Car and Driver’s Underbelly series lets the average consumer take an in depth tour of the one part of a vehicle which usually goes unseen, the underside. This week’s episode features the track-capable 2014 Camaro Z/28 and the program’s lead engineer, Mark Stielow, explaining all the minor changes the Chevrolet team made to the Camaro to make the Z/28 the pavement-devouring monster that it is.
Stielow goes over the car’s new oil-cooler, which is larger than the one used on the C6 Z06, the additional brake cooling ducts and the unique cooling system which helps keep both the TR6060 transmission and rear-differential at their peak operating temperatures under spirited driving.  He also touches upon the car’s huge 305mm Pirelli Trofeo R tires and that sweet-sounding exhaust system. Check it all out in the video below.
Comments
Pay attention to this man. He is the reason many of the new GM cars performance based or not handle so well.
Mark was at GM and later worked for Summit Racing, SLP performance and back to GM. He knows his engineering on suspension and has built a series of older Camaro’s that are well known in the performance market.
Mark was the guy who help tune the Cobalt SS Turbo, HHR Turbo and other GM Performance Division products. He is now integrated into GM products as a whole and the results are showing.
The Z/28 here even at the price point it is at would be hard to reproduce with aftermarket parts alone. To get all these parts to work together and refined to the point the cars is so easy to drive fast is a great achievement.
This car nearly as fast as a race prepared car right off the line. Imagine what it would do with just a few alignment tweaks and real slicks. If there is a class that will let this car run it should dominate the series till they restrict the intake or add more weight.
I think you will hear a lot more from Mr Stielow in the future. GM is lucky to have him. He is the best thing since
John Heinrency.