Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

WHEN you see the word “Camaro”, your brain is probably already filling in the rest: you know it will be big and it will be fast, but also that it will be as crude as Saudi Arabia’s finest. To which, in time-honoured fashion, the new Z/28 answers yes, yes and yes. But, against expectations, it’s also a properly impressive performance machine.

It isn’t the most powerful Camaro that honour belongs to the 434kW ZL1 but it is the most expensive at $US 73,700 ($A84,700), three times more than the base version.

On first impressions, it’s not immediately obvious where that money is being spent. Beyond the body kit and black alloys, there’s little to distinguish the Z/28 from a rental-spec V6, and its cabin feels every bit as cheap and cheerless. Indeed, slightly more so because GM has been so determined to strip out weight that even air-conditioning is an option, and the standard audio system has only one speaker.

It doesn’t feel any classier on the move, certainly at low speeds. The mighty V8 is almost drowned out by the road roar generated by its massive tyres, while the dampers seem to be filled with concrete. The shift action of the six-speed manual gearbox is notchy and the clutch pedal feels like a thigh workout machine.

But add speed and it gets better. Much better. The 7.0-litre LS7 V8 has the sort of linear responses that see a solid low end progress into a brawny mid-range before swelling into a screaming top end. Although the peak 376 kW arrives at 6100 rpm, the big engine seems happiest when pushed even closer to the 7000 rpm redline.

The gear shift gains accuracy with speed, the carbon-ceramic brakes are tireless and the steering is the most accurate of any previous Camaro.

But it’s the grip levels that really impress. The Z/28 sits on massive 305-profile Pirelli Trofeo Rs with so much grip they require a special bonding with the 19-inch alloys to prevent them turning on the rims under braking. Although clearly designed for the track the Z/28 has lapped the Nordschlieffe in an astonishing 7 min 37 sec they work well on the road.

The steering has plenty of feel, the dampers cope brilliantly with rough surfaces and the chassis’s neutral balance encourages more aggression with the throttle. You can use the engine to overwhelm the rears if you want, but the Z/28 stays predictable even when transgressing its sky-high limits.

GM has pitched the Chevrolet Camaro as a proper sports car for the best part of five decades. Finally, with this Z/28, it has delivered.