It's Baaaaack: Supercharged Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Is Back on Track

DETROIT- — What's that Mark Twain said about his death and exaggeration? Oh, who cares. Inside Line just got confirmation that the supercharged 500-plus-horsepower Camaro Z28 is back in the product plan and is set for production.

It appeared that the extra-high-performance Camaro — which should give the 540-hp Ford Shelby GT500 a good run for its money — had fallen victim to the cost-cutter's knife and the importance of appearing sensible in GM's new role as partial ward of the state.

According to Ed Welburn, GM's vice president for global design, the on-again, off-again Z28 is back in the plan. The modified body is done, according to Welburn. There is still calibration work to be completed on the powertrain, though. We're still looking at about a year's wait before the Z28 would appear.

The basic engine is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, which sees duty in the Cadillac CTS-V. In that application, the engine makes 556 horsepower and is available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. There's no reason to assume that the Z28 wouldn't be offered with both transmissions, and only a fool would dial back the power.

The Z28 will come with a specific body kit with a slightly raised hood to accommodate the top-mounted intercooler/supercharger unit and a tall rear spoiler. Specific wheel design and suspension tune will surely be part of the package. Wider rear rubber might prove necessary, too, we'd think.

Just goes to show that for all its sensible talk of late, enthusiasm for performance vehicles still runs deep at GM. We're also hearing that GM is considering doing a higher-performance version of the V6 Camaro, in hopes of piquing the interest of less traditional Camaro enthusiasts.

Inside Line says: Oh, hell yes! — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit