This may be a bit of understatement, but when Chevrolet announced the upgrades to the 2011 model year Camaro, many were rather unsatisfied. However, before The General moves the Camaro from the Zeta platform to the upcoming Alpha architecture that it will share with the imminent Cadillac ATS (and a possible 8-speed transmission), we can look forward to updates for the 2012 model year, which look to blow those of 2011…

Aside from the very necessary interior upgrade for the 2012 Camaro, Chevy will (finally) be smoking the tires of the all-mighty LSA-powered Z28 straight out of the assembly plant. Aside from those who have a fetish for convertibles, the reborn Z28 will be the zenith model of the fifth-generation Camaro. The powerhouse pony will have an arsenal of 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of twist, the same as the more prestigious Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. But the good news doesn’t end there, as the Z28 will eclipse the legendary Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in sheer power. Call it a CTS-V for the masses.

While the Z28 looks to be the swan song of the 5th gen Camaro, all of us here at GM Authority hope that the LSA-powered street missile will find its way to the Alpha platform on which the sixth-generation Chevrolet pony car will be built. Here’s to hopin’!

[Source: Edmunds]