Here are some thoughts and comments from the Fbodfather about the 2014 Camaro and new Camaro Z/28:

Good afternoon, Camaro Comrades, Firebird Friends, and Corvette Cousins..........



The past week has certainly been eventful and it’s certainly caused a lot of conversation…..and without question, Chevrolet has shown the world that performance is indeed back - and in a BIG way..........


But before I get to that – let me apologize.

I hate lying to anyone. And I lied. I lied when I said to some “There isn’t a Z28” – which, now that I think about it, is a ‘half-lie’ if there is such a thing. You see, there ISN’T a “Z28” – rather, we unveiled a “Z/28” and there IS a difference – quite a big one….but more about that in a minute or two…… Anywhoo – I had to ‘lie’ about there being a Z/28 - -because to talk about it would have cost me my job. If I’d even put a ‘winkie’ after some of your posts, I would have been summarily fired.

We were so security conscious that we had an internal name for the new Z/28….

“Steve”

When we talked about “shooting steve” - -no one would have thought about us taking pictures of a Z/28, now would they?

(….although it may have made a few people in law enforcement sit up and take notice……)

One would think that working on the Camaro CORE team is nothing but nirvana.

To a point, it is – but let me assure you that there are many rough spots and there are long hours and missed family engagements, and weekends are usually non-existent. That goes with the territory. But as to the privilege of being “custodians of the brand”, it’s necessary that we give up a lot in order to ensure that the Camaro and all that surrounds the design, engineering and building of these legendary cars is as is it should be – and we must hit ‘all the targets’ deserved by such a hallowed brand.

Please note: NO ONE within ‘Team Camaro” takes their job or their responsibilities lightly.

Decisions are agonized over – because it’s THAT important to you as a valued Camaro Enthusiast. More importantly – and I think this is something overlooked by many of you: We are Camaro Enthusiasts, too. And we’ve been Camaro Enthusiasts for many, many years -- (in some cases long before many of you could even say ‘Camaro!’)

I use the word “agonized” because we know that no matter WHAT we do or choose, we will be wide open for someone to be critical. That’s just the nature of an automobile that creates such passion. That said, it’s sometimes very difficult to have horrible insults thrown at you – or worse, the insults directed at that “labor-of-love” you’ve worked so hard to make better.

Dateline: New York – Wednesday, March 27, 2014:

Approximately 50 Camaro Enthusiasts were invited to the unveil of the 2014 Camaro at the New York Autoshow. Frankly, there were hundreds more Camaro Enthusiasts there – because many members of the press and other people who work in and around autoshows happen to be Camaro enthusiasts in addition to their jobs.

I wish each of you could have felt the excitement as the SS/RS drove onto the stage – there were cheers and roars of approval and clapping.

I also caught some “looks of surprise” when the Red Rock Metallic SS/RS did not pull onto the turntable in the middle – but rather to the side……it was like “…….what????.......”

And then the excitement grew as the sound of an LS7 V-8 roared to life behind the stage – and then the LED screen exploded (figuratively – not literally) with the sights and sounds of Z/28s of the past – and then from behind the stage came the new 2014 Z/28 – to cries of joy.

I was so happy to be able to watch this thru other peoples’ eyes. That’s just the greatest feeling. I was delighted with the response to both Camaros………..

My Blackberry started to vibrate as dozens of emails landed – nearly all of them overwhelmingly positive. I suspect that was to be expected as a lot of the dyed in the wool enthusiasts happen to have my corporate email account.
(….that can be a double edged sword at times…..)

………..and then I went onto a couple of enthusiast sights that evening and was dismayed at some of the language being used by a few people – and even more upset to see some people bashing our engineers and designers - and even worse, the Disciples.

I continually remind myself that much of this behavior is driven by passion. I’m also not naive enough to believe that it’s all passion. It stuns me to see remarks turn into a ‘contest’ of sorts to see who can hurl the best ‘insult.’ I don’t know when this became proper behavior in our society – but in my book, it’s improper and some people should be ashamed. Frankly, I’m more inclined to take opinions from well thought out posts than one that utilizes bad language and insults.



Now – for my thoughts on the 2014 Camaro:

Everything we do on Camaro is to improve it – make it better – offer ‘more than expected’ and to keep it fresh. The Camaro was first offered to the public in early 2009 – just about 4 years ago this month. We know that styling is one of the top reasons for purchase in this segment. Thus, it’s crucial that we update the styling…if we don’t, the volume will simply deteriorate. Deteriorated Volume doesn’t bode well for any brand…it’s the way brands disappear into the history of the automobile industry…..

