One of the main gripes with the 2010 Camaro SS is its gutless lack of power. 425hp? Why not just pull it with a team of sickly cats? Untie the twist in your acid-washed jeans, according to Ed Welburn, GM’s vice president for global design, a 550hp Z28 package is back in the works, for reals this time. 

All that oomph comes from a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, normally seen in the Cadillac CTS-V, a luxury hunk of Detroit pride that churns out 556hp. It would be safe to assume that when GM crams the caddy engine between the Camaro’s front wheels, it wont be detuned, because that would be stupid. Welburn says that the Z28’s modified body is done, but there is still calibration work to be sorted out on the powertrain. From Edmunds: 

“The Z28 will come with a specific body kit with a slightly raised hood to accommodate the top-mounted intercooler/supercharger unit and a tall rear spoiler. Specific wheel design and suspension tune will surely be part of the package. Wider rear rubber might prove necessary, too, we'd think.” (1)

Nice. Expect to see the Z28 make a triumphant return in about a year for a throw down with the Ford Mustang GT-500. Bets? Wagers? 

In highly related good news, BR Racing is building a 2010 Camaro SS drift machine to be driven by Conrad Grunewald in next year’s Formula DRIFT Championship competition. Believe it. BR will be squeezing the same Cadillac CTS-V engine mentioned above into their SS drifter with added tweaking that will push 600hp at the rear wheels and presumably about 700hp at the crank. (2)

Look for the slip slidin’ Camaro at the 2009 SEMA show, and at those crazy drift races. 

Sources: 

(1) http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=157686
(2) http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/21/2010-chevrolet-camaro-ss-comes-to-formula-d/

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