The yearly SEMA (Special Equipment Manufacturers Association) show happens in Las Vegas.  That’s enough reason to want to go to it.  But more than the exotic locale (way better than, err, Detroit), SEMA is a hotbed of aftermarket parts.  If you’re inclined to think this is a no-big-deal sort of affair, that’s not the case.  The SEMA show attracts so much attention that manufacturers themselves have been getting into the SEMA game for a few years now, whether directly or through various 3rd party companies.

There are so many “new car” debuts prior to SEMA that I would literally flood your RSS feed with them.  I don’t want to do that.  Plus, I can’t write an entire article about a Chevy Sonic with a bodykit.  So here are some of the goods that are coming out at SEMA this year, split up into two convenient posts for your reading pleasure, by manufacturer.

Chevrolet is bringing a whole bunch of Sonics and Cruzes decked out with aftermarket goodies.  This is a definite change from the Sonic’s predecessor, the Aveo – to which the best modification would be the addition of plastic explosives.  Above is the Z-Spec #1, which has Torch Red paint, a mild bodykit, and a vinyl job.  There are also upgraded 4-piston front brakes, a new exhaust, and suspension bits – as well as a short shifter, flat-bottomed wheel, etc.  The Z-Spec #2 (white one) has all the same upgrades but with a more aggressive body kit.

Chevy will also be bringing two other Sonics to SEMA – the Z-Spec 4D (with the same modifications as the two 5-door concepts) and a Sonic Dusk, which is a dark blue with 18″ wheels, etc.  There will also be a Cruze Z-Spec and a Cruze Dusk concept to match the Sonic concepts – both of which get Z-Spec body kits, 18″ wheels, and interior modifications (like the shifter, flat-bottom wheel, and specific trim) as well.

Chevy is also showing a pair of concept Corvettes at SEMA – the Carlisle Blue Grand Sport, and the Ron Fellows Z06 Hall of Fame Tribute.  The Carlisle Blue concept (pictured) features a new paint color that will be available on the Corvette next year, as well as a set of staggered-size wheels (18″ front, 19″ rear) called Torque 2′s that will be available soon.  There are also six-piston brakes, a dry-sumped LS3 under the hood, Magnaride shocks, and a lot of aesthetic goodies.  The Ron Fellows edition Z06 is a Z07 package car built to honor the Corvette Racing driver’s induction into the Corvette Hall of Fame, and features a lot of cosmetic enhancements like a raised carbon hood, black headlight housings, and a custom interior.

Chevrolet will also bring no less than four Camaro concept cars to SEMA.  Two of them are just sticker, paint and alloys type of deals – the Red Zone and Synergy concepts – but the 1LE and ZL-1 Carbon concepts are more interesting.  The Carbon concept (pictured right) is a regular ZL-1 Camaro – all 580 supercharged horsepower of it – with a smattering of carbon fibre trim to liven it up.  Carbon fibre gills in the hood lump and a carbon rear spoiler along with a set of lightweight 20″ wheels (10″ front, 11″ rear) give the ZL1 a meaner appearance, and the massive two-piece front Brembo rotors with 6-piston calipers will probably help the heavy ZL-1 slow down.  There’s also a lot of suede and carbon-fibre (with a flat-bottom wheel, which Chevy is apparently fond of) inside.  The other interesting concept – the 1LE package – combines parts from the SS and ZL1 Camaro to make a more track-ready SS.  It adds a lot of things not normally available on the SS- Magnetic Ride Control, ZL1 rolling stock, the same two-piece front rotors with six-piston calipers, a ZL-1 style active dual exhaust in a diffuser, and some ZL1 interior pieces.  Chevrolet says the 1LE could become a production option, and I certainly don’t see why not – the SS could benefit from the ride and handling improvements that Magnaride offers.

Mopar is bringing a bevy of concept to SEMA as well.  Pictured above is the Challenger ACR concept, made to celebrate the defunct Viper ACR’s recent ‘Ring lap time record.  It has a pile of Mopar performance accessories to make it go, turn, and stop faster: a cat-back exhaust, long-tube headers, and a short throw shifter help with the accelerating, while a set of adjustable coilovers as well as front and rear strut braces help the big Dodge turn.  Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires provide the grip.  The black-on-white color scheme with a single red stripe and mirror caps is pretty menacing, as well.  Inside, the rear seats are gone, and front buckets with harness pass-throughs, a roll cage, and a flat-bottom wheel make it lighter and more focused.  Dodge:  build it!

Less interesting, but far more, umm, orange is the Durango Tow Hook concept.  (Tow Hook?  Why?)  It’s basically a Durango painted really freaking orange with a black roof, huge wheels, and 25mm lower ride height.  There’s apparently a custom orange interior, which I can’t wait to see, and the Hemi makes lovely noises through a Corsa cat-back exhaust.

Since Chrysler and Fiat are now linked at the hip, the Mopar boys are bringing a pair of tuned Fiat 500 concepts to SEMA as well, although they didn’t bother to release any pictures other than a close-up of a headlight.  The 500 Titanium will feature a matte Titanium paint finish, 16″ two-piece alloy wheels, a body kit, and lowered suspension and upgraded brakes.  the 500 Carbon will of course have a bunch of carbon-fibre components attached to it; stay tuned for pictures and info on these two.

