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I followed the 5th gen development since 2003-2004 and Chevrolet gave the community the Z28 it wanted: a hardcore, naturally aspirated, no-frills race car for the street, positioned so that it would be the top trim in the lineup. I believe the only reason why we got a ZL1 for the 5th gen was because GM didn't want to slap a Z28 badge on a heavy, forced induction car. The Z28 is a great car, a halo car for the Camaro brand, but it didn't sell because of its price tag -- a natural result of the constraints put on the car during its design.
I don't believe you can position a future Z28 as a top of the line street car while limiting yourself to 1960's era design criteria, not because it wouldn't be good, but because there is no market for an $80,000+ Camaro. In a world of 700+ HP sedans, increasing CAFE restrictions and government regulations adding more bulk to already overweight cars, it makes sense to use forced induction to get more performance out of smaller engines while reducing cost. As much as that goes against the grain of the original Z28 formula, it's inevitable. Even Ferrari is abandoning naturally aspirated V8s.
I feel there is no way Chevrolet will miss out on offering a Z28 of some kind for the 6th gen Camaro. The designation has too much history. I think a lot will hinge on what Ford does with the GT350 and the (potential) GT500. For me, I'd like to see a Z28 positioned between the SS and LT4 car -- with more of a focus on handling and track performance.
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