The same way people find go-karts fun. Notice I said for what it is. Someone on a budget is going to find it fun.

In 2013, the Fiesta ST finished third in Road & Tracks performance car of the year competition. Third! A 197HP hot hatch that costs less than 20K came in third behind only an AMG Mercedes and a Z51 Corvette.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...r-of-the-year/

Was it performance #s that placed it that high, hell no lol. It was the fun to drive factor

Fun isn't about power. Miatas are great cars, BMW E30 E36 M3s are great cars and so on. If power was everything there wouldn't be spec races for the cars I mentioned. It's about skill applied to well-balanced cars. I can only assume you don't enjoy driving on a track, maybe more of a drag strip kind of person? Nothing wrong with that but cars aren't just power.

Because usually 500+ hp cars are more than most people can handle, they thrive on the edge and can bite you quickly, so they tend to be more scary than fun. A 200 hp hotch hatch or roadster can be fun because you can push them to their limits w/o driving white knuckled. They still give you that sensation of speed because of their small size, their low to the ground and light weight. They are more "tossible" because there is not so much mass to move around and attempt to control.

^
This.

Had s small import years ago. Loved it at the track for the above reasons.

I've been curious about an LT5 powered 6th gen possibility as well. Also confused as to what RPO designation it would get...chances are Z/28 being only what's left would get the nod.

As for the LS9 discussion - it was my understanding that in the C6 Corvette and 5th gen days, the Camaro team was still "neutered" by GM to not have the same HP as the Corvette, nor come close in performance. It was the 6th Gen, where GM took the restrictions off the Camaro Team, and told them to use whatever was in GM's parts bin - including the top Corvette engines, and make the Camaro the best performer they could...

As for LT4 powered GM's, the Camaro is easily the better sorted car over the Z06. Fingers crossed for an LT5 Camaro I say, Z/28 or whatever they call it.

Jalopnik article how horsepower wars should cease and weight wars become the new trend....
http://jalo.ps/GW8dIlE

After looking back at your post, think this car will be the New Z/28, hope to see more on it after C8 reveal.

I hope they add LT5, lol.

Considering Mopar just added yet 2-more versions for the Challenger/Charger chassis, at least they see there's still life in this segment. Maybe Chevy might see this and continue to invest in Camaro... More options for buyers seem to make a bigger audience, to me...

My question is, will only adding the LT5 to say a ZL1 1LE and calling it a Z/28 be enough? Are there enough options already in place on that car to make it compete with a new GT500 and say a Challenger Hellcat Red Eye. Would a not so track focused, LT5 equipped, all around performer (aka triple threat) ZL1 be better? Not saying that a vehicle with the Z/28 RPO code/name shouldn't be track focused as it was originally intended, but it may do sales performance better.

this arrived about 40 minutes ago as well..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcMk4SvA0N4

While this would be putting the cart in front of the horse a bit (because LT5 wasn't completed until after ZL1 released), I think LT5 and ZLE fit together better. I don't think that will change. But - I also don't think that GM's going to put an NA-engine in Z28 because they aren't going backward to compete with the 350R, and there is nothing NA that will push Z28 into a competition with the 500, so that, to me, makes the logical sense. Throw on some wider and stickier tires (maybe 10-20mm front and rear) with the CF brakes, and re-tune the suspension. BOOM. Z28.

I think GM's listening and might be making moves to make performance models more accessible to more people. LT1 is an example of that thought. I'm not sure there's going to be an NA-engine that could make any CAMARO-model competitive with the 500; it will have to be LT5 (mostly for cost). It makes me wonder if it could be worth shifting the line-up around, and make Z28 competition for the 350R, and move ZLE (with LT5 an chassis upgrades)-up to 500 status. I hope they do something though. Mopar has been getting sales because they've been using a formula for success similarly for a while now. GM needs to step-up. CAMARO's been great but needs some more steam to get attention and more options to appeal and attract more people.

JMHO...

The ZL1 and ZLE should still hold their own against the GT500. If they were worried, dropping the LT5 in would be pretty simple. The car is already set up for the cooling requirements of a supercharged engine.


Leave the Z/28 n/a.

Forget the LT5 its not going in the Z/28, i see a 5.2+ or - going in that can spin till 8,000 RPM and i think we may see the LT2 as an upgrade to the SS cars, Next mouth the C8 will show its face, look to see info on the camaro soon after IMO.

Is it not very plausible to do some weight reduction, similar to the GT4.R car which could shed a few hundred pounds, drop a 426 in place of the 376, wider body from the zl1, some aero, and call it a day? Essentially use the stuff already made for the GT4.R and just bump up the sticker price? I would make a business case to my wife to get one.