$75,000 gets you Chevy’s fastest Camaro Z/28, but no air conditioning?
With Chevrolet’s new Camaro Z/28 going on sale soon, fans who have been waiting for this track rat performance version will soon be able to put their money where their mouth is.
A lot of money.
Chevy announced Friday that the 2014 Z/28 will start at a cool $75,000, including destination. Keep in mind: A completely loaded version of Chevy’s all-new Corvette sells for about the same money. A base Camaro starts at $24,550. And both of those come with air conditioning included, which the Z/28 does not.
But the fire-breathing Z/28 version of the Camaro shares almost nothing with its low-rent little brother. Conceived as a zero-compromise car aimed at getting around a racetrack as fast as possible, the Z/28 makes speed a priority.
“The Camaro Z/28 is an uncompromising performer that’s bred for the track — and every one of its unique components supports the goal of faster lap times,” Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America, said in a statement.
To drive this point home, Chevy said it lapped the car around the famed Nurburgring race course in Germany faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera S, the massive gap in refinement between the two vehicles and 105 horsepower advantage for the Chevy notwithstanding.
The engine in the Z/28 is a hand-built 7.0-liter V-8 that makes 505 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is your only choice of gearbox, and it pushes power to the rear wheels via a Torsen limited-slip differential.
Body panels on the Z/28 have been modified for increased downforce at the kind of high speeds track driving hits, as well as additional cooling for the car’s mechanical bits.
The suspension has been overhauled and offers four-way adjustability in the dampers, while forged aluminum wheels and carbon ceramic brake rotors keep unsprung weight down.
Inside, the diet continues. The rear window is thinner, as are the rear seats, some sound deadening and the tire-inflator kit have been removed. You’d think 75 large would at least get you air conditioning and some speakers, but sorry fancypants, those items are the Z/28’s only options — for a cool $1,150.
The Z/28 will be available for order later in January, with the car landing in garages — and tracks — in the spring. When it does, this Camaro will join a healthy lineup of Chevy performance cars. This includes the Corvette Stingray Coupe and Convertible and the recently launched SS rear-wheel-drive sedan.
For the true earlybirds, Chevy will be auctioning the first Z/28 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Jan. 18. Just make sure to stay clear of those pesky Ford fans who will be on hand to bid on the world’s first next-generation Mustang.
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