Autoblog West Coast Editor Michael Harley recently traveled to Barber Motorsports Park, in Alabama, to spend a few days with the all-new 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.
TranscriptMICHAEL HARLEY: Those who know me know me as a true, die-hard car nut. I'm a guy who is obsessed with fast cars that are unbelievably powerful. But I also demand vehicles that handle and corner well
The Chevy Camaro has never been at the top of my list. To me, it's an American muscle car that's heavy and powerful. Great for 1/4-mile and 0 to 60, but not really an agile track star.
But all that changed about 18 months ago, when Chevrolet handed me the keys to a ZL1. That car had a supercharged V8. It had an unbelievable 580 horsepower, and it absolutely blew me away on the track. And I figured, hey, there's no way Chevy can top this Camaro. Enter the Z/28.
I'm really, really impressed by the power delivery. Naturally aspirated engines, to me, are optimal when you're on a track. There's a very linear response to the amount of throttle you give it and how much power is going to the back wheels.
You know, where a turbocharged or a supercharged car, you've got that boost that kicks in. Even though the newer cars give you all the boost down low really, really quickly, there was still a delay. I don't care if they say there is no lag in this car. That's horse [BLEEP]. You know what I'm getting at.
You know, this is seven liters. You just hit it, and it just takes off.
Can you guys hear that engine noise? You know, it sounds like a bunch of subwoofers going off in the trunk. Really sounds wonderful.
I'm also impressed with the brakes. I'm a huge fan of carbon ceramics. They're lighter, less unsprung weight. They're going to help the car handle better, and they can absorb so much heat. It's unbelievable how much heat they can absorb.
This car weighs 3,700 pounds. Nobody is going to call it a lightweight, but the brakes, they're hardly panting.
And lastly, the grip. These Pirelli tires are like flypaper. There is so much damn grip on this thing. You know, you sit and you laugh, and you say, holy cow, those guys have 305s up front. Who needs 305s up front? And then you feel the turning, and you go that's where they got 305s up front. Just sticks. Tremendous fun.
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Wow. That look of astonishment on my face isn't because I saw a ghost. It's because this little Z/28 just blew me away.
There was no way I figured that Camaro could top the ZL1, especially on a race track. I mean, you just can't take away 80 horsepower and all of a sudden have something that performs better, and is actually faster, and more engaging to drive. But the Z/28 is just that. It's more emotional. There's more passion involved. You lose a little horsepower, but you're still flying down all the straights.
And in the corners, you've got more grip. You've got more transition. You're entering the corners faster. You're exiting the corners faster. You may lose a couple of miles an hour on the straightaway, but you're still turning faster lap speeds.
Instead of having to worry about superchargers, and turbochargers, and rear wheel spin, I was able to modulate that throttle, and absolutely fly around the track. And emotionally, the involvement on an enthusiast level is much, much higher.
Now, obviously, the car is not perfect. There are still a couple little things that bother me; little minor irritations. For one, I'm still not sold on the Camaro's styling. The small, reduced greenhouse does hinder visibility, especially behind the A-pillars.
And, I would like a little more support from the seats. They're still not race ready. They're super supportive buckets. Great for club level, but if you're really, really looking for support, you want something a little firmer.
Now, some may balk at this $80,000 sticker, which is rather astronomical when you consider it's three, maybe four times as much as the standard Camaro. But, if someone hypothetically said, hey, go out and find one car that you can spend all day lapping on a track, and it's got to be less than $100,000, I'd pick the Z/28.
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