Even though automakers are straining to reach ever-rising fuel-economy standards, speed still counts -- a lot. Witness the Chevrolet Camaro Z28.
Mark Reuss, head of General Motors North America, said he and GM product chief Mary Barra were trying to decide which engine to put in the Z28. The candidates were the 6.2-liter V-8 used in the current base Corvette or a version of the 7.0-liter V-8 used in the Corvette Z06.
The winner? The bigger V-8, Reuss said at the New York auto show.
He said GM might sell more Camaros with the lower-priced engine. But the way Reuss and Barra saw it, those incremental sales weren't worth sacrificing the Z28's performance, which Reuss thinks could result in record track times for a Camaro.
The Z28 will produce 500 hp and 470 pounds-feet of torque. It will top the Camaro lineup when it arrives in early 2014. Pricing hasn't been announced.
Said Reuss: "Let's not forget what we're trying to do with this car."