Friday, May 27, 2016

Need Hennessy Power For Your Camaro SS

Hennessy Camaro ZL1

Update

As promised, Hennessy has been hard at work taking not just the Camaro SS and making it unstoppable, but they have also added Hennessy Camaro ZL1 versions, four-cylinder turbocharged versions, LE versions (including the V-6), and they have their own recipes for new Corvettes and Cadillac CTS-Vs. 


So if you are someone that is lucky enough to have some money left over after you buy one of these sweet rides and needs something a little extra, let Hennessy Performance hook you up with something just a little more awesome. 

5/27/2016

Like most of us excepted, Hennessy Performance Engineering got their hands on some 2016 Camaro SS sports cars and came up with a few different Hennessy versions, and anybody who has been around the aftermarket auto industry for a while definitely knows that Hennessy only puts their badges on vehicles that represent what they stand for – badass performance.

Although the Camaro SS already comes with 455-hp and 455-lb.-ft. of torque, for some people that just isn't enough. So Hennessy did what they do best and outlined eight different high-performance Camaro SS versions for customers to opt for if they so choose, including a 1,000-hp supercharged version that puts out 887-lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200-rpm. Other versions include the naturally aspired HPE500, 600, and 650, and the supercharged HPE650, 700, 750 and 800.


The 1,000-hp 2016 Hennessy Camaro SS will get a total reconstructed engine that will be stroked out from the original 6.2-liter engine to a 6.8-liter engine. Making sure that the engine can handle the massive 1,000-hp, Hennessy adds forged aluminum pistons, billet connecting rods, ported cylinder heads and hollow-stem valves to the engine rebuild. Of course, that horsepower would not be obtainable if it weren't for the massive supercharger, the heavy-duty intercooler, and a brand new engine management system.


Even if you don't opt for the 1,000-hp version, but something a little more realistically streetable, all Hennessy Camaro SS versions get a few visual bonuses that include incognito badges placed around the outside of the vehicle, Hennessy specific floormats and a numbered plaque on the dashboard to distinguish its authenticity and rareness. Needless to say, with the tame visual effects, you might be sitting right next to an HPE Camaro SS without even recognizing it.

If a 1,000-hp Camaro sounds like something you are willing to spring for, know that after you buy your 2016 Camaro SS, you have to have an extra $65,000 lying around, because that's how much you will have to send to Hennessy to have your Camaro spruced up to a HPE1000. Prices for the less upgraded versions of the HPE Camaros can be obtained by a quick call to Hennessy and a little chat with their tech guys.


All Camaro upgrades come with a 36,000 mile/one-year drivetrain warranty to give you a little time to tear up the road and break the drivetrain before you're responsible. They are also compatible with the manual transmission and the automatic transmission, even if you upgrade to the supercharged Hennessy versions, both transmissions are said to perform flawlessly.

Although these upgrades are specifically for the Camaro SS, I'm sure if you talked to the guys at Hennessy about your Camaro LE (V-6, V-8), you would be able to talk them into hooking you up with a pretty sweet little performance package.

2/28/16




Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Camaro's Most Powerful Muscle Car: The 2017 Camaro ZL1



Later this year, Camaro will be adding a new ZL1 performance package to their 2017 lineup. Being held out of the lineup for 2016, Camaro plans on making up for its absence with a 2017 Camaro ZL1 that can take care of business on every level - from power and performance to style and comfort.

The 2017 Camaro ZL1 will come equipped with the supercharged motor that the Corvette ZO6 is currently using. This will boost the horsepower from the 580 horses the 2016 Camaro ZL1 produced to 640 horses for 2017. The badass 6.2-liter motor will come connected to either a six-speed manual transmission or a ten-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifting abilities.

No need to worry about peeling out before fishtailing into a tree as the Camaro's power is converted back to an electronic limited-slip differential with an adjustable performance traction management system. Although if it is a burnout that you are out looking to do you can always turn that bad boy off and go crazy. But if you are just looking to sprint forward in a straight line with virtually no steering responsibilities, the Camaro ZL1 traction management system will help you do just that.

As with just about all of General Motors high-end vehicles, you will receive the Magnetic Ride Control active suspension. This will without a doubt let you carve corners effortlessly on your Good Year F1 Eagle tires while comfortably seated on the inside secured to deep leather and sued-upholstery racing Recaro seats. And comfortably is always an understatement when it comes to Camaro or any GM vehicle for that matter, as all the interior creature comforts that come with all other Camaro trim models are also standard here.


Outside of obvious power, the next biggest difference you will see between the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and the other Camaros in the lineup is the appearance package. A huge front grille lets in much-needed air as a vented hood helps release the air keeping the front-end of the Camaro down at high speeds. Wider side skirts and a bigger front spliter are easily noticed along with a rear spoiler that is definitely needed to help keep the vehicle planted when hitting corners at the road course.

