2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 Flaunts New Flowtie

In a nifty example of "sweating the details," the 2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 will wear a new evolution of the brand's Bowtie logo on its grille, and like much else about the car, the badge's fresh form is directly derived from its function.

Here's the story: After engineer Richard Quinn discovered that the traditional Chevy logo being used on the pre-production Z/28 was hampering airflow into the radiator, he created a new prototype badge using only the chrome frame of the bowtie. Thus was born the “Flowtie,” and just that minor adjustment was enough to increase airflow by 3 cubic meters per minute, while reducing engine-coolant and engine-oil temperatures by 2°F.

Said Quinn: “There are engineers in our team that race as a hobby, and we used that racer’s mindset to look for ways small or large to get better performance out of the Z/28. Even the smallest details on the Z/28 were weighed for cooling benefit, and this is one that stuck.”

Of course, as opined by Al Oppenheiser, chief engineer for the Camaro: “The Flowtie is just one example of the team’s focus on track performance. That same attention to detail is evident throughout the cooling systems for the LS7 engine, as well as the carbon ceramic brakes and the differential.

“The Camaro Z/28 has more than 190 unique parts, compared to a Camaro SS. Like the Flowtie, each of these parts were changed with one objective: to deliver incredible performance on the track—not just for the first lap, but lap, after lap, after lap.”

Priced from $75,000, the 2014 Chevy Camaro Z/28 is expected in dealerships this spring.