It's February 2011, and Chevrolet is all set to debut the hottest version of their already red hot fifth-generation Camaro at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. Poised to turn the brand's newest hero into something more than glorious American muscle, this new entrant wraps aggressive aesthetics around a track-ready suspension and a supercharged LSA V8 that's good for a stout 580 horsepower. That... is not this car.
But it ALMOST WAS! At least, according to the automotive rumor mill. The story goes that, because hardcore enthusiasts had been clamoring for a Z28 over the two 'agonizing' years the fifth-generation Camaro had rolled out of showrooms, Chevy would reward their patience in Chicago. However, literal hours before introduction, word came down from GM brass to peel the Z28 badges off the show car and brand it ZL1 instead. Now, what became the Camaro ZL1 is an exceptionally cool car. But, in some executives' minds, it simply wasn't an appropriate homage to Chevrolet's vaunted SCCA racers of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alas, the world would have to wait two more years for the brand's true ultimate Camaro and, when it dropped, said car would once again wear the old school "Z/28" scripts enthusiasts had begged for.
Chevrolet's logic was simple: each of its performance cars would follow the same basic template. So, Grand Sport was to Super Sport as ZR1 was to ZL1 and, eventually, Z06 would be to Z/28. The brand wanted to create a second purpose-built track-slayer and, in one of the greatest automotive decisions ever made, granted the Camaro team unfettered access to the Z06's incredible LS7. The result was a 'simple muscle car' that could, for all intents and purposes, run with some of the best sports cars in the world!
Coveted, divine and sporting just 2,822 miles, this incredible Z/28 is, quite possibly, the coolest Chevrolet in a very long time! Mixing outstanding athleticism with suede, swagger and optional air conditioning, it's an excellent modern classic that's both capable and exclusive. And, since General Motors has halted development of the sixth-generation Z/28 indefinitely, it might be one of the best chances a lucky enthusiast gets at owning one of the last great Chevrolet muscle cars.
HIGHLIGHTS
1 of only 1,801 fifth-generation Camaro Z/28s produced
2,822 miles
1 of only 554 2015 Camaro Z/28s finished in Black paint
Previously owned by Nicolas Cage
Unmodified car with wicker bill added to rear spoiler
