that all-mighty watermark of performance, are there any other ways that Chevrolet could see shaving weight from the Z/28 in the future models?


AO: “Absolutely, as I mentioned, our goal was 100 pounds and have already exceeded that. We’re approximately a year away from bringing it into production, so we’re not done yet. We are always looking for lightweight materials. To give you reference in terms of lap time, you would have to remove 250 pounds to get another second on the track and have to weigh that against another tenth of a G in lateral acceleration. I can get that same second on the track.

So you have to weigh where you are going to get your lap time down and these P-ZERO Trafeo R tires are capable of a 1.05 g-max sustained lateral acceleration and we’ve already seen decel’s of 1.5 g, so we’re getting better lap times in other ways. But the 100 pounds definitely helps the lap time. We took significant chunks out as opposed to an ounce here and there, helping us on the track.”


CHC: One last question. We thought it was interesting that instead of going with the magnetic ride such as on, say the ZL-1, you went with not only a dual adjustable shock but a true racing style four-way adjustable shock.  Is this technology you chose again specifically for the Z/28 or was it that you really wanted to differentiate the two cars?

AO: “We definitely picked this specifically for this application. Multimatic is the company we’re working with. They are well known for their ability to set up dampers for racing vehicles and we felt that the limitations of the mono-tubes that we’ve got in our 1-LE and, of course, the MR, while it’s awesome on the ZL-1, we didn’t feel it belonged in a Z/28 so we did go with the adjustable dampers that are in the Z-28. They’re truly, again, trying to stay with the heritage of the car. They are track designed specifically for the Z-28.”

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
CHC: Do you think that soon after the production launch of the new Z-28 we will see parts and pieces of this car making its way onto scratch built cars, or in some way a program that might mimic in some way the COPO program?


AO: “That’s a great question. We’ve had that debate all the way up through GM President Mark Reuss on whether or not we want to see clones driving around on the streets, and we’ve made the decision that since offering performance parts helps sell Camaros, we’ve got a great performance parts team now under Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports Jim Campbell, who is growing that very dynamic industry.

“You will see Z/28 performance parts available for other Camaros and you know specifically as far as suspension, drift, and so on, you’re going to see those parts. Some of the parts are kind of integrated into the body but we definitely plan on allowing customers to have the opportunity to get a hold of some Z/28 parts for their car.”

There has been a lot of talk through the last couple of years of when, if, what, Chevrolet's intentions were going to be when it comes to producing a Camaro with Z/28 badges on it. Now the time has come. The Z/28 will make a statement in 2014, hopefully living up to it's legend.



Thursday, March 28, 2013

It's Back For 2014: The Z28

This Z/28 - Hot Off The Press

500 HP - 470 lb-ft of torque

300 Hundred Pounds less then the ZL1

Manual Transmission only.












The rims, side skirts and new spoiler front and back complement the look of the new Z/28 very well.

















The engine is a 7.0 LS7 motor, that  is if nothing changes in the next few months.


 You can expect these components :



  • Titanium intake valves and connecting rods, and sodium-filled exhaust valves
  • CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads
  • Forged-steel crankshaft and main bearing caps
  • High-lift camshaft
  • Hydroformed exhaust headers
  • 11.0:1 compression ratio, and a 7,000 rpm redline.
  • 10.5-quart, dry-sump oiling system

For the Camaro Z/28, the LS7 features unique induction and exhaust systems, and delivers at least 500 horsepower (373 kW) and 470 lb-ft of torque (637 Nm).

The racing-style, cold-air induction system and large K&N air filter provide maximum air flow.

The standard dual mode exhaust system and larger-diameter pipes enable improved air flow. By bypassing the mufflers during acceleration, the system increases both the torque and sound generated by the LS7 engine.




Here are the early specification. Again nothing is set in stone.
 Overview

Model: 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Body styles / driveline: Four-passenger, front-engine, rear-drive coupe
Construction: Unitized body frame, one- and two-sided galvanized steel
Manufacturing location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Engine


LS7 7.0L V-8
Displacement (cu in / cc): 427 / 7008
Bore & stroke (in / mm): 4.125 x 4.00 / 104.8 x 101.6
Block material: cast aluminum
Cylinder head material: cast aluminum
Valvetrain: overhead valve, two valves per cylinder
Fuel delivery: sequential fuel injection
Compression ratio: 11.0:1
Horsepower / kW: 500 / 373 (est.)
Torque (lb-ft / Nm): 470 / 637 (est.)

Transmissions


Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual
Gear ratios (:1):
First: 2.66
Second: 1.78
Third: 1.30
Fourth: 1.00
Fifth: 0.74
Sixth: 0.50
Reverse: 2.90
Final drive ratio: 3.91

Chassis / Suspension


Front: double-ball-joint, multi-link strut; direct-acting stabilizer bar; progressive-rate coil springs; inverted monotube shock absorber
Rear: 4.5-link independent; progressive-rate coil springs over monotube shock absorbers; stabilizer bar;
Traction control: StabiliTrak, electronic stability control

Brakes


Type: Power-assisted, Carbon Ceramic Matrix front and rear discs; six-piston fixed front, and four-piston rear calipers
Rotor diameter x thickness: Front: 15.5 x 1.4 in (394 x 36 mm)
Rear: 15.3 x 1.3 in (390 x 32 mm)
Rear rotor (in / mm):

Wheels / Tires


Wheel size: front: 19-inch x 11-inch
rear: 19-inch x 11.5-inch
Tires: Pirelli PZero Trofeo R
front: P305/30ZR19
rear: P305/30ZR19

Exterior dimensions

Wheelbase (in / mm): 112.3 / 2,852
Overall length (in / mm): 192.3 / 4,884
Overall width (in / mm): 76.9 / 1,953
Overall height (in / mm): 52.4 / 1,330
Track, front (in / mm): 66.14 / 1,680
Track, rear (in / mm): 64.65 / 1,642


The end result is that the legendary Z/28 will be back in the Chevrolet line-up for 2014. 

 The ZL1 Camaro options, outside of the power plant will be probably pretty close to what you will receive with this Z/28. For more information on the ZL1 specifications Camaro ZL1