Thursday 28th March 2013

Camaro Z/28: New York Motor Show

7.0-litre Camaro wins the displacement war but can't match the mad Mustang

---

You know a press conference is going to be good when you get handed ear plugs. And, no, not because the speech is going to be dull...

A lightweight track car, American style

So to the stage the new Camaro Z/28. And, let's face it, there wasn't ever going to be any point trying to match the 1,200hp Shelby GT500 S/C 1000. So GM has gone a slightly different route, stripping out weight, sticking with a normally aspirated engine and going for a more track focused set-up rather than simple horsepower bragging rights.

OK, this is no 911 GT3. 'Stripped back' in the current muscle car arms race means a 7.0-litre LS7 V8 from the Corvette Z06 with 500hp and 470lb ft of torque. But it's a racy engine, with an 11:1 compression ratio, titanium con-rods and intake valves, high-flow heads and dry sump lubrication. Good old fashioned tuning in other words and a classically American approach to it too. If in doubt, make it bigger. The pistons themselves are 104.8mm in diameter with a 101.6mm stroke - a fair amount of mass moving about at 7,100rpm and with the revised intake system capable of ingesting 100 cubic feet (we'll stick with Imperial measurements here!) more air per minute than the LS3 V8 in the 426hp Camaro SS.

Sticky rubber predicted to lose the fight with V8

It looks great too, sticky Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R trackday tyres completing the 'ready for the track' vibe and ready to make good on the weight saving build. Ultimate firepower fans can still opt for the 580hp supercharged ZL1 but the Z/28 is the one you want if your Camaro as interested in corners as it is straight line heroics.

[k-ink]

Very cool. I'd love one. Just need a warm country to live in first!

[A3tdi]

Will the new front facia/lights, and rear, be carried over to other Camaro models as a facelift?

[trunks82]

stick guns on it with the ability to turn into a 20ft robot and i may be interested.

[Republik1980]

Like the look of that.. I assume being yank it still has pushrods, leaf springs and drum brakes all round, though

[k-ink]

Republik1980 said:

Like the look of that.. I assume being yank it still has pushrods, leaf springs and drum brakes all round, though

Does it really matter what shape the spring is? No, as long as it is springy. Look at Corvette ring times if you are in any doubt.

[sicarumba]

Republik1980 said:

Like the look of that.. I assume being yank it still has pushrods, leaf springs and drum brakes all round, though

Nooooo! You'll wake the 300!

[chevy-stu]

Those splitters and aero bits will be out in the aftermarket in no time... looks nice, probably goes well too..

[Alias218]

I. Want. That.

[Krikkit]

Badass. Any videos of the noise?

[Clivey]

So...how much does it weigh?

[Shoshi]

Republik1980 said:

Like the look of that.. I assume being yank it still has pushrods, leaf springs and drum brakes all round, though

Maybe you do not realize that the SS with only 425 horsepower was faster around a racetrack than a Boxster S, Audi RS5, BMW M6, and M5 in a recent test. In that same test the ZL1 beat a C63 AMG Blck Series and a Porsche 911 Carrera S. It was only beat by an LFA and a 458 Italia.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap...

[motoxyogi]

k-ink said:

Does it really matter what shape the spring is? No, as long as it is springy. Look at Corvette ring times if you are in any doubt.

Cheverolet have done to the leaf springs in the corvette, what Porsche have done to rear mounted engines for the 911. They've made it work, doesn't nessecarily mean it was a great idea in the first place.

Does the Camaro even have leaf springs?

Regardless I've always liked the new gen camaro, but they were always such soft spongy lumps of lard, this one looks to be one to, but a more focused, and fun lump of lard.

[anonymous-user]

motoxyogi said:

Does the Camaro even have leaf springs?

That would be a no. They run IRS, which I believe is roughly based upon the design developed by Holden for the Commodore.

[kambites]

motoxyogi said:

Cheverolet have done to the leaf springs in the corvette, what Porsche have done to rear mounted engines for the 911. They've made it work, doesn't nessecarily mean it was a great idea in the first place.

Except a rear-mounted engine is clearly a dynamic disadvantage compared to a mid-mounted one. A leaf-spring is not fundamentally inferior to a coil-spring as long as it isn't used for axle location.

[Shoshi]

dod said:

hat would be a no. They run IRS, which I believe is roughly based upon the design developed by Holden for the Commodore.

It has coil springs. But you can run leafs and IRS as the Corvette does. The Corvette uses a composite transverse spring for packaging reasons.

Photo of the C7 front suspension. http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/2014-chevro...

[Krikkit]

kambites said:

motoxyogi said:

Cheverolet have done to the leaf springs in the corvette, what Porsche have done to rear mounted engines for the 911. They've made it work, doesn't nessecarily mean it was a great idea in the first place.

Except a rear-mounted engine is clearly a dynamic disadvantage compared to a mid-mounted one. A leaf-spring is not fundamentally inferior to a coil-spring as long as it isn't used for axle location.

Quite - the technology is well proven, I'd be more than happy to see their clever composite leaves appearing in other cars too.

[chevy-stu]

motoxyogi said:

Does the Camaro even have leaf springs?

Regardless I've always liked the new gen camaro, but they were always such soft spongy lumps of lard, this one looks to be one to, but a more focused, and fun lump of lard.

Surprised you judged the new gen Camaro as soft and spongy.. just curious how long you owned yours ?

[anonymous-user]

Turn up the volume and check out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOV-lNHc6oI - from 8:50 onwards

[JREwing]

The relationship that the leaf setup in the Corvette has is like saying that the spring in a biro is the same as those in a car's suspension because they're both a coil.
It's not. Does anybody notice that it's transverse?

[tvrolet]

motoxyogi said:

Cheverolet have done to the leaf springs in the corvette, what Porsche have done to rear mounted engines for the 911. They've made it work, doesn't nessecarily mean it was a great idea in the first place.

Not a great idea? Are you talking about the whole suspension or just the spring?

I have to presume you're not suggesting the fully independent unequal length double wishbones are a bad idea, otherwise that would be to criticise a great many of the world's best handling cars.

Must just be the spring then. Remind me again why relying on twisting a metal rod formed into a coil is a better option than bending a carbon composite rod when the latter is lighter, doesn't rust, has had no reported failures, has reduced unsprung weight, has better natural damping, can be configured to give a degree of anti-roll and has better packaging.

You are aware that the 'leaf spring' on a Corvette is transverse and only provides the spring medium to a 'normal' IRS setup? This isn't 2 cart spring and a live axle.