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Report: 6th gen Z/28 cancelled.

16K views 87 replies 47 participants last post by  TheDocKlopek 
#1 · (Edited)
Along with it's high revving, normally aspirated, 6.6L, LT3. Cancelled at the end of last year along with all the other programs and GM's quest for a smaller US footprint.


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There was a reason why the clumsily-named Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE wasn’t called the Z/28. Today MC&T is the first to report that General Motors was indeed working on a sixth-generation Camaro Z/28 that would have capped the lineup of the most capable muscle car Chevrolet has ever built. This program has been cancelled, according to sources.
This only adds salt into the wounds of Camaro enthusiasts. Last week, MC&T broke the news to the world that the sixth-generation Camaro will run its course by the 2023 model year, leading to another hiatus for the iconic nameplate, as plans for the seventh-generation model have been shelved. In those four years there will just be minor updates, and some visual packages here and there, such as the Shock and Steel Special Edition, and Redline Edition.
Powertrain work and business planning was as far as things went for the Camaro Z/28. Then came GM’s restructuring plan to free cash flow at the end of 2018 for financial security, and to further fund far-reaching programs such as Cruise Automation and an extensive electric vehicle portfolio. Outwardly, this entailed shrinking its manufacturing footprint in North America, and laying off thousands of salaried employees. Internally, this also meant the demise of select vehicle programs, say sources. This hyper-Camaro was one of them.

The sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 was also slated to get its own engine unique from any General Motors vehicle on sale today, called the LT3. It would have had a displacement of 6.6 liters, a higher redline than the LT1, and would have been naturally aspirated. In short, it would have been the spiritual successor to the legendary 427 cubic-inch LS7 in the fifth-gen Z/28 and C6 Corvette Z06. This engine program was also canned in November 2018.

It wasn’t disclosed to us if the LT3 would have been more powerful than the 650 horsepower LT4 engine found in the Camaro ZL1.

Speaking of which, this news gives us no reason to forget how much of a world-beater the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is. And naming aside, is nevertheless the spiritual successor to the Camaro Z/28, despite not having a naturally aspirated engine.

Like the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28, the ZL1 1LE possesses trick Multimatic DSSV dampers, where lesser variants do not. The ZL1 1LE also built on the former Z/28’s capabilities with extensive aero work, highlighted by front dive planes and an exposed weave carbon fiber rear wing that adds up to 300 lbs of downforce. The suspension system can also be adjusted for different setups, including the front ride height, camber, and rear sway bar.
In short, the extreme nature of the Camaro ZL1 1LE will not be easily outmatched by its rivals, as Chevrolet really outdid themselves with its capabilities. Its incredible Nurburgring lap time of 7:16.04 is proof of that. Then again, with an MSRP of $71,295, customers are certainly paying for it. That said, it still undercuts the price of the (760 horsepower) 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
 
#27 ·
I would have expected 550 HP.

I'm also disappointed that the LT3 won't be going into the C8. Maybe not enough separation from the LT2.
I admit to hearing so little about the LT2, I'm not sure what to expect, other than a 6.2L displacement. I imagine some sort of "hot" parts like then GM went from the LT1 to LT4 engines during the '90s.

I'm not really surprised, the Z/28 was a niche vehicle in the extreme. Do any of you know the sales figures for Z/28?
I don't recall a limit on the production (not in the press release), but they only had a certain amount of LS7s to allocate to the Z/28.

What a shame. Soon there won't be any reason for me to set foot on a Chevy dealership. Not really a fan of the mid-engined Vette direction, as I'm a fan of the long nose/short deck proportions that have done so well (guess that's why I own so many 2nd gen F-bodies). When Camaro is eventually killed off, there isn't anything on the lot for me to want. Unless Silverado does a radical MCE inside and out by then.
Oddly, this report confirming the plans (& now death) of the LT3 makes me wonder about GM's overall powertrain strategy. For the Camaro to have an exclusive engine (not just a Corvette hand-me-down), would add a ton of cost to the R&D side of the equation. The same could be said for wasting money by offering the 5.3L engines with both AFM & DFM.
 
