Supercharged 2012 Camaro Z/28 **CONFIRMED**

[CodeRedR51]

Did a quick search and didn't see a thread for the new Camaro. If there is one, mods feel free to merge this into it.

My question is, why would GM tape a piece of paper to the dashboard of the car giving away the specs?

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96645

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/23/spy-shots-621-hp-supercharged-2012-camaro-z28

 

[Tornado]

Fail GM. Pure Fail.

 

[Terronium-12]

I'm wondering why they're trying to mask the front end and the side panels as if we don't know what a current generation Camaro looks like.

I mean, honestly, how much have they actually changed?

 

[Wdave]

I agree with Terronium.
They could have kept whatever they have under there in plain sight without a Z28 badge and no-one would have ever guessed.

 

[Radracing]

I'm wondering why they're trying to mask the front end and the side panels as if we don't know what a current generation Camaro looks like.

I mean, honestly, how much have they actually changed?

Thats to hide the ugly lines of the current car. I think Camaro is the ugliest retro car compared to the rest of the competition.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

"Hi I R undercover"
"Oops, clumsy me"

 

[JCE]

Automatic? Yuck. I hope they stuff a 6spd manual on one or it would be pointless. I'd rather have a Charger or Challenger SRT-8. Its a shame that a car that looks this decent could be so heavy...it would be brilliant @ 3,400~3,600lbs.

 

[Paulie]

Pfft, haters. Obviously the front bumper is quite a bit different. I for one applaud Chevy for making this car.

 

[Tornado]

Its a shame that a car that looks this decent could be so heavy...it would be brilliant @ 3,400~3,600lbs.

Exactly. It doesn't need more power, it needs less weight. If the Z28 hosted the LS7 (which is almost certainly cheaper for GM to build than the LS9, and is much lighter), they could go for a lighter weight Camaro with a bit more power and much more proclivity to rev than the current SS has. It also would be much more in line with the car's lineage (original Z28 being a more track focused, revvy machine than the original SS) than this idiotic "SS is the mid level, Z28 is the top level" scheme is.

But, nope, supercharge it! Who cares how heavy it is, amiright? Moar powar! Which means GM is focused on running it directly against the GT500, which means it is going to bomb.

 

[Paulie]

At least the rims look like lightweight units, so don't jump the gun yet.

 

[Tornado]

If they were worried about weight, they wouldn't have designed the car to take the LS9. Simple as.

 

[Eric.]

The wheels don't scream "AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR" to me. I'd say they're just for the prototype.

 

[Paulie]

The funniest part is where they covered up the Chev badge on the boot, hmm, I wonder what brand that car is.

 

[McLaren]

Can haz '11 Mustang GT in background, plz?

 

[Jay]

The funniest part is where they covered up the Chev badge on the boot, hmm, I wonder what brand that car is.

Yep and yet the same logo is stickered on the door. 💡

 

[Adamgp]

It most likely has the LSA from the CTS-V, not the LS9.

 

[homeforsummer]

[Dons flame suit]

Maybe the masking at the front is to keep the car from falling to bits It's a GM, after all...

[/removes flame suit]

I actually quite like the Camaro. Details are a little heavy-handed in places when you consider how small and lithe the original looked in comparison, but overall it's a good looking car. The front in particular is great.

I can't imaging giving it more power is a bad thing either, though I suspect the chassis is really where they need to work the most.

 

[Paulie]

[/removes flame suit]

Flame him, flame him now!

The Zeta chassis should have no problem handling that power, it's handled much more rather well according to motoring journos who've tested Walkinshaw's souped up supercharged Commodores.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Wait.. isn't that basically a Corvette?

 

[Tornado]

It most likely has the LSA from the CTS-V, not the LS9.

Which just means that the car will be even heavier than it should be but not particularly faster than if they had used the LS7 and put the car on a diet.

 

[Rykon Zero]

I thought the Z/28 was supposed to be a stripped out, higher revving, unadvertised version. This is lame.

 

[Jim Prower]

Wait.. isn't that basically a Corvette?

It's about 1,500 lb heavier, so...no. More like a Chevelle.

 

[Adamgp]

Which just means that the car will be even heavier than it should be but not particularly faster than if they had used the LS7 and put the car on a diet.

The LS7 is a hand built engine with lots of titanium components. It would raise the cost and the car would be seriously outgunned by it's target competitor, the GT500.

