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Chevrolet Camaro Z28 soars with Corvette's new engine aboard
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- On an enormous expanse of asphalt in a parking lot at Opryland USA, orange plastic traffic cones outline the twisted path of an obstacle course confronting the racy new coupe edition of Chevrolet's ultimate muscle car, Camaro Z28.
One driver's challenge will be to hurl that mass of Detroit metal through a series of fast straights, snaky chicanes and too-tight corners in order to beat the clock, show off in front of peers and in the process develop some understanding for how quick but controlled this souped up Chevy has become.
The 1998 editions of Camaro Z28, you see, reveal new front styling features with a new metal hood, new fenders and fascia, plus new composite headlamps that appear even slicker than previous versions.
What you can't see from a glance, however, is Camaro's new engine. A retuned version of Corvette's aluminum 5.7-liter V8, pegged to 305 hp in this application, tucks below Z28's extended hood.
Tap the accelerator and it growls.
Stomp it, like I did at the starter's signal, and Camaro screams, tires howling too as it flies off the line.
Then we're barreling down the coned straightaway, revs soaring with the shift up a notch, but by now there's too much speed to possibly manage the first right-left-right wiggle without eating cones, so before you know it we're standing on disc brakes to let Camaro slip through in a smooth dance maneuver of the cha-cha-cha.
Ease on throttle out of the last turn but swing wide to the right edge, then brake again to move the weight over front tires for the hard left hook that follows. At the apex the throttle comes into play again because with all of that engine torque shunted to rear wheels you can slip the rear in a slight oversteer to set up a second quick left, where you'll want speed on the exit for the next straight.
No time to check the speed because eyes must find the line through another chicane, which builds to a dogleg left bender at the finish line with pedal on the floor to squeeze every last hundredth of a second out of the clock.
Now catch a breath and bask in the glow from setting the course record for this day, with recognition that Camaro's new muscle and balanced suspension system deserve most of the credit.
It's a sensational package, now stronger than ever, a real head-snapping muscle machine.
And Camaro comes with tradition.
Since the fall of 1966 when the first Camaro coupe and convertible rolled off Chevrolet's assembly line, America's youth and sport-minded adults have been captivated by the long hood and that low-slung shape.
A fourth generational edition, emerging in 1993, created the bubble top with dramatically raked windshield which harmonizes with a dropped hoodline and elevated tail capped by sweeping spoiler. This was the first Camaro which could perform as well in curves as on the straights.
It wasn't always that way. Before the recast of 1993, Camaro amounted to a muscular hunk best aimed in a straight line. But the revised edition contained aggressive handling systems with the right hardware, like rack and pinion steering and a lively independent suspension rigged with gas-charged shocks and stabilizer bar in front and rear.
One tester's hair-raising introduction to Camaro's improved agility occurred at Florida's Moroso Motor Speedway near West Palm Beach during a driving lesson from 4-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears. Charging down a straight path at 135 mph, he stood on the brake pedal to slow to 95 mph for a savage hairpin curve.
Then Mears let the rear end drift as Z28 powered through that turn, G-forces so strong we grabbed handles to stay seated. Yet that Chevy remained on pavement and demonstrated it not only produced power, but finesse.
Couple all of this serious handling gear with Camaro's stiff platform and add the new ingredient of Corvette's LS1 engine, the first aluminum-block V8 for Chevy's muscle machine. In this application it delivers the 305 hp promised, plus stunning torque to 345 lbs/ft.
As if that's not enough to thrill and chill, Chevy this year offers a special SS performance and appearance package which goes even further by forcing more air into the engine to boost output through a special air scoop on the composite hood which links to an air induction system.
With this tweaking, Z28 SS delivers 320 hp.
A unique rear spoiler with high-mount stoplight, special SS badging and beefy 17-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 performance tires complete the SS package.
Chevy's standard transmission for Z28 amounts to the Hydra-matic 4L60E 4-speed automatic, which tames the beast rather nicely, although an optional 6-speed Borg-Warner manual shifter puts a street-legal racer within reach.
Fifth and sixth overdrive gears in the manual lower engine speed at highway pace to conserve fuel. Bottom gears with tight-fisted ratios mean heady action at street speeds.
What kind of performance can you expect?
Those lower gear ratios kick in fast off the line, so Z28's 'Vette-like phantom flies down a chute. Full bore, it reaches 60 mph in less than six seconds and can take the quarter-mile flag in 14 flat. At this point, Z28's speed moves across the 100 mph mark. Past 120 mph, fifth gear performs well, allowing Chevy's wingless jet to top out a few digits over the 150 mph limit of sixth gear.
Such speed you may never need, or reach, unless you're on a bona fide drag strip. But it's there, latent, with only a growl from raucous pipes telling the tale.
The Z28 in its revised form represents the top of Camaro's curve, and it's offered in both coupe (with optional T-top removable panels) and sleek convertible styling. Pricing continues to climb with all of that power, though, now topping out in the low $30,000s for a drop-top.
Similar styling and an economical engine show up in a base Camaro, also cast as coupe and convertible. Its 3.8-liter V6 delivers 200 hp with either the Hydra-matic 4-speed automatic or a stock manual 5-speed transmission.
Camaro in base trim still looks like it could outpace a tornado, so you can end up with the racy good looks of Z28 without higher prices -- as entry figures dip as low as $17,000 for the coupe.
1998 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 COUPE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 COUPE Specs |
| Description: |
Sport coupe, convertible |
| Model Options: |
Sport coupe, convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
101.1 inches |
| Overall Length: |
193.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.8-L V6
OHV 5.7-L V8
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| Transmission: |
V6: Manual/5, Auto/4
V8: Manual/6, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
V6: 19/30 mpg
V8: 18/27 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 17,000 to $ 32,000 |
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