I don't see how the things that make it impractical make it *that* much more of a "true track car". No A/C? No stereo sound? Less sound deadening? They should charge *less* for those "track" mods! And the weight savings just isn't that great. At 100 lb. less (reportedly) vs. the SS, the Z/28 will *still* be pushing 3800 lb.

1LE with hot cam and supporting mods should be over 500hp. Stripping 100 lb. out of it for track-only use shouldn't be that hard.

It is a shame that it's going to be priced so far out of the reach of many Camaro enthusiasts.
Even if I'm stupid-rich, the modded 1LE route plus $20-30k in my pocket makes infinitely more sense.

I agree with cbroeker, the guys I track with aren't cross-shopping Porsches and Ferraris with Camaros, not by a long shot. Most real-world Chevy track guys aren't going to touch this thing at $65k when they could go the modded 1LE route, or have a used C6 Z06, or by the time it comes out, a brand new C7.

Cool car? Definitely! $65k cool? No way!

 

Chevy doesn't seem to have any trouble selling ZR1's, Z06's and every COPO Camaro they build. They will have no trouble selling Z/28's even with dealer mark up on the first batch.

 

~400 lb. lighter than the Z/28 with 133 more hp, legitimate supercar.
500 lb. lighter, same power as Z/28, also a legitimate supercar
How many is that?

They will have no trouble selling a limited run, of course. To me, that's the point. For the vast majority of us a $65k Camaro might as well be a $400k Lamborghini. No way I'm ever going to own one.

But of course the difference is that a Camaro is really a $30k car with a v8. I'd have been *way* the hell more impressed with a 1LE type car with significantly more power and maybe somewhat less weight for $45k. Charging $30k more for an LS7 swap seems a bit steep...

 

I think the Z/28 has just as many merits to justify it's cost as the Z06 and ZR1 or even CTS-V's. It's a special low production halo car. People said the same thing about the 1989 ZR-1 as it was twice the cost of a standard Vette. I don't remember the same backlash for the ZL1 and slightly more expensive GT500. They both took the pony car past the $50k threshold.

I'm not in the target market but I can understand why GM built this car and why it is the cost it will be. Heck I'd feel guilty driving a Z/28 around the streets and if I didn't drive it I'd feel guilty for spending so much on a car and not driving it. If I was in the 5th Gen Camaro market 1LE all the way.

 

Tires and brakes make it impractical for a street car. Add a drop of water on the road surface and the tires will make you feel like you're driving on an ice rink. Additionally the brakes need a lot of heat in them to function optimally. Not the type of car you'd drive to the grocery store, or commute in traffic.

 

I would have no problem paying 60 for this car....if it came out 4 years ago. they could have sold a $hit load of these if it came out right off the bat. but you have a lot of people , like me, that built their car to be a "z28" and now will find it hard to get rid of their car to get this car. I didn't have patience to wait another 4 years for this car to come out. I felt like I waited too long for it to come back in 09. like I said though, if its not too crazy expensive, I will try to sell my car and get one. good thing is, like the ZL1, everything is standard. so theres not too many options you need to worry about adding on.


it will seem like a great deal for the car when you price it next to European " supercars" in its class. but you have to think, if your comparing the z28 to a more pricey M3, or s5 or Porsche even, people shopping those brands are not going to want the Camaro. its not going to be on their list. the Camaro is in a list with other American cars like the challenger and mustang. and when you get up to z06 price range..... it takes all your customers away.

 

You really can't compare the Z/28 to anything much on the market. All the cars you listed still have full interiors and many luxury creature comforts. The Z/28 has no sound deadening and one speaker.

 

Which would be cool if it weighed 3200 lb. Giving up basic amenities and *still* pushing 3800 lb. just proves that it's difficult/impossible to *add* light weight to an existing platform. How much does a *single* speaker (which would give stereo sound, yay!) + wires weigh?! 8 lb. maybe? To be made into a serious track-only car, the car would be gutted further than this anyway. To me it's for the guy who wants to *think* and/or show off that it's a "hardcore track car", but in reality a lot of functionality is sacrificed for very little weight savings that won't make much if any difference in track performance.

Single-speaker and no A/C may remind the buyer that this is a "serious track car", but the subjective difference in feel at the wheel will be *zero* vs. having those, and the objective difference in lap times will be buried within the margin of repeatability for the most serious amateur track guys.

