How Much HP Does The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Have & What's The Fastest It Can Go?
The Camaro Z/28 nameplate has made believers out of onlookers since Chevrolet slapped the Z/28 "Special Performance Package" sales code to its Mustang-slayer in 1966. There were persistent rumors of an all-new Z/28 Camaro based on the sixth-generation model that ended production in 2024, but the car gods had other plans.
The last Camaro to wear the fabled Z/28 emblem debuted in 2014, based on fifth-generation underpinnings, and it left an indelible mark in the automotive community with its supercar-beating credentials. Its 505-horsepower V8 engine powered it to a 170-mph top speed. The Camaro ZL1 and its 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V8 — one of the most powerful engines ever put inside a Camaro — have taken the reins over the Z/28 in the horsepower race, but the latter doesn't just exist to burn rubber at the dragstrip.
On the contrary, the fifth-gen Z/28 was Chevy's most track-capable iteration of the Camaro. It posted a 7:37.40 lap time around the Nürburgring Nordschleife proving grounds, beating the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the infamous Lamborghini Murciélago. It was also four seconds faster than the Camaro ZL1, proving it's possible to go faster around a road course despite having fewer horses under the hood.
Fifth-gen Chevy Camaro Z/28: Horsepower and speed
Under the fifth-gen Chevy Camaro Z/28's vast and imposing scooped bonnet is a hand-assembled, naturally aspirated 7.0-liter LS7 V8 motor with an astronomical 7,000-rpm redline. The burly engine produces 505 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque, all of which goes to the rear wheels using a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual gearbox. The Camaro Z/28 could outpace supercars in the 'Ring, but it's no slouch in a straight line, either. With perfectly timed gear changes, it rushes from 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and could break the quarter mile in about 12.3 seconds.
The Z/28's list of stock performance mods will make every gearhead smile from end to end. The V8 engine features titanium valves, Mahle pistons, Pankl titanium connecting rods, and a dry sump oiling system. The engine oil, transmission, and Torsen helical limited-slip differential feature higher capacity liquid-to-liquid cooling derived from the Chevy Corvette ZR1 and Camaro ZL1. At the same time, the manual gearbox has double-cone and triple-cone synchronizers on all gears to deliver ballistic acceleration.
Also equipped with Brembo ceramic brakes, lightweight staggered wheels, Multimatic suspension, Pirelli Trofeo R tires, and enough aero aids for downforce, the 2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 is a potent track weapon in the right hands.