#4 · (Edited)
In all fairness, short of a mythical quality effort - as in the first or second best 'Pony Car Nameplate effort' ever, even if the 6th Gen - and or 5th plus 6th Gen had been much improved, we'd probably be getting about the same from 3rd Q 2018 forward.

Just look at the whole market especially with regard to Convertibles, 2door anything, Enthusiast Cars / Cars in general etc - and that's not just about unit volume but also the financial metrics of the individual sales and Vehicle Programs.


And then look at what the 18 - 54 year old segments are really doing - where the $$ is being made.


The World's changed - it matters precious little here what the ratio is between push or pull... and no, I do not like it either.

But I digress.


Because the other half of the equation is all the exterior Bankster type meddling worth 'directly' 26 Billion since BK and counting, and resulting in two killer developments.

They can be usefully thought of as one ie the internal financial 'standards'.


Say what you will about all the rest - and Mustang and Challenger ( and just wait and see what happens with them as well ) the real killers are the internal CUV / SUV / Truck Programs along with the root driver of those - the externally 'forced' short sighted - ridiculous internal financial requirements.

Plus of course, the substantial drain from the Battery EV and simultaneous AV crapola.

So yeah, given the enormity of all that...... don't think it would come out different 'looking forward' although to be sure the past would have been more satisfying - and perhaps profitable.


====


Maybe the way out and this is about older buyers more than anything else..... involves something truly crazy.

Like - as but one example, FE RWD Corvette Genes into Camaro......

++++

There are two things at stake here which normally are together.

The spirit of the thing ( loosely ), and the Nameplate itself.


Maybe......


Late add : Btw, I'm glad they didn't use the Z28 designation because a big ass V8 no matter how sexy on paper - is not part of that in the better sense.

You want a 4 / 5 L V8 - of a type...... which GM does not have - and never really did past the first / third Gen.....
 
#7 ·
I’ll disagree with an earlier comment that these moves are indicative of a bigger move away from performance cars. It may seem that way right now to Camaro enthusiasts, but Mustang, Challenger, and even Charger are doing fine. I think this is far more indicative of things that are transpiring within GM, and issues with the current gen Camaro, than with market trends as a whole.
 
#19 ·
It could still find its way into a BlackWing if the development was pretty far along.
 
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#15 ·
Much like the hiatus in the '00's, this hiatus (and everything else behind it) are due to their interpretation of the current twenty something crowd's philosophy on driving. I remember similar stories being told when they cancelled the Camaro after the 02 run that it will never come back. In fact, tastes and desires change on a whim.

I am sure once the 20-something crowd get their salary doubled and rent their own pad, their wants and desires will change as well. But, in the meantime, GM is going to soak up $40B of cash from its current customers in the hopes that it will hold itself over until they figure out what "Millenials" want. Anyway, marketing mags in the '90's said that the millennial generation will be the most watched and studied ever--guess that wasn't enough for GM to make a move on them...

This all-electric autonomous stuff is for value generation only. When peak electric or autonomous occur, they'll cash in with the rest...

ATS has gone away and no other chassis (or whatever you want to call it) can be shared with Camaro at the moment. Yes, that's right. They will not make the Camaro again until they find a chassis that can fit with the Camaro... In their minds, the current generations' demands are not in this arena. In the meantime, Gen X and Babyboomers can go to car auction and buy their Camaro Z28 1LE...
 
#16 ·
The problem with all these arguments insisting that Chevy is moving on because the market has is that they fly in the face of reality. The big three sold more pony cars collectively in 2018 than they did eights years prior in 2010. I selected 2010 randomly but, if you want to, you can select just about any year from 2005 forward and the size of the segment doesn’t change dramatically at any point outside of some expected spikes when new models arrive. Other than that, it’s a pretty boring read.