The bad news? No matter what you do in terms of styling or content, you’ll be criticized by some. That’s just the way it is.

Examples:

People complained about the tail-lamps in the Camaro Concept. Not everyone was a fan – but we made the commitment to ensure that the production car looked as close to the concept as possible. Nevertheless, I received some nasty-grams about them……

When it was discovered that the car would have a ‘B-Pillar’ – some questioned if we – the members of “Team Camaro” -- had all just escaped from an asylum.

When people saw the back-up light slits in the rear fascia, some questioned as to whether or not we could even spell the name “Camaro”…..

When they saw the original 2010 Camaro steering wheel, some were certain that we’d time-travelled back in time to cause the Lindberg Baby Kidnapping…….

The SS fascia versus the V-6 fascia? We evidently created the hurricanes that devastated various parts of the world…….

Color changes? Well – according to a few, we simply can’t walk and chew gum at the same time…….

……and yet the new Camaro became number one in the segment.

And people got used to seeing all the things that caused so much uproar. And we continued to ‘wow’ the enthusiast community at large………

….and THEN we changed the steering wheel.

Some claim this caused 50,000 people to become sterile for simply laying their eyes on such hideousness. (some of the very people who HATED the original steering wheel now claimed that it was the most magnificent steering wheel the world had ever known…and that in changing it, we should be hanged by sundown.....how they now forget or try to hide the past posts they made…..)

And then we changed the SS wheels for 2013….. There’s a vicious rumor that this caused peoples’ teeth to fall out…….

And then we discontinued Imperial Blue (….in order to offer Blue Ray Metallic….) Some claim this caused thousands of dear little kitties and puppies to suddenly throw themselves in front of cars, trucks, and high-speed trains………..

(…are you noticing a trend here?)

Fast forward to earlier this week.

The new SS/RS was shown to the public.

The SS hood has evidently caused millions of people to suddenly slap their Mamas……

The rear tail lamps? Spring Flowers will no longer bloom.

And yet I suspect that once 90 percent of the people see the new 2014 Camaro in person, they’ll realize that perhaps they overreacted.

And the sun WILL come up tomorrow……….

The Camaro MUST ALWAYS be recognizable as a Camaro.

It must have Camaro styling cues.

We refreshed the front fascia to make the car more intimidating. We made the car look wider. AND – we made the SS look different than the V6 model. (at your request, by the way….) Further, there’s more differentiation between an RS Camaro and a non-RS Camaro – both in the front AND rear. (again, by your request…)

The tail-lamps are a tribute to the 1969 Camaro. (go study the 1969 Camaro tail-lamps -- both RS and Non-RS and you’ll start to appreciate why we did what we did.)

Remember those ‘poor unfortunates’ who hated the slits in the rear fascia for the back-up lights? Well – we listened to you. Shame on us.

The back-up lights have been moved into the tail-lamp assemblies. For those of you who felt the rear was “too busy” or “too tall” – well – we fixed that…..

For those of you who told us we should have put LED tail-lamps in the car? Well – we did on the RS models….

Some hated the ‘mail-slot’ front fascia on the SS. (some even went so far as to fill the slots on their Camaros in with various types of filler……) Well – we listened to you as well. (off with our heads…) The air extractor on the SS? It’s functional. (you asked for it….) It also just happens to be the same width as the reverse Mohawk in the roof.

And for the record – the V6 does not have the extractor in the hood – once again differentiating the SS from the non-SS.

Somehow, I suspect that Spring Flowers WILL bloom – and that most people in the coming months will say either:
“I LOVE it”

Or---

“Well ….that wasn’t so bad after all…”

A few others will still hate something about the front or the back -- Just as there are still Camaro Enthusiasts – however few – that still don’t like the 5th gen, period – luckily they are far and few between as sales figures prove……

So – for those who were disappointed in the changes – I sincerely hope you’ll be able to see the new 2014 Camaro in person real soon – and that you’ll find that the changes are in keeping with what makes a Camaro a Camaro…………

 

Now – on to the Z/28……..

I’ve said many times: “Wanna get a good fight going? Ask Camaro enthusiasts which is the ‘top’ Camaro – Z28 or SS………..”

-- and then put on a crash helmet and watch the fur fly……..

Everyone has their opinion and 90 percent have an opinion that THEY are correct in their beliefs and that those with a different opinion are completely wrong and perhaps motivated by the Devil himself……………….