In the “not too surprising” category is the Ram SRT 392 Quick Silver concept.  Dodge isn’t exactly unfamiliar with the fast-truck genre; they basically invented it with the late 70′s “L’il Red Express.”  And for a while they were scaring the bejeesus out of unsuspecting passengers with the Viper-powered Ram SRT-10, all 8.3L and 500bhp of it.  The SRT 392 Quicksilver is exactly what you’d guess- a single cab Ram R/T that’s had the SRT Group’s 392ci (6.4L) Hemi V8 shoved under the hood.  With 470 horsepower, plus a cold-air intake and a set of long tube headers with electronic cutouts added (mmm!), this concept truck seems like a no-brainer, considering Ford has abandoned the fast-truck market.  Turning and stopping are improved with custom suspension providing a 2″ drop, while 15″ rotors are pinched by Brembo 6-piston calipers up front.  The truck rides on 22″ alloy wheels with massive meats – 275/45/R22 front and 305/40/R22 rear.

Honda hasn’t exactly been on a roll lately with cars appealing to drivers, but that doesn’t mean the aftermarket is any less fond of them.  The new 2012 Civic Si is just rolling into dealerships now, and here’s a crazy widebody boosted one already.  The biggest change for the 2012 Si was the replacement of the high-revving torqueless 2.0L K20Z3 with the larger 2.4L K24Z7 that can be found under the hood of the Acura TSX.  On paper, I’m not a huge fan – it’s only got 4 more horsepower than the old one, and while the much higher torque output at low rpm’s is nice for a daily driver, I’d rather have my high-winding 8,000+ rpm Honda engine back.

Add in some boost though, and the story is different.  With more displacement and a lower compression ratio, the new K24 is a natural for some turbocharging, which is just what Fox Marketing did.  They claim their intercooled turbocharger setup is good for 450 horsepower (more than double the original amount) while retaining Honda civility and reliability.  I just want to experience how much torque steer a 2.4L, turbocharged Civic with a helical LSD has.

Being a SEMA show car, there is of course a wide-body kit, gigantic wheels and tires, custom paint and interior work, and stickers everywhere.  But I mostly am interested in that boosted K24.  Do want.

Hyundai will also have a pretty full stand.  The Genesis coupe has been with us for two years now, and it’s a great car, but like most other cars, it could use another hundred horsepower or so.  Hyundai (with the help of Magnuson, Rhys Millen Racing (RMR), Harman and Torvec) has just the thing: the Genesis Coupe Hurricane concept.

Beyond the badass matte-black paint and huge wheels, what’s important is under the hood.  The Genesis 3.8′s V6 engine, which normally makes 306 horsepower, is boosted by a Magnuson supercharger breathing through an air-to-liquid intercooler to the result of more than 450 horsepower.  Helping put all that supercharged grunt down is a new IsoTorque limited slip differential and 19″ Enkeis with sticky Hankooks.  (No Goodyears?  Hey, gotta keep it KDM, son!)  A new exhaust provides more growl, and six-piston Brembos with cross drilled rotors help with the stopping.  Finally, an RMR front clip and a Lexicon stereo amp up the pimpin’ factor.

The big news for the slanted H this year is the Veloster, though.  So Hyundai is bringing a few tuned Velosters to whet the appetite of the aftermarket.  First up is the turbocharged, wide-body ARK Veloster.  The engine gets a twin-scroll turbocharger and intercooler, oil cooler, custom turbo manifold, underdrive pulleys, and new exhaust from the turbo to the tips.  There’s also a six-piston braking system, a roll cage, and a pretty comprehensive suspension overhaul – including coilovers, sway bars, camber plates and adjustable control arms, and a strut tie bar.  ARK claims 210bhp for their turbocharged version of the Veloster’s 1.6 GDI motor, up from 138 stock.  Considering the factory Veloster Turbo will have 208bhp, this is right on point.  Then there are the cosmetic modifications, which basically replace everything but the roof.  Looks wicked.

The other Veloster that will be on Hyundai’s stand is a partnership between PM Design and UTI technical school.  This bright-blue on black Veloster was designed to showcase the kind of modifications people can do in their own garages.  To that point, it’s mostly a lot of bolt-on modifications.  Power comes from an AEM intake and a Magnaflow exhaust with high-flow cat, as well as a Nitrous Express giggle gas setup.  Preventing it from blowing up are an external oil cooler, Flex-A-Lite radiator and thermostat, and a SPEC clutch.  There’s also the usual chassis mods – big brake kit, KW coilover suspension, and 18″ Konig wheels.  PM Design claims 163 horsepower for their Veloster; presumably before the hit of nitrous.  On the outside, a custom BASF paint job mixes with some Seibon carbon-fibre goodies to increase the pimp factor.  Nicely done on this one.

Over at the Kia division, work continues (quite successfully, I might add) on ridding Kia of it’s barrell-scraper image.  To help with that, Kia is bringing two concepts to SEMA, a new Rio Hatchback (pictured left) and a Forte (below.)  The Rio is surf-themed, but to me it just looks like a stanced-out Rio Hatch with a roof-rack.  The paint is custom golden-brown, and there’s a wooden front splitter to match the surf board on the roof.  The Rio is obviously dropped to the ground on some sort of aftermarket suspension, with a set of gold-hued 3-piece 17″ wheels.  Is this the first stanced-out new gen Rio?  If so, the future is looking great for Kia’s smallest car, whose previous claim to fame was “cheapest, nastiest new car you can buy.”  Both of these concepts were made in conjuction with Antenna Magazine, who outfitted the trunk of the Rio concept with a custom “entertainment center” that can play 80′s arcade games and records.  Why?  Well, why not I suppose.

