2014 Camaro Z/28 pricing announced at $75,000

[Stingr69]

I would not be willing to pay that. It IS a lot of performance but they took a lot of content out and it doubled the price. The car is cool but it isn't going to be for everybody. Racers have been buying cheaper SS Camaros and ripping out stuff, adding wheels, tires, seats, suspensions etc and you still have a pile of cash left over for spares....

I just don't NEED it that bad.

-Mark.

[OrangeVert]

Fbodfather, thanks for posting. Nice work, beautiful car & automotive engineering accomplishment!

At 2x the price of a fully loaded SS, I'll never be able to own one of these - ala Cosmo Kramer, I'm out! But that's ok, I get that it's a different animal. Those who want to spend their money this way will get a sweet ride with awesome track capabilities!

Ok future Z/28 owners, looking forward to reading your posts so I can live vicariously. Go get 'em!!!

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Greg -- thank you for your kind words -- and for your thoughtfulness.

I - and the team - DO get your point.

What I think we're trying to do is to bring the Z/28 back to it's original purpose - and that is to find mustangs on a road course and eat them. No - I'm not saying that this car is set for SCCA rules - what I AM saying is that this car is an amazing driving machine - and on a road course it will blow cars costing many times more to kingdom-come.

NOW - that said -- and I've mentioned this before:

no matter WHAT we do with the Z28 or Z/28 moniker - we alienate some people. For too many years we've alienated the original Z/28 enthusiasts by using the nameplate on a much more mainstream Camaro. To some that's a good thing.......and for a lot of years, they were happy. The reality is that it's time to honor the nameplate by taking it back to its roots.

Yes-- it's expensive - but I invite you to drive a new 1LE or an SS or a ZL1 - and you'll see that we've built a Camaro for 'every purse and purpose" (to use a quote from one of our founders - Alfred Sloan.......

I DO hear what you're saying - but when the final numbers from Nurburgring are published - and the final production numbers are announced - I think - or hope - that you'll see where we're coming from - and that the decisions we make are never easy ones --

We sweat EVERY DECISION because we know we'll get blistered no matter what.

Hope to see you again this year!

"Final numbers from Nurburgring.." - are you suggesting another test had been done, or are you refering to the posted time of 7:37? Thanks!

[Doubleblank]

I'll add my perspective then I'm done. Go to any SCCA event these days that includes a PDX. Or any road track running some regional races and HPDE's for amateurs. Guess which groups are the largest at most events. It's not the class racers.....it's the PDX and HPDE groups. People who like to get on a road track are, for the most part, never going to get active in sanctioned class racing. They are there to get on a track, go fast, have fun, learn how to drive faster, etc and drive home. The Z 28 allows one to do just that (if you have the money). And so do a lot of other cars that aren't built to compete in a "sanctioned class". It's OK to be unhappy that GM didn't build it to compete in your favorite class racing. But it's also OK if the majority of users simply want to have a unique, and very fast, car to take to the track who never intend to race it.

[fbodfather]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

"Final numbers from Nurburgring.." - are you suggesting another test had been done, or are you refering to the posted time of 7:37? Thanks!

7:37 was on a wet track.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Stingr69

I would not be willing to pay that. It IS a lot of performance but they took a lot of content out and it doubled the price.

One more time . . . this car is not about the content that it is "missing".

You have to understand this on a gut level before discussing the reasonableness (or not) of its pricing. Some folks can't get past this hurdle and probably never will. That's OK, and that also means that this Z/28 is not the car for them no matter where it is priced.


Norm

[Zfatuated]

Originally Posted by Doubleblank

I'll add my perspective then I'm done. Go to any SCCA event these days that includes a PDX. Or any road track running some regional races and HPDE's for amateurs. Guess which groups are the largest at most events. It's not the class racers.....it's the PDX and HPDE groups. People who like to get on a road track are, for the most part, never going to get active in sanctioned class racing. They are there to get on a track, go fast, have fun, learn how to drive faster, etc and drive home. The Z 28 allows one to do just that (if you have the money). And so do a lot of other cars that aren't built to compete in a "sanctioned class". It's OK to be unhappy that GM didn't build it to compete in your favorite class racing. But it's also OK if the majority of users simply want to have a unique, and very fast, car to take to the track who never intend to race it.

