With increasing fuel economy standards in the future and ever-more-powerful turbocharged, four-cylinder engines being developed, some have wondered aloud if the age of the V8 engine isn’t drawing to a close. After all, even cars like the Ford Mustang are embracing small-displacement turbo engines with the next generation, leaving some performance enthusiasts to cringe in disgust.

But the Camaro faithful need not worry, as Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser told Autoguide that he would “fight for” every horsepower and every cylinder. Those certainly are bold words, and imply that the Camaro won’t follow the Mustang down Small-Displacement Lane.

No four-banger turbo for the Camaro, at least with Oppenheiser at the helm.

Oppenheiser is clear that going forward, the Camaro must maintain its strong links to the past and avoid marketing mistakes that turned models like the Z/28 from track-focused weekend warriors into sticker-and-spoiler packages. The new Z/28 goes back to its roots with a lighter, stiffer, and faster version of the 5th gen platform that is meant to be the ultimate evolution of the current Camaro.

That means that, as long as Oppenheiser is in charge, the Camaro won’t get too small, and it certainly won’t be embracing four-cylinder turbo engines. While rumors have suggested otherwise, it seems like GM will maintain the formula that has made the 5th-generation Camaro a sales success. That means V6 and V8 engines will remain the gold standard, at least for the next generation, though anything can change with a fluctuation in gas prices.

If you ask us though, displacement and cylinders are less important than overall performance, and Oppenheiser readily admits that there may come a day when none of the Big Three offer a V8 muscle car anymore. Hopefully that day is a long ways away.