The Forte Concept is hockey-themed, which is also odd.  Built off of the newish Forte 5-door hatchback, the concept has the front clip from the Forte Koup SX grafted onto it, which is actually pretty good looking.  On the outside, there’s custom “Aviator Gray” paint and some very blue 18″ alloy wheels along with a custom body kit, a carbon fibre roof, lowered suspension, quad tailpipes (one for each cylinder?) and LED accents.  Inside, a miniature air-hockey table slides out of the hatch – maybe it’s the cargo cover when it’s inside? – and there is of course a hockey-stick holder in the interior.  The rear seats are individual buckets, and there are 7″ LCD screens in the back of the headrests hooked up to a PS3.  Pretty standard show car stuff, but I vote that Kia starts slapping Koup SX bumpers on 5-doors, pronto.

Mazda is bringing a pair of concepts to SEMA as well:  an ultralight-weight Miata concept like they’ve been teasing us with for years, and a turbocharged Mazda 2 hot hatch.  Mazda didn’t give a lot of details on either concept, so I’ll put on my conjecture hat.  The Miata Spyder has a much more aggressive looking front fascia grafted onto the current NC chassis Miata, with a grille opening that looks like it was borrowed directly from the RX-8.  There’s also a Boxster Spyder-style tent where the roof would normally be, presumably because it weighs less.  They say it has a “new, more aggressive look” – and that’s about it.

I’m more interested by the Mazda2 Turbo.  Mazda’s PR department says it combines “one of our most powerful, turbocharged engines in our lightest platform.”  (That’s no lie – the Mazda2′s curb weight is actually lower than that of the Miata, closer to 2,000 pounds than 2,500.)  What could that mean?  If I’m guessing (and I am!), I’d say there’s a 2.3 DISI-Turbo under the hood, the 2.3L direct-injected, turbocharged and intercooled I4 that powers the MazdaSpeed3 and the CX-7.  If the weight is kept around 2,200lbs, this 263bhp motor would make for an absolutely wicked little beast.  More details on this toy very soon.

I’ll cover the rest of the preview posts for SEMA in part II of this, so stay tuned!  SEMA opens it’s doors tomorrow, so there will likely be more cool stuff rolling out afterwards as well.

So, why are Ford fixing the decidedly unbroken formula for the next car? Design boss J Mays, champion of ‘retro-futurism’ and he who penned the 2005 model going strong today, says it’s time for a new car “to win all of the Mustang faithful yet bring the brand forward as well.” Basically, it’s got to walk the tightrope of hinting it’s a Mustang, but “signal the Mustang has another 50 years of life left.” No pressure then.

The gamble is especially risky since that the Mustang’s doldrum years, in which many thought the car had lost its way, were during the modernisation-crazed Eighties, when the car first abandoned the pony car profile and classic grille/headlight combo. The aero look, unremarkable underpinnings and downsized engines were responsible for a huge sales slump (as was the irritation of an ongoing oil crisis) which almost led to Ford killing off the entire Mustang line in favour of a front-drive Mazda-based car. Only affection for the earlier Mustangs stopped the rot.

Tapping into this love of the original cars, by combining the styling of McQueen’s Bullitt star with modern comfort and safety requirements, has made the Mustang a runaway success once again, just as its grandad was. (It’s still the fastest selling car, ever.) The modern muscle game was such a goldmine Chevy and Dodge couldn’t ignore it, wading in with their own interpretations of past glory, and seeing similar success.

As a business case goes, it’s foolproof, since it’s the exact same philosophy used back in the Sixties; take a simple platform, a big engine, cover it in a handsome body, and sell it for peanuts. Despite recession this and environment that, you can pick up the current top ‘Stang, the 550 bhp Shelby GT500, for less than $50k. That’s £31k over this side of The Pond, around £20k less than a BMW M3, which is 130bhp down, straight out of the blocks.

The current Mustang’s slogan is ‘All Legend. No Compromise.” The danger for Ford is that when the all new car comes along in 2014, it’ll have the legendary name, but not the looks, and as such it’ll be going head to head with the best from Germany, the UK, and the USA,  but won’t have that retro-genius trump card to fall back on. In its sink or swim market, Stateside, people buy the M3 because it’s the best drive, or the Yankee muscle for how it looks. The new pony car is going to have to rely on a special drive, like none of its predecessors, if it’s to last “another 50 years of life.”

A motoring icon and a clean sheet of paper. Like I said, no pressure.

When a car is highly anticipated, the first models available for public sale are often offered up for charity by a manufacturer or dealer. The company gets good PR from it due to a high sale price, the buyer gets bragging rights as owner of the first one, and the money all goes to benefit a charity.

Chevrolet’s Camaro ZL1 is definitely anticipated model by enthusiasts, packing 580 horsepower despite an initial horsepower rating of 550. General Motors has a tendency lately to under promise and over deliver in both horsepower and fuel economy figures.

The ZL1 does battle with fellow performance models like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and Dodge Challenger SRT-8 392. Its the pony car wars all over again! The very first ZL1 was sold at the Barrett Jackson auction in Las Vegas, Nevada and it commanded a price of $250,000.

The ZL1, while the first available for public sale, isn’t the first one made. It is in fact number 69, meant to commemorate the 1969 Camaro ZL1, which only had 69 units produced. The car sold is finished in a unique paint color called Carbon Flash Metallic.

The car was sold by Fairway Chevrolet-Buick-GMC and purchased by Rick Hendrick, of Hendrick Motor Sports and the Hendrick Automotive Group. The proceeds will go to benefit the YMCA of Southern Nevada. Despite buying it right now, Hendrick won’t take delivery of his pricey ZL1 until early 2012.