The new Z/28 has blown some people away and we’re getting emails and letters and phone calls saying “THANK YOU! You FINALLY understand what a Z/28 really is after all these years of ruining the nameplate!.....”

It also has some people saying:

“You RUINED it! I can’t get *insert favorite option here* and so you are a bunch of…..*insert foul words here*….”

Or—

“ ……what do you MEAN it’s not a drag car???......”

Or---

“…..this car should come in at 40K!...” (even though we’ve not discussed price as of yet—and frankly, 40K is as attainable as me being elected as President of the United States……….)

(and for those who think the Z/28 should be 40K – take a 1LE and start counting the costs of all the awesomeness we’ve added to the Camaro in order to make it a true Z/28 – and then take into consideration the costs for engineering and validating – and then consider we have to ensure we don’t lose money on the program….)



Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

The ONLY reason for the original Z/28…

(note I once again used ‘Z/28’ and not ‘Z28)

….. was to go road racing. SCCA Trans Am racing had a rule that no competing car in the series could have an engine displacement larger than 305 cubic inches.

Our Camaro SS-396 was FAST…..but it wasn’t really a ‘track’ car. So the purpose of the Z/28 was to compete in Trans Am Racing – meaning it had to stick to the road like Velcro. Tidbit: None of the 602 1967 model year Camaros with option code Z28 had a nameplate that said Z/28 on them. It really wasn’t meant to be a main-stream entry.

As we moved into the 2nd gen years, the SCCA engine rule went by the wayside…….. And with increasingly stringent fuel and emissions standards, performance was on the wane……at a startling rate. Fast-rising insurance rates certainly didn’t help things…… And by the early 70s, there really wasn’t room for both a Camaro SS and a Z/28 as we knew them. By 1974, performance was so diminished that the Z/28 was dropped at the end of the model year because it had become to many of us a ‘caricature’ of what it once had been. The SS had been taken from the line up at the end of 1972…….

When the Z28 came back in 1977 (note the difference in the name…..there was no “/”….) it was definitely a road hugger – and it DID offer more performance than any other From then on – whether right or wrong, the Z28 was the ‘performance’ Camaro….until the IROC came along. The Z28 was then relegated to ‘2nd fiddle’ and that didn’t set well with Z/28 purists. But – on the other hand, the Camaro was the “International Race Of Champions” chosen brand – and one could go down to their Chevy Dealer and buy a new Camaro – an IROC Camaro – that sure looked a lot like the real race car.

…….And then Chevy pulled out of IROC racing -- and the Z28 was once again the ‘ultimate’ Camaro…that is, unless you ordered one with 1LE.

Fast forward once again to the advent of the 4th gen. We offered a Camaro Sport Coupe with a V6 engine – or a V-8 Camaro Z28 with an LT1 small-block with a ‘blistering’ 275 horsepower.
(to some of you young-uns – that was a LOT of horsepower in 1993….)

Yes – the Z28 was the ‘ultimate’ Camaro back then………and then Ed Hamburger at SLP Engineering came to us and said something along the lines of: “….Chevy -You’ve done a magnificent job with the Z28 – but I’ve got plans to take it to the next level…”

and we said “Sure!” …and the Camaro SS roared back to life. That also put the Z28 as ‘second-in-line’ and again, Camaro Z/28 purists were not happy! I very much remember getting several phone calls, letters, and emails that weren’t –shall we say – ‘charitable’ in their content…..

It all became moot when the Camaro went onto Hiatus in the late summer of 2002……..and I continued to say to you, our Camaro Enthuiasts – to “keep the faith…” - -that GM understood the importance of the Camaro nameplate. Yes, there were a few people within the corporation that proposed moving the name to the J-car platform.

(Blasephemy!)

(….they were last seen being shoved into a fleet of black suburbans – never to be seen again…….)

As John Heinricy said in a meeting that I attended: “The ugliest sight I can imagine would be tire smoke coming from the FRONT tires of a Camaro!..”)

As I’d said before, as Custodians of the Brand, it was crucial that we ensure that the 5th gen Camaro build upon it’s rich 35 year heritage. And yet, as I mentioned earlier in this article, we were questioned at every step of the way. And that’s not a bad thing, I suppose.

