EvilBoffin

Autoweek reports:

"General Motors has delayed indefinitely the Chevrolet Camaro convertible and Z28 high-performance variant to save cash, sources say."

Just when there's speculation and distress on this forum that some versions of the new Camaro could be as fast as the current Corvette, it seems that the proposed ~556HP Z28 will not be a variant that we have to worry about any time soon...

2K3Z06

Just marketing bs. They want to sell cars now. As for me, I will test drive a new SS, just to see if I like it. But, I'm waiting on a convertible Z28. If they don't make it, I'll keep the Z06 and be happy with it.

Don't be surprised in a year, when the coupe sells slow down, that a vert. and maybe a Z28 show up.

My .02

Z11409

A convertiable was run on the production line last week during regular operating hours.
Z28 is a different story.

sothpaw2

I can't see the business case for a 550 hp Camaro. What would it cost?
There is already the SS so you already have a V8 Camaro. Wouldn't it be close to a Corvette Z06 w/ 505 hp now? With the Z06 discounted by 20%+ for unsold 2008's, I just can't see the demand for a $40-50-60k Camaro. I don't think GM would do a 550 hp Camaro aside the 505 Z06 anyway. It would have to be no more than 500 hp and be heavier.

xsiveone

I think that they'll start selling both as soon as the economy starts turning around. There's no sense in puting an extra car into production now when hardly anyone is buying new cars.

gbvette62

If they're still around a year or so from now, they will build the Z28. It will have nothing to do with the Corvette, but instead, it will be because of the Mustang. Ford offers a base V6 car, a V8 GT and a Shelby GT500. With their V6 and SS V8 Camaro models, Chevrolet will need the 550+ hp Camaro to complete their line up and effectively compete with the Mustang (and to a lesser degree, the Challenger). As soon as they can afford it, they will build it. I'm sure the pricing will slot it in under the Shelby and comfortably below the Corvette coupe. Chevrolet has allways offered Camaros with performance that often approached that of the Corvette. The key is that they allways manage to keep the performance (and price) just short of that of the Corvette. Chevrolet doesn't worry about the Camaro hurting Corvette sales, but instead has taken advange of the relationship of the Camaro to the Corvette by tying in the marketing of the Camaro's performance to that of the Corvette, over the years. In 1968, they advertised the Z28 as "The Closest Thing To A Vette Yet". Chevrolet has always proudly marketed the Camaro as a "poor mans" Corvette and I don't think that will change with the 2010 model.

About the only thing that could ultimately kill the Z28, is the ever tighting CAFE regs that our Washington based Obama-nation has proposed.

rfn026

The real question isn't what Camaro will be around next year but will GM be around?

Richard