Camaro Z/28 Still in the Works, Aims to Top Hellcat HP: Report

If you’re worried the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE unveiled this week will be the hottest round fired from the Chevrolet Camaro magazine, fear not. The famed Z/28 will reportedly live on, and not just in memories.

While the upcoming ZL1 1LE utilizes the scorching LT4 drivetrain of its brother — and adds enough downforce-generating attachments to punch through the asphalt — it doesn’t offer Camaro buyers more of what they really want. That being moar powah, obviously.

More power is, apparently, on the way.

According to Car and Driver, Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser claims the hottest variant of Chevy’s pony car is slowly growing legs in the GM stable. When will it drop? That’s classified, sorry.

The big question, which as of yet remains unanswered, is, “what lives under the hood?”

Two options exist. First, GM could massage the existing supercharged LT4 6.2-liter V8, boosting output to about 700 horsepower. That’s a tempting option for the automaker, but not necessarily ambitious.

It’s also possible the Z/28 will become home for a new GM engine family member now in development — one that does away with pushrods in favor of a dual overhead cam setup. The motors, rumored to carry LT6 and LT7 designations, would be 32-valve, all-aluminum V8s and could potentially be GM’s most powerful naturally aspirated and turbocharged, respectively, engines to date.

There’s solid reason to believe the upcoming C8 Corvette will carry a 6.2-liter version of the new engine family, though Car and Driver claims it anticipates Z/28 displacement in the 5.5-liter range. Potential output would top the rival Dodge Challenger Hellcat’s 707 hp, possibly by a wide margin. However, Mopar isn’t GM’s only worry.

Ford is expected to debut a new Shelby GT500 Mustang variant in the coming year, and topping the Hellcat’s horsepower seems to be Job One.

[Image: General Motors]