We felt so strongly about the heritage of Camaro and ensuring that the new Camaro would “check all the boxes” that were important to Camaro Enthusiasts - that we drafted the 15 members of the Camaro Enthusiast Advisory Board (better known as ‘The 12 Disciples of which there are 15’)

So—after all that: The 5th gen Camaro hit the streets and blew people away…..it’s still #1 in the segment – so I think the team did a pretty good job, don’t you agree?

At the same time, we’d been working on a Camaro that took performance way past our SS. It had been in the product plan for some time – but with the Housing Melt-down of the mid to late 2000s – and the resultant Bankruptcy of GM (and Chrysler and many vendors) the “HP” Camaro was put on ice. That the “HP” car was put back into the program was a miracle in and of itself. Interestingly, it was internally called the “HP” and kept top secret….. but the intended name was to be Z28. Talk about controversy. There were emails, letters, threats, banging-on-desks – and perhaps some thinly veiled threats made……and it was finally decided that the original Z/28 had a naturally aspirated V8 engine. The “HP” Camaro was to have a supercharged engine…….so perhaps the Z/28 moniker wasn’t really appropriate. Our President, Mr. Mark Reuss – himself a Camaro Enthusiast since the time he was able to recognize a Camaro – made the final call…..the “HP” would be christened “ZL1.” What you DON’T know is that he had another plan in mind for the Z/28.
(Note the “/”…..)

Volumes will be written about the 2014 Z/28 – but what’s important to understand is that while we made “Z28” enthusiasts happy over the years with 275hp – and then 285hp – and then an LS1 based Z28………we continually disappointed the “Z/28” purist.

The 2014 is dedicated to the “Z/28” purist. This is a track car that makes no excuses. That this car is a full three seconds faster on a track than the mighty ZL1 speaks volumes to its intent. Make no mistake – this isn’t a slap at the mightly ZL1. Far from it. If you want a car that blows other cars off a road course on Saturday and Sunday – and yet will get you to the office in comfort on Monday morning – the ZL1 is the car for you. If you want blistering track performance at a reasonable cost – the 1LE is prescribed. And – if you want to shame exotics on a road course – with an automobile that’s not meant for daily driving, then the Z/28 makes no apologies and may grab you by the collar – shake you silly -- and shout “LET’S GO MAKE HISTORY!”

So—that’s been a lot of words.

And that’s my take on why we’ve done what we’ve done.

Many already understood before I started typing away.

Some others now have a better understanding.

Yet others will say “Scott – go take a long walk on a short dock…..” Some of those are true Camaro enthusiasts and just are upset that what we’ve done isn’t in keeping with what they’d like or prefer.

And then there are the trolls………….who like nothing more than to start something……….

As I said at the very beginning…..we at Team Camaro are ‘The Custodians of the Brand” – and we take our jobs very seriously. Every decision is in many ways, agonizing. But – we have to make hard and fast decisions.

And yes – it hurts when we’re constantly ‘called on the carpet’ – and yet rarely if ever get an apology afterward. We have broad shoulders and our skin is tough…but it IS discouraging and a bit frustrating to be constantly insulted. And for an old codger like me (I’m quite certain I’m the oldest in the group…..) I tend to lose my temper more than I used to when people become ‘surly’…..

So – in the final analysis…………

……….we hope you’ll go check out the family of 2014 Camaros when they become available. We hope that the family Camaros will offer you a great spread of choices

Let me introduce the family……….

>323 horsepower LS and LT

>400 horsepower SS

>426 horsepower SS

>426 horsepower SS/1LE

>580 horsepower ZL1

And the new Camaro Z/28…….


…every one of them designed, engineered, and built to instill “Perma-Grin.”

What’s not to love?

Lastly - my heartfelt thanks to the men and women of Team Camaro and to the men and women at Oshawa -- who have worked so diligently to make the 5th Gen Camaro the hit it's been. I'm beyond proud and humbled to be but a very small part of a great organization...... A special thanks to Al and Russ and John and Cheryl for allowing me to 'go along for the ride!'

Thanks for taking the time to read my ruminations and I hope you’ve got a better understanding of ‘why’………..

It’s the best time EVER to be a Camaro Enthusiast.

 

Thanks for posting this Chris.
I saw it on another forum and thought twice about linking it or copy/pasting it.

 

The Z/28 is far and above what I expected to see come out. It's still shocked that Chevy would have the ***** to make it. The car is perfect in every way. Well, it's as perfect as the law allows, lol. I know that as soon as I get mine, there will be the extraction of a certain fuse...

 

As usual, well said Scott!

 

As always Great email from Scott.

