Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Camaro Named "Hottest Car" at SEMA for Second Year Running
Proving lightning can strike in the same place twice, the Chevrolet Camaro was named the “Hottest Car” during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show for the second straight year. The award goes to the most accessory-friendly vehicle at the event and was first given in 2010—which means the Camaro is the only car to ever win it.
“After more than two years on the market, the Camaro continues to inspire creativity and Chevrolet is thrilled to see that expressed in all the wonderfully personalized examples here at the SEMA Show,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Global Chevrolet Marketing and Strategy. “Camaro has always been a car customers love to personalize and we are doing all we can to support them and the aftermarket industry with parts and accessories that help turn their dreams into reality.”
That was certainly the case this year, as Chevy brought a bevy of Camaros to SEMA, including the reincarnated “COPO” Camaro. Inspired by the rare Central Office Production Order Camaros of 1969—essentially dealer-designed, factory-fresh dragsters, each packing a 427-cubic-inch V8—the 2011 version was developed to meet the specs for today’s NHRA Stock Eliminator competition, with:
- Hardware capable of handling either the same kind of naturally aspirated big-time power plant as the original or a supercharged 5.3-liter V8
- Provisions for three different transmission setups, including a Powerglide two-speed, three-speed automatic or five-speed manual
- High-rise cowl-induction hood
- Custom Aeromotive fuel system, with a fuel cell and integral high-pressure fuel pump
- Chrome-moly roll cage
- Coil-over front suspension with Strange Engineering adjustable struts
- Custom rear suspension, based on NHRA requirements, with Strange Engineering shocks, Panhard bar and stabilizer bar
- Strange Engineering S-9 solid rear axle with aluminum third member, 35-spline spool, 35-spline axles and 4.10 gear set
- Lightweight, COPO-specific racing wheels
- 29 x 9-inch rear radial racing slicks and 4.5 x 28 x 15-inch front tires
- Manual steering system
- Strange Engineering lightweight racing brakes system with standard line lock
“The COPO Camaro is a proof of concept for what a Chevrolet Stock Eliminator entry could look like,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “And it is a clear indication that Chevrolet intends to homologate the Camaro for sportsman drag racing.”
All of which helps explain why the Chevy Camaro is clearly a safe bet to take home its third consecutive SEMA award next year.
** Courtesy of Chevrolet in the News
Friday, November 4, 2011
Don't Miss This Month's Exclusive Coupon For Facebook Fans!
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Chevrolet Debuts Its Hot Wheels Camaro Concept Car at the 2011 SEMA Show
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The annual gathering of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is often considered the ideal stage for automakers that want to highlight their “big toys for big boys,” and that certainly was the case today: Chevrolet opened its exhibit at the 2011 SEMA show with the premiere of its Hot Wheels Camaro Concept. And while the concept is a paean of sorts to the 1:64 scale version from Mattel—first introduced in 1968—it boasts a full-size helping of both style and performance.
This includes a brilliant “Spectraflame” exterior that matches the look of the original Hot Wheels Camaro, with a striking metallic-green finish that required significant effort to achieve on the Chevy. Designers first had to meticulously prepare the surface of a full-size Camaro, add a primer coat, then cover that with a unique liquid-metal solution that created the car’s mirror-like silver-chrome basecoat. This was followed by several layers of a special green tint that was used to finish the concept’s appearance.
“It may sound pretty straightforward, but no one had ever tried using this process to paint a whole car,” said Phil Zak, GM’s design director. “The bodywork and paint team experimented with several processes before spraying the first body panel. There were so many variables that contributed to getting the finish perfect, from the drying time to the air pressure of the spray guns—none of which was known before this project—and the team absolutely nailed it perfectly.”
“The Hot Wheels and Camaro brands have been paired together since their inception,” added Felix Holst, vice president of design for the Mattel Wheels Division, which collaborated on the project. “As part of the brand’s historic sweet 16, the Camaro was the first Hot Wheels car ever produced. The Spectraflame paint and redline tires of those first Hot Wheels cars have been the dreams of guys for generations, and it was thrilling to inject these elements into a Camaro for real.”
“Thrilling” is the right word for the SEMA concept’s performance, too. While the toys relied on gravity for their motivation, the SEMA car packs all the serious upgrades found in the Camaro ZL1—the hottest production Camaro ever sold by Chevy. As a result, beneath that Spectraflamed hood waits an all-aluminum 6.2-liter LS3 V8 that’s been hooked up to a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission. That combo might not be enough to send the Hot Wheels Camaro through the loop-the-loop, but it’s definitely enough to knock the competition for a loop.
**Courtesy of Chevrolet In the News.com
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