We haven’t seen a fifth generation Z/28 yet—but that doesn’t mean it’s not in the cards. According to GM Authority, the General recently filed to trademark the name Z/28, which raises some intriguing questions. But the first one that popped into my head had nothing to do with performance packages, it was a little more basic—like, doesn’t GM own this already? Because while the Z/28 name might have began as a humble RPO code, and cars so equipped featured no exterior badging, Z/28s have been a part of Camaro lore for over four decades.
You’d kind of figure this would have been taken care of sometime during the Johnson administration.
So what does the filing mean? Given the complexity of trademark law, it could just be a bit of legal housekeeping meant to insure the rights to the Z/28 name remain safely in the General’s hands. But if it’s more than that, exactly where would a Z/28 fit in the Camaro hierarchy? Would it be a range topper with more ponies than the ferocious ZL1, or a track-oriented version aimed to compete with the Blue Oval’s Boss 302 Laguna Seca? Unfortunately, the people who know what—if anything—will come of the recent paperwork aren’t talking, so we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, check out this Z/28 spot from 1996.
John Coyle's first memories are of identifying makes and models while driving with his dad. His favorite vehicles smell like gasoline, shoot fire, and sound like buildings falling down. Before he began his career in the automotive field, he daily drove a 1978 Jaguar XJ6 with a fully functional electrical system. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