Most 4th-generation F-bodies are in pretty rough shape by now. They weren’t exactly assembled with the highest standard of quality when new, and since they went out of production in 2002, they’ve mostly been bought cheap and had the crap beaten out of them.  It’s easy to understand why: it’s got a Corvette engine, and they’re inexpensive.

So it’s unusual to see a Z/28 that’s actually in good condition – and Wes Odum’s 2002 Z/28 35th Anniversary Edition qualifies.  The paint is still the same shiny blue it was when it came out of the factory, the dashboard’s still black, and generally speaking it’s hard to tell the car’s had 84,000 miles and change roll under it’s wheels, especially when compared to most Camaros.

But that’s not what makes this car unique, because there are good condition Camaros out there.  No, what makes it unique is what’s under the hood.

Modified LS1 Camaro’s aren’t uncommon, and there’s a good reason why: you can make them go stupid fast for not a lot of cash outlay.  An aftermarket camshaft and ported cylinder heads will usually yield north of 400whp in a manual LS1-powered vehicle; considering a cam usually sets you back $300-$400 (it’s pushrods, you only need one), it’s a steal.  However, what you’re left with is an engine that only makes the majority of it’s power relatively high in the RPM range.  As great as the LS1 is, it didn’t come with any form of variable cam timing from the factory, so this is a definite compromise for day-to-day driveability.

When a loss of cylinder compression lead to the diagnosis of a cracked ring land, Wes knew his LS1 needed a rebuild.  But rather than go with OEM components, he went an unusual route: a “stroker” motor, that is, additional displacement via an aftermarket crankshaft.  Let’s dig into the what, the why, and the details on this unusual Camaro.

The engine’s internals were rebuilt with a Callie’s stroker kit, which bumps displacement from the stock 347ci (5.7) to 383ci (6.3L).  No half-assery to be found here, with Clevite bearings on the Callie’s steel crank supporting heavy-duty H-beam rods on the bottom end.  The cylinder heads are still stock LS1 units, but there are a number of improvements beneath them, mostly utilizing OEM LS-block components.  That’s the great thing about the LS engines: they’re like Legos.  Comp beehive springs and titanium retains work with LS7 lifters (from the 7.0L Corvette Z06 motor) on the valvetrain side.  A revised oil pump from a C5 Corvette Z06′s LS6 keeps things juicy, while a newer LS2′s timing chain spins the gnarly-sounding Comp Cams camshaft, which besides being a 234/242, Wes would prefer not to describe as anything besides “big.”

The motor is still mostly stock externally, with an SLP intake up front, and Pacesetter 1 7/8″ long-tube headers feeding a rare GMMG exhaust system with turn-down dump tips blasting the ground right in front of the rear axle.  MSD wires help deliver a strong spark, and a Walbro 255lp/h fuel pump makes sure the huge V8 doesn’t run lean.  A catch-can setup for the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system was added after the huge cam blew out the stock setup, which is pretty funny.

A major weak spot on the 4th-gen LS1′s is the rear differential: add a lot of power and sticky drag slicks, and you can expect to start detonating things.  The weak-kneed GM 8-bolt was given the heave-ho for a gigantic Moser 12-bolt rear differential, which mounts 28-spline chromoly axles.  A Tru-Trak center section with LSD houses a steep 4.10 final drive ratio for alarming acceleration.  A custom steel driveshaft that can handle the power was fabricated as well, and a lightened stock flywheel is gripped by a Monster Stage 3 clutch.

Rolling stock consists of American Racing Torq-Thrust II alloys, sized 17×9.5 all around.  These wheels are a common choice for American muscle cars- it’s the wheel that Ford made a knock-off of for the Bullett Mustang and later Mustangs – and it’s because they look damn good.  The tires for street use are Nitto NT555′s, 275/40 front and 285/40 rear.  For strip use, another pair of 17×9.5 Torq-Thrust II’s are wrapped in “stickey mickey’s” (Mickey Thompson ET Streets, basically DOT-legal drag slicks with “tread.”)  Braking hardware is still stock, but the twin-piston calipers up front do a good job of slowing down the Camaro’s 3400+lb weight, thankfully.

Around town, the Z/28 is surprisingly docile considering the monster engine under the hood.  The huge displacement coupled with the considerably low gearing (4.10′s are pretty short) means you can short shift below 2,000rpm and still have enough torque to relocate your state.  That prodigious torque is the most noticeable thing: a hard 1-2 shift will send the back end skittering sideways down a dry road, sticky 285mm-wide tires and limited slip and all.

The sound it makes is wonderful, too – you can feel the idle from the lumpy cam just sitting still, and the whole car seems to shake on start up as the huge V8 bursts into life.  The acoustic signature of the down-turned 3″ pipes that basically point at the pavement gives the car a menacing resonance, unlike most straight-piped Z/28′s that gurgle like boat engines.

The interior is in remarkably good shape for an ’02, but it’s still an ’02 Camaro, meaning the seats have about as much lateral support as a church pew, and the headrest stops about 4″ short of the head of a full-sized human.  Future plans include a pair of Corbeau seats to prevent sliding out into the door panels, and it’ll be a big improvement.  The Tremec 6-speed is topped with a pool-ball shaped shifter, and connected to a short-shift kit of some sort (“it was there when I got the car; seems to work alright.”)  Obviously this car is about the motor build, not the stereo build, but Infinity Kappa speakers and a small amplifier in the trunk make the music sound better if you ever get tired of the song of the V8.  (You don’t.)  T-Tops are nice, and a feature I wish cars still had today, but they do lead to some noticeable chassis flex.  Which you tend to notice, when your car runs 12.54 @ 116mph in the quarter mile!

