If the ZL1 is meant to give those snobby Europeans a run for their money, its bigger brother will scare the hell out of them.
The upcoming Z28 that’s being rigorously tested at the Nürburgring is a testosterone-infused version of the current top Camaro.
Not that the latter (that can also be spotted in the video) is for the faint-hearted, what with its Vette Z06-sourced, 640 HP V8, gapping grille, bulging hood, flared arches and rear wing, but this is bound to be even more special.
GM engineers could have saved themselves some work by ditching the camo, for it simply fails to hide the wide canards, lower splitter and reshaped side air intakes on the front bumper – and then, of course, there’s that much larger wing at the back and wider black wheels and rubber that can hardly be contained by the rear wings and lower suspension.
The Z/28 won’t pack more firepower than the ZL1, but it will compensate for that with a lighter body and track-focused handling. Refreshingly enough, forced induction is almost definitely off the menu like in its predecessor and the way this test car sounds reinforces this view. The cylinder count will remain the same, but instead of tweaking the LT4, Chevrolet could shoehorn a large displacement V8 in the engine bay.
Beating the previous Z/28’s 4.0-second 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint won’t be an issue. Nor should handling, thanks to an even sharper Magnetic Ride suspension and the Performance Traction Management, electronic limited-slip differential, Custom Launch Control and Driver Mode Selector from the lesser Camaro. A stringent diet should help, too, and would prove more than useful on the track.
Speaking of which, the previous Z/28 beat some formidable, and seriously more expensive, opponents like the Lexus LFA and Lamborghini Murcielago around the Nordschleife. It will be interesting to see what kind of precious metal the brand-new one might humble this time.
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