LT5-powered Camaro Z/28 Could Take Down the New GT500 Mustang

Camaro ZL1 is outgunned by the new GT500, but the LT5 could lead to the greatest Chevy muscle car ever.

It has been a long few weeks for Chevrolet Camaro fans. First, the community learned that the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 packs a whopping 760 horsepower, pushing the ZL1 to third in the power battle. Next we learned the news that the next generation has been delayed indefinitely, initially leading many people to believe that the model would once again be discontinued after 2023.

Fortunately, we know that the Camaro still has four new model years in with the introduction of the C7 Corvette ZR1 with the 755-horsepower LT5, we believe that Chevrolet isn’t done with the muscle car war. What if the engineers have stopped focusing on the next generation to work on the current generation, quietly building the next super-Camaro in some secluded location away from prying eyes?

We don’t think that idea is all that farfetched, so today, we bring you our image of the greatest modern Camaro, which we believe could be called the sixth generation Z/28.

Camaro Z/28 Heritage

During the previous generation, the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 was introduced as the greatest road-handling muscle car of all time and it proved that on multiple tracks, including the infamous Nurburgring in Germany. That Z/28 had extreme aerodynamics for a road, monster carbon fiber brakes, a unique Multimatic Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) suspension setup, carbon ceramic brakes and lots of weight reduction through a reduction of non-performance features, as well as the 505-horsepower LS7 V8 from the Corvette Z06.

The current Camaro ZL1 1LE comes with even more extreme aero bits, a new version of the DSSV suspension setup, big steel Brembo brakes and the 650-horsepower LT4. When this 1LE package was introduced, many people figured that it was the replacement for the previous Z/28, but as we see it, there is plenty of room for a new Z/28.

The Next Z/28

To create a sixth generation Camaro that is more extreme than the ZL1 1LE and which will serve as a proper competitor to the new Shelby GT500 Mustang, we envision the designers beginning on the outside with a body that is even more aggressively designed to improve performance. We expect a similarly huge rear wing with a chin spoiler that will also be larger than the 1LE piece, but more importantly, we are imagining a set of flared fenders that make more room for wider rubber up front with a set of canards wrapping around the leading edge of each side.

Next, the heart of this Z/28 will be the supercharged LT5, which needs lots of cooling air, so we expect a front fascia that is wider across the front, making room for larger vents in the corners and a slightly larger grille in the middle, all while preserving the basic look of the current ZL1. In addition to the extra air flow through the front fascia, the LT5 would get a unique hood with a raised center section that is fully vented, with addition vents flanking the raised center section. These vents will allow the hot air around the engine to be forced away by the air coming through the grille, while also helping with high speed downforce.

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Along the sides, the LT5-powered Camaro Z/28 wouldn’t change much beyond the flared fenders, but to keep pace with the GT500, we expect to see lightweight, carbon fiber wheels tucked around gigantic carbon ceramic brakes. Of course, there would be a proper Z/28 callout on the fenders, but the big carbon brakes and lightweight wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires would play key roles in this car’s success on the track.

Finally, out back we expect 5-inch quad exhaust tips that poke out of an aggressive carbon fiber diffuser with fins reaching well down towards the ground, all tucked under a huge, adjustable rear wing.

Purpose-Built Cabin

On the inside, we expect that this Camaro Z/28 will have standard lightweight Recaro bucket seats, no rear seat and no air conditioning, similar to the previous generation Z/28. Those comforts will be available as options, but don’t expect any standard features that don’t directly improve performance. The current Camaro ZL1 1LE weighs just over 3,800 pounds, so if the engineers could trim the next Z/28 by 200 pounds while adding the 755-horsepower LT5, it would offer a massive power-to-weight ratio advantage over the new GT500. Rumors suggest that the Mustang will be around 4,200 pounds, but even at 4,000 pounds, the 3,600-pound Z/28 would have a solid advantage.

The LT5 Advantage

If Chevrolet does put the Corvette ZR1 LT5 in the Camaro, it will likely have a few less horsepower than the new GT500, but it will have a huge torque advantage. The LT5 makes 715 lb-ft while the new supercharged Ford V8 offers just 625 lb-ft, so the 5-horsepower advantage is likely to be eaten up thanks to the Camaro’s extra torque. Then again, if the Z/28 really is 400 to 600 pounds lighter than the GT500, the horsepower difference isn’t going to come into play at all.

Simply installing the new LT5 in the current Camaro ZL1 1LE might create a car that will take down the new Mustang GT500, but with our ideas above – adding the more prominent aerodynamic bits, the carbon brakes, the lightweight wheels and the lightened interior – the last Camaro of the sixth generation would easily be the greatest of all time.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com