SEMA 2009: Lingenfelter Camaro LTA

When the Chevrolet Camaro debuted, fans of the Pontiac Firebird immediately started wondering about a Pontiac-badged model. That never came, and recently the Pontiac brand was closed, a victim of the economic crisis and GM's financial difficulties.

As can be expected, there are many very loyal devotees of the Firebird (and indeed the Pontiac brand) that still aren't satisfied. They want a new Firebird. Aftermarket to the rescue!

For those fans, various companies are working to fill that demand. Lingenfelter is one of the latest companies to do that, with it's new Camaro LTA set to debut at SEMA

All that is out now is this preview, with the look of the car sketched out similar to Firebird Trans Ams of the past. It seems to be pretty comprehensive, with different headlights, the classic Pontiac split grille up front. Out back, a spoiler and dual horizontal lighting pattern differentiate it from the standard Camaro.

It is more than an appearance package though - Lingenfelter is going all out on this car, even boring out the standard GM LS-series block to the exact 455 cubic inches of the original. Overall, this looks really cool - the best new "Trans Am" yet. For now, Lingenfelter is calling it a concept but I think a production run of this car is quite likely.