Posted by another person with actual tracking and racing experience. Thank you sir for helping to separate the reality from the BS.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

One more time . . . this car is not about the content that it is "missing".

You have to understand this on a gut level before discussing the reasonableness (or not) of its pricing. Some folks can't get past this hurdle and probably never will. That's OK, and that also means that this Z/28 is not the car for them no matter where it is priced.


Norm

Correct again Norm...
As Norm said, if you don't understand why it is priced this way then it's not designed for you.

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Doubleblank

I'll add my perspective then I'm done. Go to any SCCA event these days that includes a PDX. Or any road track running some regional races and HPDE's for amateurs. Guess which groups are the largest at most events. It's not the class racers.....it's the PDX and HPDE groups. People who like to get on a road track are, for the most part, never going to get active in sanctioned class racing. They are there to get on a track, go fast, have fun, learn how to drive faster, etc and drive home. The Z 28 allows one to do just that (if you have the money). And so do a lot of other cars that aren't built to compete in a "sanctioned class". It's OK to be unhappy that GM didn't build it to compete in your favorite class racing. But it's also OK if the majority of users simply want to have a unique, and very fast, car to take to the track who never intend to race it.

I would agree. Yet anyone interested in simply having a fast track car, can spend $55Gs on a superbly capable ZL1, replace its (rather average) street tires with R-comps for say $1500, another $1000 for easy weight reductions (follow the z28 list - except for rear the windshield of course - but don't necessarily stop there) and have more HP and Torque to beat up on the Mustangs with. As to the brakes, note what technology pro racers use.
As far as aero, many aftermarket solutions exist, just watch a Conti Challenge in TV. All in all: likely less than $60Gs and $15+ grand to spare on track/school fees.
Anyhow, that's what I would do, or perhaps just buy a (more capable?) c7 Z51 (for thousands less) since if this is supposed to be a pure track car, the rear seat is just a weight balast (since rear passengers are not allowed on track, note Boss 302 LS had its seat out).
Just my thought trying to come to grips with the $75 price tag and its advertised use as a track "weapon".
But I suspect most of these cars will become "museum" cars, sitting on display as limited production art pieces for rich and famous, or become investment tools for those that flip such cars for profit. Not exactly what I would refer to as going back to z28 "roots". But that's just my humble opinion as an enthusiast.

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

7:37 was on a wet track.

Yes indeed. So another test and time is coming I suppose? I read a suggestion of a dry time being closer to 7:30. Any idea of what time a ZL1 would achieve on R-comps vs streets? From the video (7:41), it would appear that its rubber was a key limiting factor.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

Yes indeed. So another test and time is coming I suppose? I read a suggestion of a dry time being closer to 7:30. Any idea of what time a ZL1 would achieve on R-comps vs streets? From the video (7:41), it would appear that its rubber was a key limiting factor.

Ding ding in the rubber being a limiting factor

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by The Stig

Ding ding in the rubber being a limiting factor

Particularly for front tire size, compound, and wheel width . . . sounds a little like three strikes against what could have been if the people who were expected to be buying that car could have been better trusted to stay within their own limits. No flame intended, but we do know of a few incidents suggesting otherwise.


Norm

[OrangeVert]

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

Correct again Norm...
As Norm said, if you don't understand why it is priced this way then it's not designed for you.

+1 Bird & Norm!

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Particularly for front tire size, compound, and wheel width . . . sounds a little like three strikes against what could have been if the people who were expected to be buying that car could have been better trusted to stay within their own limits. No flame intended, but we do know of a few incidents suggesting otherwise.


Norm

No flame intended either, but as we (should) all know, R comps are more demanding to drive on vs streets (by and large), so if folks were getting in trouble with ZL1 on "streets" with a staggered set up, expect more folks losing it on R comps with the z28 with a square set up, trying to find its limits:
wider front tire will make the car understeer less, meaning it will oversteer more, meaning it will be less forgiving at the limit. Hope GM will include free track schools for all z28 owners