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It’s a bad time to be a fan of the Chevrolet Camaro. Not only does General Motors allegedly plan to send the nameplate back into retirement come 2023, but it has also reportedly canceled the upcoming ultimate Camaro, the track-focused Z/28.
Citing unnamed sources, Muscle Cars & Trucks alleges that the now-canceled Camaro Z/28 was to utilize an engine developed exclusively for its use. This would have reportedly been a 6.6-liter, naturally aspirated V8 designated as the LT3, with a higher redline than the Camaro SS’s 6.2-liter LT1. That’d probably mean significantly more horsepower than the LT1’s 455, but the report’s sources allegedly failed to identify the canceled LT3’s true power output. In all likelihood, the Z/28’s numbers would’ve landed north of the 650-horsepower output of the track-oriented ZL1 1LE, with its 6.2-liter, supercharged LT4 V8, but odds are we’ll never know for sure.
GM reportedly ceased the LT3’s development (and the Z/28’s with it) in November of 2018 as part of its cost-cutting measures, which involved the closure of several factories and the layoff of several thousand employees, including the man who helped uncover Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate” scandal.
The Z/28’s alleged cancellation also means that the ultimate Camaro will remain the ZL1 1LE, though its 650 horse and torque, Multimatic DSSV shock absorbers, and full aero kit are quite the consolation prize. Capable of pulling a 7:16.04 around the Nürburgring, its track performance puts many supercars to shame, but it isn’t quite the sub-seven lap of which Camaro lead engineer Al Oppenheiser dreamt. And in this world, a hypercar-quick Camaro Z/28 may sadly remain a dream unrealized.
The Drive contacted GM to verify the claim that it has canceled the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, though the automaker declined to comment, only pointing out that it will add availability of the 6.2-liter V8 to some LT trim levels.
