The Camaro Z-28 is dead once again

Despite hearing from some GM insiders that that Chevrolet has their finger on the trigger ready to release a high performance version of the Camaro pony car whenever the economic climate seems just right. Back in June, Top Speed reported that the Z-28 was still being considered as the halo version of the mighty Camaro, aimed at competing directly with other modern American muscle cars like the Dodge Challenger SRT-8 and the Shelby GT500 based on the Ford Mustang.

Despite the return of the ground pounders, General Motor’s new vice-chairman, Bob Lutz, has come out of retirement to announce that the Z-28 Camaro will not go into production. The high output pony car was supposed to be powered by the same supercharged small block chevy motor that is found under the hood of the high performance Cadillac CTS-V. "Any fears that the days of high-performance General Motors cars may be numbered or totally over can be allayed," said Lutz. Instead he focused on the future of fun to drive sports cars.

Mr. Lutz proclaimed that "There is no pressure at all to get off the high-performance thing," and pointed towards Chevrolet’s current offerings for the Camaro, like the 29 MPG, 304 HP six cylinder model. “I think the V6 Camaro is probably a very good model for the future of the high-performance car in America,” Lutz said, adding that “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.” This is a sad day for those automotive enthusiasts who believe that there is no replacement for displacement.