The IROC-Z was brought to life in 1985. There were a few differences between the IROC and the Z28, some of which were:
· Twin fog lamps inside the grille
· Front air dam
· Special hood louvers and striping at the rocker panel.
The Camaro IROC-Z proved to have the best-handling compared to other models of the car. With a tighter chassis with front struts and springs, along with rear shocks and a sturdier stabilizing bar, Camaro was made to turn better. The IROC-Z had a Tuned Port Injection system added to the 305-cubic-inch V8 which brought the engine up to 215 horsepower.
Excitement arose when the talk of a possible change in engine in the 1987 Camaro and the excitement was fulfilled when, in fact, a new engine was created. In 1987 Chevrolet offered the BL2 package which was a 5.7-liter 350-cubic-inch small block engine which gave the Camaro 225 horsepower. Not only did the new engine grab people’s attention, but the return of the convertible had finally come. Sales were much better this year as nearly 1,000 convertibles were purchased.
Chevrolet knew that the new style of Camaro was coming soon but they still had to do the best that they could with the 1988 model. One problem that the Camaro line faced was the loss of the Z28 once again. Now only the IROC-Z, the Sport Coupe, and the convertible for both models were offered in ’88. No other changes took place that year and the look was becoming dated. Sales showed Camaro designers that a change was needed soon.
In 1989, the Rally Sport package was offered again. It had decals similar to the Z28, but had a 3.1-liter V6. The Camaro Rally Sport ended up becoming the base model and the IROC-Z was the only other model offered. A buyer had the choice of making it a convertible or a coupe. Fortunately, the horsepower in the IROC-Z received a boost and rose to 240 horsepower. The sales were gradually falling and only 110,580 units were produced in 1989.
Only two changes took place to the Camaro in 1990: The RS package gained a larger 3.1 liter V6, and the IROC-Z dropped 10 horsepower.
A new performance package was released in 1991 which would enhance the steering and handling greatly. The B4C package was basically a Z28 with a Rally Sport trim. This package was excellent and didn’t go unnoticed, especially the police. The police department loved this automobile and started adding it to their fleet.
Also in 1991 the Z28 was brought back to life and the only change with the Camaro was a rear spoiler.
The end of the third generation Camaro came after 11 years of production, in 1992.The public was ready for a new look.