They have done a tremendous job with the Z/28.

In a era of $4.00+ gasoline, raising EPA/CAFE requirements and the impending doom of the V8 it's great to see that a company the size of GM still cares enough to build a specialty vehicle like this.

 

I have to reiterate what Scott said, please refrain judgement until you have seen these cars in person. It's one thing to look at pictures, it's another to actually walk up to the car and see and feel how these changes look and affect the car.

There is one strong point GM is making with the new Camaro Z/28, and that is the leadership is STRONG. There was passionate driving forces behind getting this car done, and done the way it was. Mark Ruess and Al Oppenheiser, you guys RULE!! The entire Camaro team deserves a big pat on the back and handshake.

 

I always like to read Scott's posts and I feel honored to have met him a few times.He owes no one an apology.I personally don't like the chrome strip on the hood of the 2014 and have no idea why both a ZL1 and a Z/28 are needed.But that is my personal opinion and that's all it is. All I know is Scott has set me straight and now I know my '02 vert is a Z28 and NOT a Z/28.Thanks Scott!

 

I do appreciate the candor and sincerity of Mr. Frezza in revealing to us how thoughtfully he and his colleagues have engaged in the development of the Fifth Generation Camaro. It has been the styling of American Cars, when accomplished with homegrown and inspired art, that has endeared them to their public, not an easy task, and thankfully revived with admirable success with the 2010-2013 Camaro. After due consideration, and yes sometimes new design visions take a while to develop in our tastes, it is clear to me that the 2014 refresh is also an inspired success, and indeed an improvement over the first conception, I call it really nice work and an artistic achievement!
My view of the Z/28 is that it is an admirable engineering achievement, but that the LS7 offering in a high performance Camaro should also be made available in a format similar to the ZL1 and offered with an automatic transmission. The steep track orientation of this Z/28 model is too rarefied for what has been historically a far more accessible and popular designation of the Camaro. The 428 cubic inch naturally aspirated LS7 with its satisfying propulsion dynamics really is the ultimate reincarnation of muscle car heritage; the LS7's fabulous sound and direct-connect grunt should I think be made more accessible by offering it in a street friendly and practical version of the Z/28. Also, I do not find the noise of a supercharged engine appealing, and the gas mileage of the LSA ZL1 is just terrible. What to call an MR suspended LS7 Z/28 with a full option list, I don't readily know. My strong feeling is, is that this car needs to have a broader appeal, higher build numbers, and a far greater real world visibility in order to meet the full expectations of the nameplate and its fans. Thanks to my compatriots at GM/Chevrolet for doing it well and doing it right.

 

It's amazing how original vehicles can see their reputations altered, and then how people miss the whole intent of the car.

The "SS" at Chevrolet was a designation for "sportier" models. It was used on everything from Chevy Novas to Camaros. An Impala SS was sort of the same car that the Crown Victoria with the "sport" option was a few years ago. Bucket seats, trick wheels, dual exhausts. Most Chevelle SS's had 327 then 350 engines. But it's the 454s and the LS6s that years later represented what SS once was... just because it was the only Chevelle SS worth restoring, and hence, the only ones on display at car shows. That image was reinforced in the 90s with the Impala SS and Camaro SS, which represented to top performers at Chevrolet outside of Corvette.

Z28 seems to have that problem in reverse. It started out as a street legal race car, and morphed into a sporty model that normally would have worn SS label. It doesn't help that large numbers of enthusiasts were in diapers or weren't even born when there were still 1974 and earlier Z/28s still on the streets, and everyone and their brother had a Chevy with an SS on it.

After 35 years (or is it 28?) of Z28 being the Camaro "volume" sports car, the Z/28 (the slash represents the race heritage years, the name without the slash the "volume" years) is back to it's original purpose as is the Camaro SS. If you want a lower priced track version, there's the 1LE. If you just want gobs of torque and power and rareity, then just like the old days, there's ZL1.

I also had questions about the price of the Z/28 and it's positioning. I most certainly don't now. Go back to the first gen, and from deleted goodies, to race specific suspension and tires, to a unique engine specifically engineered for racing, this Z/28 IS what the original Z/28 was.

It's not meant for volume.

It's not meant to be affordable.

It's not meant to have wide appeal.

It's meant for people who are SERIOUS about competition racing.

If you think it costs too much, or that it needs a sound system, or wonder where the trunk carpeting is, you don't get what the Z/28 is.

