Since we first saw videos of the camouflaged, next-gen Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 in action, we've been certain that it'd have a naturally aspirated V8 engine. That you can tell just by listening to the brutish car thunder around test tracks ( and into things). But what we've most been wondering is precisely what kind of engine is responsible for that delightful noise. A massaged version of the Camaro SS' 6.2-liter V8, maybe? Nope, it's better.
According to Motor Trend, Chevy is sticking with a 7.0-liter V8 for its track-focused Camaro. Now, this is more speculation than anything else – that's why there's a Rumormill ribbon at the top of this page – but former Autoblogger Jonny Lieberman has put together a convincing argument for a new 427-cubic-inch mill.
The most obvious point, of course, is that Chevy needs to build a car that can match the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. That means not only matching/exceeding that car's 526 horsepower, but doing it with an engine as special and unique as the Ford's 5.2-liter, flat-plane V8. Lieberman argues that a 540- to 565-horsepower 7.0-liter would tick both of those boxes admirably.
Lieberman's next point is more objective, arguing that certain higher-ups at GM remain very big fans of the Z/28's old LS7, last seen in the Z/28 and C6 Corvette Z06. That makes for a sympathetic case for a new version of the engine, potentially called the LT7. Lieberman also cites sources inside GM that said the last-generation cars won't be the last to use a 7.0-liter V8. As for how this new engine will differ from the LS7 and generate an extra 35 to 60 hp, Lieberman suggests GM will apply the same kind of changes that transformed the LS3 to the latest LT1.
While this is speculation, the arguments are logical enough that we're not reaching for the salt. Now, if only GM would show us the darn Z/28, we'd know just how right this particular prediction is.
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According to Motor Trend, Chevy is sticking with a 7.0-liter V8 for its track-focused Camaro. Now, this is more speculation than anything else – that's why there's a Rumormill ribbon at the top of this page – but former Autoblogger Jonny Lieberman has put together a convincing argument for a new 427-cubic-inch mill.
The most obvious point, of course, is that Chevy needs to build a car that can match the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. That means not only matching/exceeding that car's 526 horsepower, but doing it with an engine as special and unique as the Ford's 5.2-liter, flat-plane V8. Lieberman argues that a 540- to 565-horsepower 7.0-liter would tick both of those boxes admirably.
Lieberman's next point is more objective, arguing that certain higher-ups at GM remain very big fans of the Z/28's old LS7, last seen in the Z/28 and C6 Corvette Z06. That makes for a sympathetic case for a new version of the engine, potentially called the LT7. Lieberman also cites sources inside GM that said the last-generation cars won't be the last to use a 7.0-liter V8. As for how this new engine will differ from the LS7 and generate an extra 35 to 60 hp, Lieberman suggests GM will apply the same kind of changes that transformed the LS3 to the latest LT1.
While this is speculation, the arguments are logical enough that we're not reaching for the salt. Now, if only GM would show us the darn Z/28, we'd know just how right this particular prediction is.
Related Video:
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