What’s odd is that this car “only” puts 400 horsepower and 400 torque to the wheels.  Why?  Because the build isn’t done yet.  The ultimate plan is a single front-mounted 80mm turbocharger, intercooling, methanol injection, and a Viper-spec Tremec TR6060 – shooting for 800-900whp.  Obviously at that point the Camaro won’t be a daily driver, but the motor internals as they are now are ideal for boost – lots of displacement for exhaust flow, strong crank and rods to deal with twice the current power output, etc.  Considering how gob-smacking fast the car already is, twice the horsepower should bring it from “impressive” to “utterly absurd.”

What makes the Camaro unique – and that’s a seemingly oxymoronic statement – is the unorthodox engine build coupled with the un-riced, well-kept condition of the car, and the overall approach to performance – rather than just throwing popular power-adders at it.  It’s already very well done, and if Wes’s plans are anything to go by, it’s only going to get more insane in the future.  Let’s let Wes explain it.

CarThrottle: So, what do you drive?

Wes Odum: A 2002 Camaro Z/28 35^th Anniversary Edition, blue.

CT: Why did you pick that car in particular?

WO: I always liked Camaros, it wasn’t outrageously expensive, plus buying aftermarket parts is reasonable compared to most other performance cars.  Also, they’re easy to work on.

CT: What’s special/rare/interesting about it?

WO: Not really anything from the factory, besides that it’s the last year of the F-body and it’s a 35^th Anniversary Edition.  The GMMG exhaust is rare, and the engine build is unusual – most people do heads and cams, sometimes nitrous, but not a lot of people do stroker motors on these engines.  You can get 450-500whp with stock displacement, but you don’t get the low end torque.  If the ring land breaks, you’ll either spend as much to rebuild with stock rods/pistons/machining as you would spend to buy a steel crank, new rods/pistons/everything else.  The stroker setup was only about $200 more than rebuilding with regular parts.  Lots of people will rebuild with a 6.0L LQ9 truck engine, bore to a 408, etc.  Depends on your overall goal.  So this is an unusual engine setup, basically.

CT: What’s your favorite feature/characteristics about it?

WO: I have a motor setup that I honestly haven’t seen or heard of, not many 383 strokers in this area.  Most are LS2’s, cammed LS1’s, or built LS1’s with superchargers.  Also it’s really loud and cams like a (expletive deleted.)  It’s just fun to drive.  The low-end torque is awesome.  Also, I really like the T-Tops.

CT: What’s your least favorite feature/characteristic about it?

WO: The gas mileage is terrible! 12-16sh depending on how heavy your foot is.  The seats are terrible.  Lots of chassis flex – it’s visible in photos of the car launching on drag slicks.  Also, the steel top rings I specified for the build are great for longevity, but it does drink some oil.  That’s not a big deal.

CT: What did you have before?

WO: I drove my dad’s 1988 BMW M6 before I got this a few years ago.

CT: An M6?  That’s a whole different kind of badass.  Which did you like driving better?  How do they compare?

WO: I honestly like driving the Camaro better, especially now with the motor rebuild.  Mainly it’s the driving position – it’s a long reach to the shift lever in the BMW, they just put stuff in odd places.  It’s a cool car, but even a stock Z28 is considerably faster.  Also, M6 parts prices – let’s not go there!

CT: Future plans for car?

WO: Oh buddy.  Full suspension, new fuel system, brakes, and get some stuff repainted that’s chipped and ugly. Ultimately, I want to boost the motor on this current setup, as it’s built for it.  A built transmission (A Dodge Viper-spec Tremec TR6060 6-speed from Tick Performance) to handle 800+whp.  Seats that don’t suck, chassis bracing (partial interior cage, underbody X-bracing, strut bracing, etc), a turbo K-member, 80mm front-mounted turbo kit at about 20-22psi.  Intercooling – not sure on an air-to-air or water-to-air, but will definitely be using methanol injection. Shooting for 800-900whp on a race gas (C16) tune.

CT: That sounds insane.  Obviously not for a daily driver then, right?  I mean, where else would you go from there?  What kinda car would you want next?

WO:  Daily driver, would like to have a Civic Si or something else that gets better mileage, cheap to maintain – I wanna dump my money on a car to actually modify.  Civic EX, something like that.  Maybe a BMW 135i would be nice, too.  Something nicer inside would be good!  For a toy, I really like the 03-04 Terminators (Ford SVT Mustang Cobra, supercharged). A built engine with a Whipple.  I also still love BMW’s, E46 M3′s are very tempting.  I’m not sure.  I’m nowhere near done with this Camaro yet!

CT: From fantasy land, what’s your no-expense spared dream car? (note: I shook my head in disapproval at this answer.)

WO: Well, I know BMW engines love boost – how about a McLaren F1 with a sleeved block and twin turbochargers?  Or a Koenigsegg Agera?

CT: Back to your car.  What’s your favorite time/place to drive it?

WO: At night, anywhere.  With the exhaust I have, it’s awesome running past concrete walls or through a tunnel – the sound is incredible.  Also, the drag strip.

CT: Speaking of the drag strip, have any bragging rights on this beast?

WO: Haha, yes.  The car recently ran a 12.54 in the quarter mile at just over 116mph.  And that was with a pretty bad reaction time.  I know I have the built drivetrain, but I was still worried about launching it hard on drag slicks with the fresh diff.  I think I could get it down to under 12 seconds if my R/T and 60′ times were quicker.  The car put down just about 400whp and 400wtq, but the tune’s fairly conservative and this setup doesn’t rev as high as a cammed LS1.  But again, I built it for boost, so I’m not done yet.

