The Z28 was rumored to be Chevy’s answer to the Ford Mustang GT500, and it would likely have been powered by the supercharged LSA engine found in the Cadillac CTS-V. It was apparently put on hold due to both cost constraints and concerns about the blatant political incorrectness of building a gas-guzzling, super pony car.
Lutz assured us we haven’t seen the end of GM performance cars.
“Any fears that the days of high-performance General Motors cars may be numbered or totally over can be allayed,” Lutz said. “There is no pressure at all to get off the high-performance thing.”
Still, with stricter fuel economy standards on the horizon, Lutz noted that the mainstream sports car formula will likely move away from big V-8s. He pointed to the V-6 Camaro that makes 304 hp and returns 29 mpg on the highway is a more realistic image of future performance cars.
“I think the V-6 Camaro is probably a very good model for the future of the high-performance car in America,” Lutz said, adding, “the Solstice coupe with the 2.0-liter turbo engine is another good expression of the future of the high-performance car, which is smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient, and probably with lower displacement, but with a turbocharger.”