ORIGINAL: B00SS
ORIGINAL: RLSH700
I would doubt they would offer the LS7 in the Camaro since it is the Corvette's top engine. I could possibly see them putting it in the Firebird but not the Camaro.
Same was true of the LS1 at one time. Top GM engine in the Vette. Later put into the Camaro/Firebird. Before that it was the LT1. Top GM engine put into the Vette. Later put into the Camaro/Firebird. Now that's not to say they must continue this tradition, but that is how it has been in recent years.
Actually, the Firebird did have some special models that the Camaro didn't have. The Firehawk was offered with the Firebird and if I'm not mistaken, the Camaro never got their own version of this model.
Firebird - Camaro
TransAm - Z28
Firehawk - SS
Racer X, I believe if GM decides to make the GTO instead of the Firebird, it will be in a different class attempting to appeal to a different crowd. If they do this (which I hope they don't) the Camaro will be probably be exclusively inexpensive performance and the GTO will probably be another attempt to compete with BMWs and Mercedes.
This has been the idea with the new GTO from the start. Remember, there IS a Camaro Concept. When the cars were discontinued in 2002, Camaro was said to be on "hiatus" indicating a later come back. During the same time frame, Bob Lutz has said "The Firebird's day is gone." I don't like it, that's just what he said.
First of all, there were engines the Corvette had that the Camaro and Firebird never got such as the 32valve version of the 5.7L used in the ZR-1. Secondly, the output was consistently lower on the F-body versions. Since you used the LS1 as an example, lets look at the 1998 models. The Corvette LS1 was producing 345hp & 350ft-lbs of tq vs. the F-body twins offered 305hp & 335ft-lbs of tq on the ower models and 320hp & 345ft-lbs of tq on the Ram-Air models. They did offer the same engine just a lower output version. If they offer the LS7, then it will probably be detuned.
Actually it is more like this between the F-body twins
Camaro vs. Firebird
Z28 = Formula
SS = Trans Am WS6 package
nothing = Firehawk
Take a look at the output that the Firehawk limited production models produced vs. the Camaro SS. You can't compare them. The Firehawk consistently produces more hp and tq. The SS models produced the hp and tq that the WS6 package Trans Ams produced. For example, a 2000 Camaro Z28 SS produced 320 hp & 345 ft-lbs of tq, whereas the 2000 Pontiac Firebird Firehawk produced 335 hp & 350 ft-lbs of tq.
Yeah I know your just quoting Lutz. The success or lack thereof that GM has had since he has been there represents why he was fired from Chrysler group operations. I think the GTO's days are over. What I mean by this is I don't think there is really a market for this kind of market segment (mid/full-sized luxury sport coupe without a luxury name plate). I'm not saying it won't be a nice car, I'm just saying I don't think people want those anymore. They seem more interested in compact performance coupes (pony cars and Japanese offerings).