CT: Well, thanks for taking the time to show me your car.  Any people or forums you’d like to give a shout-out to with regards to the build?

WO: Sure.  RPM (Ryan’s Performance Machines) in Fuquay-Varina NC, who did the motor build.  Also, the LS1-Tech forums for most of the information on this build.

Wes Odum’s 2002 Camaro Z28 35th Anniversary Edition

Modifications

Engine: GM LS1 small-block aluminum V8, pushrod 16v, stroked from 347cid (5.68L) to 383cid (6.27L)

Transmission: Tremec T56 6-speed manual

Engine (external): Full header-back exhaust – Pacesetter 1 7/8” headers to 3” crossover pipe, High Flow Cats, 3” stainless all the way back with GMMG glasspacks  -  SLP intake  -   MSD wires  -  NGK plugs  -  Catch Can for PCV system (because the cam broke the PCV)  -  LS6 intake manifold  -  Walbro 255lp/h fuel pump

Engine (internal): Callies 4” stroker crank  -  Callie’s H-beam rods  -  Wiseco pistons with steel top rings (10.5:1)  -  ARP 2000 rod bolts, main cap bolts, head bolts, connecting rod bolts  -  LS7 lifters  -  LS6 oil pump  -  LS2 timing chain  -  Clevite bearings  -  Comp Cam kit 234/242  -  Comp Beehive Springs  -  titanium retainers  -  new oil pan

Transmission/driveline: Monster Stage 3 clutch  -  Lightened OEM flywheel  -  New slave cylinder & throwout bearing  -  Custom steel driveshaft  -  Moser 12-bolt rear differential  -  28-spline chromoly axles  -  Tru-Trak center section (Limited Slip)  -  4.10 final drive ratio  -  Short Shifter

Brakes/tires/wheels: stock brakes  -  AR Torq-Thrust II’s (17×9.5), Nitto 555 275/40/17 (F) 285/40/17 (R)  -  Mickey Thompson ET street 285/40/17 for the drag strip

Suspension: BMR Panhard bar  -  BMR Front Upper strut brace

Body:  Tinted head and tail lights, old-school Z/28 badge, insulation removed from behind front bumper for air flow

Interior: All Stock!

ICE: Infinity Kappa speakers  -  JL 4500 4-channel amp

Bragging Rights: 400whp/400wtq, 12.54@116mph with 2.0 60’

all pictures and text are from me, except for the picture of the drag strip which is from Wes.  So please don’t post them on your site without permission or attribution, yadda yadda yadda.

A sales race that CarThrottle has consistently covered is the one between the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. The Mustang, with its universal appeal and wide model range, has historically outsold its cross-town rival the Camaro.

When the Camaro first launched, it was speculated that it would surpass Mustang sales, at least in the first year. That didn’t work out though due to its late start.

Last year, was the first full year of sales between the two. Despite Ford fielding the improved 2011 Mustang, the Camaro managed to outsell the Mustang by 7,655 units.

This year, the Chevrolet Camaro gets a convertible variant as well as a high-performance ZL1 model to stir interest. Camaro Convertible sales haven’t managed to kick in yet in a meaningful way though, and Ford has put incentives on the Mustang to boost sales. The result? Very close. For March, Chevy managed 8,964 Camaros, while the Mustang checked in at 8,557 units. Very close. For the year, the tallies stand at 19,972 Camaros and 15,419 Mustangs. Stay tuned.

There’s good news and bad news. The bad news first: there is no Camaro Z/28.  We’ve been referring to the upcoming super Camaro as the Z/28 pretty much as long as we’ve been hearing about it, which makes sense in a historical context considering the first Z/28′s were competition homologation models to allow the Camaro to race in the Trans-Am race series.  With a high-compression 302ci V8 that would wind out to 7,000+rpm and with dual 4bbl carbs would spit out about 400 horsepower, it was the easiest way to go from the showroom floor to the racetrack back then.

It turns out that Chevy was going to reference an even rarer Camaro with the latest (and arguably greatest) edition of the Camaro so far: the ZL-1.  Back in the day, the ZL-1 was the craziest damn Camaro you could order, and very few did.  Under the hood was a 427ci big-block rendered in all aluminum, strong and light and crazy powerful.  That engine was rated at 430 gross horsepower – underrated, but still probably 400+ in net horsepower.

The new ZL-1 may not use components quite as exotic as that aluminum 427 – which was rumored to cost GM $4,000 per engine, back in the late 60′s – but it’ll certainly be faster.  The most important thing about the new ZL-1 can be explained in three letters: LSA. And no, that’s not the Lesbian Scouting Association, it’s the GM internal code for the 6.2L supercharged V8 that can be found under the hood of the Cadillac CTS-V.  It’s been transplanted from the big Caddy to the meanest of the new Camaros to great effect.  The important numbers are as follows: 550 horsepower, 550 lb-ft of torque.  Those are the preliminary numbers, as GM has yet to actually finalize the ZL-1′s output, but considering the CTS-V puts out 556 and 551, it seems reasonable barring differences in intake and exhaust lengths.

This is the same LSA in the CTS-V, meaning it’s a glorious mix of old and new technology wrapped up in a maximum-strength dose of horsepower.  Based on the 6.2L LS3 found in the regular Camaro SS, the LSA adds an Eaton TVS 4-lobe supercharger, air-to-water intercooler, hypereutectic pistons, oil squirters, aluminum heads, etc etc.  It’s backed up by the same Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual as in the SS, but beefed up to deal with the extra power and equipped with short-shift linkage for faster shifts.  The clutch is a twin-disc unit to deal with all the power, and the driveshaft and differential are both revised for extra strength.  Want an automatic?  Too bad.  Topping it all off is a dual-mode exhaust, presumably like the type used on Corvettes and the VW R32 with a solenoid-controlled flap that opens to let the full sound out past a certain rpm.  I bet it’s going to sound good.

