There's one of two questions that is going to need to be answered before we can speculate on a "mystery" engine. That question is:
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Will there be a ZL1 or will the Z/28 be a supercharged vehicle?
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Keep in mind that the ZL1 was supposed to be the Z/28. The Chevy engineers didn't think the result was worthy of the Z/28 badge, though, and ended up calling it the ZL1. With the Z06 consuming the Corvette ZR-1, it's quite possible there will be no 6Gen ZL1.
So quick answer is:
If there is no ZL1, the engine will be the supercharged LT4 used in the Vette Z06 and CTS-V.
But what if Chevy does plan on a separate ZL1 and Z28? What then?
Simple answer for the ZL1.
The ZL1 will use the supercharged LT4 engine used in the Vette Z06 and CTS-V. This shouldn't even be a question. Here's the question:
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Where is Chevy going to find a 500+ horsepower, Naturally Aspirated, Gen V engine to use in the Z/28?
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The answer is that it will have to be either the
LT5 or the LTX.
It's extremely unclear what the LT5 is. The LTX is presumably a variant on the
LSX racing engine using
Gen V design and technology. The current LSX is unsuited to road or production use. However, Gen V technology (Direct Injection, AFM/Cylinder Deactivation, CVVT, all aluminum block & heads, etc.) may make even the LTX a street-viable engine.
The current LSX is a big block 454 (7.4 liter) engine with a 13.1:1 compression ratio generating 770hp at 7000 (!) RPM on 110 octane fuel. This gives us a few clues to work from:
- Linearly scaling the 6.2L LT1 engine to 7.4L would give us ~550hp
- Improving the LT1 design from 6600 RPM to 7100 RPM would probably get the engine up over 600hp
- Reinforcing the block for a 13:1 compression ratio would probably bring it up to around 800hp
(Disclaimer: All of the statements above are my amateur estimates. Take them for what they're worth!)
It doesn't make any sense that the LTX would be
less powerful than the outgoing LSX. Which means that a Z/28 using the LSX would be a massively overpowered brute of a machine that would almost certainly shred a lot of tire. Considering that the Z/28 needs to be composed enough for street-driving, the LTX is probably an overkill.
If we assume the LT5 is a slightly scaled back version of what will become the LTX, then we're probably looking at a 600hp, naturally-aspirated LT5 engine as the powerplant for the upcoming Z/28. No question that the engine will be a torque-monster that will laugh at the GT350R and its Voodoo flat-plane engine. We'll have to see if there is a GT500 that would pick up the slack. (I suspect it's unlikely at this point, though time will tell.)
The
only monkey-wrench in this speculation is that the modern Camaro has not been used as a platform for new engines. All the V8 engines used have first been proven through high-end areas like Cadillac or Corvette. Even the 4 & 6 engines are modifications to generally available GM engines. If the Z/28 uses the LT5 or LTX, this will be the first time the Camaro has led in a new engine deployment.
That being said... I think it might be a mistake to dismiss the idea of the Z/28 being the first consumer of an engine. My read on how GM has been deploying parts and architectures is that they are taking an opportunistic approach to deployment. The Camaro has simply not been positioned to lead in the deployment of a new engine. The timing on the new Z/28 may change that situation and cause the Camaro to be the vanguard for the first time.
In summary:
Possibility 1: Z/28 will use the LT4. No ZL1.
Possibility 2: ZL1 will use the LT4. Z/28 will use the LT5.