Let’s say hypothetically GM was going to build a Supercharged Z/28 Shelby GT500 slayer, but now has changed direction or is waiting to see how sales of the available cars go before releasing it. I for one was looking forward to a car that could hang with a Shelby and with a pulley change could put down 600Hp. I am sure a car like that would cost around 42K like the GT 500 does. But let’s say GM has decided to change direction for the Z/28 and would like to offer a lighter car with a NA motor instead. So if the SS Camaro’s base price is $29,995 (hypothetically) and we are willing to pay 40K for a base Z/28 how much lighter can GM make the car and how much NA HP can they put into it? What kind of performance do you think a car like this can throw down? How light could they make it for an additional 10K? Can the LS3 put out another 50HP and would that be enough?
This is all hypothetical so the winky club can put some input in I would think. Or maybe some engineer could let us know what is possible and what a dream is.

 

50 hp might be pushing it from the factory. The factory optional exhaust on the vette makes 6 hp. I mean, it'll get there with full bolt ons or something, I'm sure, but that would consist of parts that may not be possible while keeping it smog legal. As for weight, I don't know what 10k will do but I'm sure it could do a considerable amount. I agree that the Z28 should be more Cobra R and less GT500.

 

They do........

It is called a Corvette, and comes in 3 flavors.

 

To drop weight in this car means probably dropping the IRS and some airbags and interior bells and whistles too. GM would really need to refocus the Z/28 as they have most likely already done quite a bit of work on it and I'd expect they are still going the LSA and expensive route.

Sure GM can rework the LS3 into something more like the LS7's power but at what cost and would it be more expensive to the program than an already in production LSA. If they came out and said this car is 500 lbs lighter with a much more powerful LS based NA engine with 500hp mated to a 6-speed manual. Lets say no leather, no HUD, light weight hood and front fenders and lighter racing wheels. Focus on suspension and brakes and handling over big hp numbers and expensive content.

 

From a dollars and cents (sense? ) point of view, the easiest thing for GM to do would be to drop the LSA in a "loaded" SS and slap on Z28 badging and stripes.

I for one would pay an extra $5-6k on top of the price of a loaded SS for that.

 

It's hard to take my wife and two kid's to the local car hangout with a Corvette. I also like to take about four lawn chairs and a cooler with pop. The Corvette has a place, but not with small children that still go everyplace with there parents. If a Z/28 would have Killer HP and performance wihout a lot of extras for under 40K it would be a deal.

 

Not going to happen on this frame/platform.
Since this frame seems already on it's way out though you might get a 6thgen that is lighter on different platform.
That's really going to confuse the people who said you can't get it lighter while having to meet todays laws/standards.

 

That is probably the way to go. We don't need a $50,000 Camaro. Keep it simple, LSA + a few trim pieces.

Realistically more money should be put into developing a LNF 2.0L Turbo Camaro for the US and mostly export markets. That would also shave about 130lbs. off the Camaro V6 weight.

 

You'd think the current market would be a perfect excuse to return Z28 to what it should have been from the start in the 5th gen. A 1LE (thirdgen usage) type car with maybe some Z06 tricks, but nothing too out there. Limited / no options (leave the loaded car for the SS), bigger brakes, lightweight forged wheels, fiberglass / carbon fiber hood and fenders, maybe a cat back / CAI and a different tune for a modest bump in HP, specific shocks / springs that are too harsh for the 'average' buyer.

A lot of this stuff could be developed / available as GMPP aftermarket stuff too, helping to defray costs. Kind of like how ford motorsport had a whole catalog of go fast goodies for mustang, and some of the parts made their way to the cobra and other special edition cars.

If a case for a GT500 fighter arises, call it something else, ZL1 for example.

 

Unless this pig can lose 300 pounds, don't even bother. Perhaps the Zeta architecture is not worthy of a Z/28 version.

 

Stripped performance cars do not sell.

 

I whole heartedly agree. Start with the base LS Camaro and offer a "tuner" version with a 2.0-2.2L Turbo matched with the 6spd. Offer upgraded rims (perhaps the LT 18" aluminum, or maybe the IROCs we've seen glimpses of) and give it a special designation, but keep it cheap; i.e. less that price of an LT-RS. With proper tuning I'll bet the GM engine folks could get darn near 300hp out of turbo 2.2L Ecotec.

 

What about a carbon fiber hood and rear deck lid to drop some weight? You won't drop 300lbs but you might get halfway there.

 

Pretty sure you won't get 150 lbs. out of that.

 

And ~$50k 2 ton+ cars that get worse gas milage then pick up trucks are selling like hot cakes right? Sure the SRT8 and GT500 might get big mark ups, but that's because they're limited production.

Or to use the retro example, exactly what % of production was the first gen z28. i honestly don't know off the top of my head, but IIRC, the numbers were not large. Also, the thirdgen 1LE package was a very low % of production.

Development costs for what i'm talking about are not necessarily high. And like i said, if you make the items available in the GMPP catalog like ford did with the motorsport stuff, you can get back a lot of the investment selling it over the counter too.

I guess you'd rather see Z28 dead then have it return as what it should have always been, a limited production, hardcore racer package. If it sells in small numbers, then fine, at least you get the racer cred and keep the name alive in a MEANINGFUL way.