Thankfully, Chevrolet didn’t just slap a supercharger on an SS and call it a day (or ZL-1, as it were.)  The suspension has been giving a serious makeover to make sure the grip is up to the level of the grunt.  On this end, the ZL-1 gets the Magna-Ride (magnetorheological, for the nerds) dampers used in Cadillacs and Corvettes (as well as the Ferrari 599, I might add) that continually adjust their damping rates to road conditions.  The drop links for the rear sway bar are moved outside of the control arms for increased responsiveness in cornering, and while the press release doesn’t mention anything it’s likely the ZL1 will ride lower down on stiffer springs than the regular SS.  Rolling stock is equally impressive, with lightweight forged 20″ alloys at each corner shod in sticky Goodyear Eagle Supercar F2 tires.  The brakes are also huge, with 14.6″ two-piece front rotors clamped by a 6-piston caliper up front and 14.4″ rotors clamped by a 4-piston caliper at rear, co-developed with Brembo (of course.)

So that covers the going, turning, and stopping.  What differentiates the ZL-1 from a normal Camaro?  Most obvious is the domed hood, which is there to clear the supercharger/intercooler assembly.  The hood itself is aluminum, while the supercharger bulge is carbon fibre.  There are vertical foglights with a brake duct integrated into the surround, and a new front splitter on the bumper, while the rear gets a new bumper with a diffuser element.  But mostly, if you’re trying to decide whether or not to race that Camaro at the stoplight from the seat of your Evo, you should probably go by the wheels and the hood bulge.  You’ve been warned.

Other details that make the ZL-1 a nicer place to spend time than the SS can be found in the interior.  There are microsuede inserts on the seats to keep your kiester in place, a new steering wheel, aluminum accents, and one of the gauges in the 4-gauge “performance pack” is now a boost readout.  Sadly, it’s at the front of the shift console making it virtually impossible to see while you’re actually driving, but it’s better than nothing!

Chevrolet says the ZL-1 will be hitting dealerships at the beginning of 2012, and it’ll be available in any color you can buy a standard Camaro in.  I suppose this means they’re going to be making more than 69 of them, which was the total production count of the original ZL-1.  And unlike the original, of which the engine option was more expensive than a base Camaro itself, you can expect that the Camaro ZL-1 will likely be priced competitively with it’s largest competitors, the Dodge Challanger SRT-8 392 and the Shelby Mustang GT500, meaning somewhere around $45k, most likely.  It’s a great time to be a muscle car enthusiast, isn’t it?

There is a lot of money spent in advertising – in fact, reports peg marketing spending at $612 billion a year, and researchers estimate the average American is exposed to some 3000 advertisements every day.

The Super Bowl XLV, coming up Sunday, is the most expensive day of the year for advertising. With the chance to make a big splash before what is likely to be over 106 million Americans, auto manufacturers are working to bring out their best.

Chevrolet is making up for its recent lack of Super Bowl participation big time this year. Eight – yes eight – different spots will be run. Two ads run pre-game, five during the game and one during the post-game show. They focus on some of Chevy’s most important products – the Camaro, Cruze Eco, Silverado HD and the Volt.

Chevy is looking to win the day against a host of other automakers competing for attention: Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Kia. industry players like Ford, Honda and Toyota have opted to stay out of this year’s Super Bowl advertising. Ahead of the game, Chevrolet has released two of its Super Bowl ads featuring the Camaro. You can check them out below.

With all the the hype surrounding the Chevrolet Camaro, the news has been nonstop, continuing steady before and after launch. That momentum has given it an edge over the Ford Mustang in the 2010 sales race, and its image has been a strong help to the Chevrolet brand.

Sales uccess looks to continue into 2011, with the addition of a new performance variant likely to happen at next week’s Chicago Auto Show. Notable is the fact that the Camaro has posted impressive numbers without the addition of a convertible variant.

Well that is about to change – the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible has just gone into production today at General Motors’ Oshawa, Canada factory.

The car will be available with your choice of a black or tan soft top and the convertible adds standard parking assist. Interesting, and a good addition – visibility isn’t one of the new Camaro’s strong points.

We think a retractable hardtop Camaro is a neat possibility for the future, but with the car’s weight level already high it would likely push it past the 4500 pound mark.

The Camaro Convertible is set to go on sale in Canada and the United States next month. Previously announced pricing information pegs the car starting at the $30,000 mark fort he V-6 1LT model. Upgrading to a V-8 1SS model will set you back $37,500.

Last year, we extensively covered a sales race that was developing between the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang.

Historically, the Mustang has nearly always outsold the Camaro. That has carried through from the very beginning in the 1960′s – the Mustang was the first on the market and its leadership position stuck.

The new Camaro went on sale in April 2009 amid a sagging economy and poor public perception of General Motors. However, with a high amount of pent up demand and public hype, the Camaro handily outsold the Mustang.

Many figured this would be a short-term trend and that the car’s sales would be very front-loaded. When the final numbers were tallied for 2009, the race was close but the Mustang eked out a victory.

That was due to the Camaro having just 6 months on sale. With front-loaded sales for the Camaro gone and new engines for the 2011 Mustang, many speculated the Mustang would leave the Camaro in the dust for 2010. That hasn’t proved to be the case.