Chevrolet has a perfectly great comfy Camaro SS with a 1LE track option for those occasional enthusiast days at the raceway or those blasts down Highway 1 with the stereo blasting.

I'm glad to see the Z/28 back.... and I mean, REALLY back!!

 

Sigh. Some revisionism and propaganda going on here.

The "slash" went away in 70 not 77 and the IROC-Z(28) never really replaced the Z28 because it WAS a Z28. The Z28 was only fully "replaced" by a model and considered "2nd place" to the SS in the later 4th Gen. (which was also technically, a Z28) The Z28 was the all-around performance model for 85% or more of the car's run, including the 1st Gen. It's not really that it became lesser without the /, it became more livable to drive, but often had too many low performance engine options, and options in general. The high end ones always reflected the times and situation for what the top performance model could be, it's just that the 1st Gen was around in great times and was more of a racer/1LE type of car to start with because of SCCA qualifications. Those ideas came back some on the 1LE IROC-Z28. It was also never a super expensive/exclusive car like the new one. THAT was the original ZL1. The introduction in 67 and the 1LEs were the only form of somewhat exclusive Z28s.

Now, I like the new Z28 alot and the direction that they put it in, it's just that it's extremely radical and expensive even when compared to what a 1st Gen Z28 was. They did a fantastic job, but the new one is more of a racecar than the originals and the decontented 1LE IROC-Zs were. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to see the Z28 or Z/28 stay around permanently. I think they'll sell all they build, especially at first, but the super low volume/expensive/radical approach might not be the way to ensure it's future. Most people seem to think that it's far too expensive already and needs the rest of the speakers, so they'd rather buy a C7. I think people were happy with a BOSS competitor and this goes a little above and beyond that lol. The question is, how far is too far and will they still have to go to such extremes and cost in the 6th Gen to get this kind of performance out of a Z28 with the new chassis?

 

The only instance of Z/28 without the hash (pre 77) was on the stripes of the '74 model. The rest had them on the fenders, and/or the grille depending on the year. If you didn't order the stripes in '74, you got the metal "Z/28" (hash included) logo on the front fenders.





Next point, there was never any "2nd place" Camaro back then. Both cars aimed for different markets. As mentioned, Camaro SS was the flash. It could be ordered with the biggest engine (the 396ci V8), and it could argfuably run the quarter mile quicker and lay down more tire smoke doing it. The Z/28 was a street legal track car. Both a Jeep Cherookee and a Jeep Wrangler can both take on the Rubicon. But it's the Wrangler that's the more off roader while the Cherrokee is more for daily use. Same with SS and Z/28.

As for people spinning off and buying a Corvette, again, unless one is purposely looking at a Corvette or a 2 seater, they simply aren't going to valueshop against a limited edition, race prepared, stripped Camaro. Thinking the Z/28 HAS to sell in volumes is missing the point.

Finally, I'd imagine the Boss is more in line with the 1LE. The Boss isn't a stripped purpose built racer.... save the Laguna Seca version... which by chance, is similarly priced as the new Z/28

 

The slash went away in 70, period. THAT is a 70 Z28 and the emblem used 70 1/2-74. It was just a 1st Gen thing for those 3 years only, RPOs don't have slashes. They probably just thought it looked more racy, as racing uses slashes for classes and such. None of those emblems in the pictures you posted have the /, just the red Z. Take a closer look. Google it. Anyone can make a mistake, but when people inside GM/Chevrolet don't know or deny this, there is a slight problem, or an agenda.

As you know, I'm well aware of the roles that the cars had in the 1st Gen. The Z28 was still the all-around performance model. It did everything good. People drag raced Z28s and won championships, they didn't really road race big block SS cars, etc. I agree that there was no real 1st and 2nd place between them in general though. Different focuses. My point was that the late 4th Gen was the only time that the Z28 was truly "delegated" to 2nd place.

I'm sure that there will be people considering a Z28 that will be lured into a C7. Of course, the ultimate buyer will probably be in a different market without realizing it, but I'm sure that they will be cross shopped a little bit. I understand who the car appeals to and that it's not meant for volume, but just how low volume it will be is gonna be interesting to see.

Yeah, the BOSS LS is definitely not Z28 competition lol.

 

Late 2nd gen?
Might you have meant a different gen?

I didn't think there was any performance model above the Z28 from '78 to '81.

 

ive seen more 69 z28's than I have SS'........ and didn't they only sell a v6, 305v8 and z28 in the 3rd gens?....... of which you see more z28's than any other model....