The segment isn’t suffering, Camaro is.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I'm not really surprised, the Z/28 was a niche vehicle in the extreme. Do any of you know the sales figures for Z/28 ?

Yes, it's once again a brave new world in the automotive industry, this time with electrification being the shibboleth..

GM keeps doing this. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, GM was all-in on diesel engines. (?!) With the 1980s it was a mass conversion to FWD.. Buyers were mostly appalled and stayed away in droves.. The fact it was the Roger Smith era more generally didn't help either.. Quality crashed, design tanked and market share evaporated.

Some people never learn, I guess.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Just like Ford, GM is diverting money away from what would be considered normal incremental projects to its version of go fund me for EVs and AVs that may or may not deliver huge increases in revenue and profit.

It's kind of sad that GM invests hard in performance RWDs and then seems to give up half way through their planned product cycle... I want to know what's the next refresh for Camaro or is that now it apart from a minor tizz here and there?

Ford and Dodge must be chuckling to themselves.
 
#22 ·
What a shame. Soon there won't be any reason for me to set foot on a Chevy dealership. Not really a fan of the mid-engined Vette direction, as I'm a fan of the long nose/short deck proportions that have done so well (guess that's why I own so many 2nd gen F-bodies). When Camaro is eventually killed off, there isn't anything on the lot for me to want. Unless Silverado does a radical MCE inside and out by then.
 
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#28 ·
Does it even need its own engine? The LT1 SS is plenty fast enough. Throw the ZL1 1LE aero/ tire package on a SS and viola Z/28. If people bitch and complain that it isnt enough, take out the back seats, stereo, and trunk carpeting.
 
#29 ·
Well, the Z/28 models (with the slash) have had engines that no other Camaro used. The 1st gen had the 302, using parts of other engines. The 5th gen was the only model with the LS7, a Corvette engine. I wonder just how much might be gained by using the LT1 as a start & applying the crankshaft & associated parts from the Silverado HD for just a displacement boost (to the same 6.6L). It's more air being pumped through the engine, it just won't have the higher revving characteristics. Could we get to the same 505 HP as the LS7? It may not be "more" than the previous Z, enthusiasts remember that it still carries less weight. If the 6th gen Z/28 was still on, anything deleted on the 5th gen would be expected to be jettisoned here (no carpet, back seat, A/C, etc.).
 
#31 ·
Really people are complaining?

Nobody is buying the sixth gen calaros and the current lineup includes

Turbo 4 300hp?
V6
V8
Supercharged v8 650 hp



No one can find a model they want?

Sorry yet I find that hard to imagine anyone seriously wanting a camaro couldnt find one in that model and engine lineup.

The camaro lineup for 50k annual units is wide enough as is.

No one is seriously going to buy z28 models and if they were there are 1LE , ss, or ZL1 models to satisfy that need.

Meanwhile dodge is goving away v6 and 5.7 challengers for half the price of a comparable camaro.
 
#33 ·
Really people are complaining?
Pretty sure that people aren't as much bemoaning the lack of having the Z28 specifically in the lineup, but more of the fact that this along with other news/rumors about the Camaro in these last weeks, that the 7th gen Camaro is essentially dead. The fact that Chevy has pretty much thrown in the towel on the Camaro name altogether is the frustration that many are feeling (at least I know I am). As SierraGS said, it's a shame that GM is tone-deaf to what people were really asking for, and now a model that was recently a good seller is on death watch.
 
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#36 ·
This is what happens when you treat customers like idiots that will just pay whatever price GM dreams up. Chevrolet buyers have traditionally stayed out of buying vehicles until GM wobbles at the knees and gives in on strong incentives. Did GM simply forget Chevrolet rule 101 or was it trying to break the customers will?

They did not listen, they’re not listening still, perhaps they never will.......
 
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