It just seems to me that they could have made a Z/28 that's 98% of what this car will be performance-wise, for 75% of a ZL1's MSRP, and made the car a possibility for twice as many, maybe even 4x as many potential buyers.

 

porsche......they have a few models that are stripped down more than the z28


so what do you suggest gm compare this car to? a higher dollar exotic stripped down? or an american made high horsepower car that runs the same numbers? because either way, people will choose the other vehicle when shopping.....unless their a chevy fan and have been waiting for the z28....and if this is the case, most of these fans hopped on board with the SS when it first came out or waited for the zl1......and those few that waited in case the z28 came out will be upset to see the price after it comes out, if its higher than the Zl1

 

LS3 crate engine runs ~$6500. LS7 around $13,600. The brake rotors are ceramic that run around $3K per corner. A Camaro that will **** off the C7 owners is an interesting marketing decision to say the least. A cammed up 1LE would sell far better, so I'm not sure what they are trying to do other than **** on the Ford guys for bragging rights.

 

LS7 retail minus LS3 retail is $7100. Ceramic brakes should of course be *optional* instead of standard, but anyway the Z07 option package that includes them plus magnetorheological shocks plus other stuff on the Z06 is $7500, so a lot less than $3k per corner.

I still don't see any good reason that a car *very* close to this Z/28 couldn't have been done for a LOT less than $65k. Based on the enthusiasm, though, hell, why not yank the back seat and charge another $5k! Because "racecar" and all...

 

When you start making all the special bits "optional", you start watering down the Z/28 right away. What is a Z/28 with SS brakes, 1LE suspension and a premium sound system? It's basically an SS with a Z/28 badge and a better motor. Nice enough car, but not something that takes Z/28 to a new level.

I get it. You want to see an attainable Z/28, GM is telling you this car isn't for everyone and therefore should NOT be readily attainable. I agree that it seems assinine to remove content and charge more for it, but this is basically Chevy's version of the 2000 Cobra R Mustang, which worked as a small production model and cost at least double what a GT did.

Well yeah, but that argument holds true for just about anything on the road. With a few thousand dollars into my car I could easily surpass the performance of today's Camaro SS. But it isn't a 5th Gen. One could buy a base C6 Corvette at a discount these days and make it perform like a Z06 for far less money. But it isn't a Z06. Factory performance (with a warranty, mind you) costs money. Chevy isn't exactly unique in that regard.

 

Like the "base" Z06 is watered down?!

It is possible to make a heavy powerful car work at the track without resorting to ungodly expensive carbon/ceramic brakes. You would have to have track-dedicated pads of course. Why not let the *buyer* decide, like they can on the Z06?

A 1LE with an LS7 would indeed be a "big deal"!

Base 2- or 4-speaker stereo, optional premium sound system, why not?

It is to me questionable to MAKE it cost as much as or MORE than a ZL1 when I think they could have *easily* made it attainable to a LOT more Camaro enthusiasts *without* compromising much if any at all, at a base price point at least $15k less.

 

Because the mission was not to create a "Z/28 of all flavors for all people", that is why. Like you mentioned earlier, Chevy will gladly sell you the 1LE that you can hotcam up close to 500 HP, if that is more to your liking. So what's the issue?

Honestly, you complain about how expensive and option-limited the Z/28 is, but you're not going to be a buyer at any price point, for Z/28 or 1LE or whatever, because the car is too heavy for your tastes anyway. And I understand that because I've long criticized the car's heft as well. But the only sleep the decision makers at Chevy will lose is over the people that love the 5th Gen and have the money to purchase this Z/28 but don't see enough value in it to purchase one. End of story.

 

I don't see how a $45-50k Z/28 with an LS7 and track-oriented suspension would be considered to be "for all people".

I just think it's a bad move on GM's part. They *could* have produced essentially the same car for a lot less $$$.

I did sit in a 1LE at the dealership a couple of months ago...
I just hate the idea of them intentionally jacking the cost/price up when I think that a LOT of Camaro enthusiasts would be better served with a simple LS7'd 1LE for $45-50k.

They should be losing sleep over how many sales they are foregoing by overpricing it unnecessarily.

Only positive I see is that it will make a good argument for a ZL1 or 1LE. But it's also a good argument for a GT500 or Boss 302...