 

[Tornado]

The LS7 is a hand built engine with lots of titanium components. It would raise the cost

That isn't a valid reason in the slightest. There is an $18,000 price difference between the GT500 and the base Camaro SS. Even buying the LS7 as a crate motor doesn't come anywhere near $18,000.

and the car would be seriously outgunned by it's target competitor, the GT500.

You say that as if equipping it with the LSA somehow makes it level with the GT500. It wouldn't. The GT500 is the heaviest Mustang in the range, and it is still pretty close in weight to the lightest Camaro.

At least if the LS7 was used, the Camaro would have the chance to be a better car overall than the GT500, even if it was a bit slower in a straight line. Equipping it with the LSA, however, has a good chance of making it worse across the board, much like the rest of the range is now that the Mustang has updated engines.

 

[JCE]

Can haz '11 Mustang GT in background, plz?

You and me both. I'm falling in love with the new '11 GT and it's godliness. The Camaro needs to lose 300 or more pounds to legimately compete. Sticking more power in a heavy car doesn't solve much really, especially when its suspension is rather soft.

 

[ND4SPD]

You and me both. I'm falling in love with the new '11 GT and it's godliness. The Camaro needs to lose 300 or more pounds to legimately compete. Sticking more power in a heavy car doesn't solve much really, especially when its suspension is rather soft.

Agreed, now if I could somehow convince the local Ford dealership to trade me a new 5.0 for my ole 5.0 haha.

 

[YSSMAN]

I thought the Z/28 was supposed to be a stripped out, higher revving, unadvertised version. This is lame.

You'd be right on that guess. The Z/28 we have here is what the SS should have been, and the SS that we have now should have been the Z/28... Albeit with a few more lightweight trimmings added to the mix.

Give or take, my guess is that GM did their homework and asked "Camaro people" what they wanted for their top-line model. My guess is that most of them wanted the big power from the CTS-V, and better/worse yet, they wanted the body kit from Bumblebee in Transformers 2.

I can't say I'm entirely disappointed, after all, its what my Dad wants to buy. But, I'd have preferred a striped out version with the LS7 as well. But really, we can't look a gift horse in the mouth. Up until a few months ago, the project was dead.

 

[harrytuttle]

Give or take, my guess is that GM did their homework and asked "Camaro people" what they wanted for their top-line model. My guess is that most of them wanted the big power from the CTS-V, and better/worse yet, they wanted the body kit from Bumblebee in Transformers 2.

Mistake #1: ask the public what they want. The problem with this is people are stupid and focus groups even more so. A Mustang with a solid rear axle sells because it's perceived as cheap in the public's eye, not because it actually is cheap. Never mind the fact that Ford's had decent IRS somewhere in Australia for the last decade or so. What they actually wanted (and expected) was not the CTS-V's engine, but the ZR-1's engine, similar to the COPO's of yesteryear. The fact that they're using the CTS-V's engine is purely financial. They can say it's supercharged but still use the economies of scale from the cheaper engine. How GM, after pushing this Ford-esque retro/living legends deal for the last year years, simply forgot what Z/28 stood for. Thanks, GM.

I can't say I'm entirely disappointed, after all, its what my Dad wants to buy. But, I'd have preferred a striped out version with the LS7 as well. But really, we can't look a gift horse in the mouth. Up until a few months ago, the project was dead.

Sure you can say you're disappointed! You won't be the only one, either. Anyone who knows anything about muscle cars will agree with you. The marketing failure is the least of the issues; it's the aforementioned weight problem that GM completely fails to understand. It's so bad even Car & Driver mention it over and over again. The Z/28 was the answer to that. For failing to understand one of the simplest concepts in physics, GM deserves another bankruptcy.

 

[Radracing]

Pfft, haters. Obviously the front bumper is quite a bit different. I for one applaud Chevy for making this car.

Good point! 👍 but it's still ugly thou. 👎

 

[GT_Prologue5]

Yes this is the Camaro Z/28 with the CTS-V's 6.2L LSA Supercharged engine. I've known this for the past 4 months....were have the people been?

I'd rather go with the upcoming Challenger. A 480hp Naturally-Aspirated V8, 8-speed Automatic, and the new Pentastar 290hp V6 coming, well it may be able to beat the new Mustang.