In fact, the Camaro has consistently outsold the Mustang – without incentives, a plenthora of special models or a convertible variant. For the year Chevy has logged sales of 75,685 Camaro coupes while the Mustang comes in at 68,264.

If the sales numbers hold through December, Newsweek says the Camaro will end the year at about 82,500 sales, while the Mustang will finish with 74,500 sales. That would put the Camaro in the lead for the first time since 1985.

Ford appears to have already accepted the fact, with Mustang spokeswoman Angie Kozleski commenting that “It’s not a sales race.” If the Camaro posts a win for 2010, we could see the trend carry through to 2011. Next year, Camaro will have the aid of a convertible model to boost sales.

Fun on a budget.  Bang for the buck. Just because we’re not all fabulous millionaires (and, ahem, we ain’t) doesn’t mean we can’t all have fun.  While I finally decided to opt out of that like it was a TSA groping, it’s not to say you can’t acquire a seriously fun set of wheels for well less than half the average new-car transaction price in the US.  If you know where to look and what to look for, you can plaster a mile-wide smile on your face for less than 10 grand.  Here are a few suggestions of mine; please let us know what you think the best sub-10k funbucket is in the comments below!

4th-Gen Chevrolet Camaro SS (1998-2002)

Do you like a car with some finesse?  A transmission you shift from the wrist, a powerplant that revs to infinity, and suspension that dances over road imperfections?  Well, this is not the car for you.  There is nothing particularly refined about the 4th-generation GM “F-Bodies.”  The chassis itself debuted in 1993 and was in production until 2002, and it’s…. traditional.  MacPherson struts up front, a live axle with coil springs out back, and a big engine.  While early 4th-gen F-bodies had the iron-block 5.7L LT-1 V8, later models came with a detuned version of the C5 Corvette’s all-aluminum 5.7L LS1 engine.

With 305 horsepower in the Z/28 model and 320 in the SLP-tweaked SS, the Camaro was a seriously quick car.  Transmission choices were a Borg-Warner (later Tremec) T56 6-speed manual or a 4L60E 4-speed automatic.  A stock Camaro SS would blow by 60mph in the high four-second range, and of course none of them are stock any more.  The sky’s the limit with the LS1 engine, with mild bolt-on and cam upgrades yielding power in the 500whp range, and forced induction examples cresting 1,000whp by now.  Want to go really fast for very little cash?  Hard to beat a Camaro SS.  A decent-condition late model Camaro SS (or it’s uglier cousin, the Pontiac Trans-Am WS6) can be found, usually modified, for under 10k all day long.

1st Generation Honda S2000 (AP1, 2000-2003)

Hard to believe, but Honda’s howling S2000 is down below the 10k barrier nowadays.  Originally created as 50th birthday present to the company, the S2000 was the descendant of bike-engined S500-S800 models of the 60′s.  For a while, it held the record for highest specific output (bhp/displacement) of any naturally-aspirated production vehicle at 120bhp/l.  It’s an uncompromised, hard-core sports car for people who like a pure driving experience.

The star of the show is the powertrain.  Called the F20C, the all-aluminum 2L engine is mounted behind the front axle for ideal weight distribution.  With a stratospheric 9000rpm fuel cut, the S2000 doesn’t make much torque below the valve-lift coming on at 6,000rpm, but when it does, hang on- the S2k rips towards redline like it’s got no flywheel.  The 6-speed transmission has one of the most precise actions in the industry, with short throws and linkage like a freshly-greased rifle bolt.

Suspension is independent at all four corners, there’s a Torsen LSD in the back, a powered vinyl roof above your head, and that’s about it.  What’s not to like?  Well, early S2000′s are starting to show some problem areas these days.  The early transmissions had weak synchronizers, which were upgraded on later models.  All S2000′s have issues with the cloth top wearing through at the pivot points on the frame, and it’s a bear to replace.  And, of course, the desire to pop off 9000rpm shifts constantly will probably have you taking public transport within a month.  Budget about $9,000 for a higher-mileage AP1 model if you’re interested.  One dollar per rpm!

Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG (W210, 1998-2002)

Want the power of the Camaro SS, but don’t want your snobby neighbors turning their nose up at your mullet-mobile?  May we interest sir in an AMG Mercedes?  Although the E55 was ridiculously expensive when new (nearly $70,000!), Merc’s AMG models have always been known for two things: thunderous, bellowing acceleration, and alarming depreciation.  Now would be a great time to take advantage of both.

The W210 E55 was a bit of a sleeper.  The only way to tell it apart from a regular E-class were the tasteful 5-spoke AMG monoblock alloys, a bit of a body kit, and the dual exhausts poking out the back.  The strongest non-AMG W210 you could get was the 4.3L, 275bhp E430, which was a quick car.  The E55 used an AMG-fettled version of that same V8, punched out to 5.4L.  With belt-driven SOHC 3v heads, the AMG punched out 349 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque.  Fed through a 5-speed automatic to the rear wheels, contemporary buff books said this tire-smoking execu-sled would do the 0-60 trick around 5 seconds flat, on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Sadly, it’s not all perfect.  Older Mercedes models can cost an arm and a leg to keep running, and AMG-specific parts carry a significant premium over their usual Mercedes counterparts.  If the transmission is slipping or recalcitrant about going into reverse, walk away – it could cost almost as much to replace as you just paid for your aging German hot-rod.  It’s best to find one that had a loving owner with a thick stack of maintenance records.  Most of these are in the lower 10k range, although a low-mileage well-kept example can run you closer to $20k.  Still, it’s a slice of Fillet Mignon at Burger King prices.  You only live once.

What’s your choice of budget fun-machine?  Drop a comment in the box below!