No price tag has been yet announced for the 2017 Camaro ZL1, but one would have to imagine it will be a little bit more than the original price tag on the 2015 Camaro ZL1 which came in at $57,000.00.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Introducing the 2017 50th Anniversary Camaro





Way back in September of 1966, Chevrolet introduced what would soon become one of the most iconic American sports cars of all time - the Camaro. It was Chevrolet's answer to the Ford Mustang and their foot in the door to the poor man's sports car market.



With September 2016 right around the corner, Camaro recognizes the importance of the date and the need for a 50th Anniversary Edition Camaro. To celebrate 50 years of the sports car, a 2017 50th Anniversary Camaro Edition will be available for order as soon as this summer.

So what will be so special about this 50th Anniversary Camaro, as far as performance goes it does not sound like there will be any upgrades in that department. But you will have your choice of having any of the three engines placed in them that Camaro already offers: the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the 3.6-liter V-6 and the 6.2-liter monster V-8. Each engine setup will come available to you with the option of a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching technology or the eight-speed automatic with the excitement of steering wheel paddle shifting.

Some other great things that Camaro leaves up to you as options are all of the 50th Anniversary Camaros can be ordered as a coupe or in convertible version and in the 2LT trim or SS trim package. Each Camaro will come with a Night Fall Grey Metallic paint job with two orange and black stripes that will break up the paint job by running down the hood and trunk lid. Added to the appearance of the Camaro will be the very famous and iconic RS visual package that adds on many cool looking upgrades. Some of those upgrades included are a new front splitter with a mesh front grille and chrome accents, 20-inch alloy rims with “50th Anniversary” center caps, HID headlights, LED tail lamps and rear trunk-lid spoiler. Along with that comes painted brake calipers that match the stripes (only in front on 2LT models) and added special "50th Anniversary" badges on the front fenders and rear bumpers. 



The interior, although no photos have been produced of it yet is said to be just as nice. Black leather with orange contrast stitching is what will surround you and what you will be seated on. The seatbacks, steering wheel, instrumental panels and illuminated sill plates will all get special “50th Anniversary” treatment. Add that in with the suede inserts and all of the other creature comforts the Camaro offers its drivers and you have a 50th Anniversary Camaro that will not only be fun to drive, but also fun to take around to all of the local car shows. 

Prices have yet to be talked about but will probably be soon mentioned as summer is quickly approaching. In my opinion, since there is no power upgrades and no limited edition numbered models to be mentioned, I can't see them being priced much more than an average Camaro.



Tuesday, March 1, 2016

2016 Autorama Exits of Some of the Most Beautiful Vehicles

The Autorama in Detroit is always a great place and time for Michigan auto enthusiast. After a few months of cold weather and a few more to go, the huge indoor car show in February is a refreshing break in the action for car, truck and bike lovers to see some awesome pieces of automotive machinery come out of hibernation.

One of the best parts of the event is the leaving of the vehicles. Brand new high-end sports cars to classic restorations and everything in between take their final stroll out of Cobo hall and probably back into their garages for at least another month.

Take some time to take a look at the exits of some of the most beautiful vehicles that came to Detroit for this year's Autorama.



Another part of the action that came along with the 2016 Detroit Autorama was the star of "Counting Cars", Danny, from on A&E, performed with his band "Count 77".





Friday, February 12, 2016

2017 Camaro 1LE V-6 and V-8 Packages

Image result for camaro 1le 2017

As the Chicago Auto Show gets on its way this weekend, Chevrolet will be introducing some special 2017 1LE Camaros that will be available for Camaro enthusiast to purchase. Although the 1LE Camaro package has been an option for Camaro shoppers since 1989, the 2017 Camaro 1LE will host two different engine options next year.   

The 2017 Camaro 1LE package will be available for purchase on the V-8 Camaros, like in the past, but for 2017 it will also be available on the V-6 Camaros (1LT and 2LT). In the past, owning a V-6 Camaro or Firebird gave you the looks of a sports car, but when it came to power and handling, even braking, you definitely did not have much to brag about.

Now Camaro is stepping up to change that and give even Camaro V-6 owning's a sports car experience. If you order or buy a 2017 Camaro 3.6-liter V-6 you will be getting a Camaro that is 100-lbs. lighter than its V-8 big brother, while still pumping out 335 horses. Along with that horsepower, you also get a bunch of other goodies that come along with the 1LE.

Here are some stats to look forward to:
Camaro 3.6-liter 1LE
- The 335 horsepower V-6 comes matched up to a six-speed manual transmission
- The FE3 suspension components come from the Camaro SS and includes dampers, rear cradle mounts, ball-jointed rear toe links and stabilizer bars.
- 20-inch forged aluminum lightweight wheels come wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 - 245/40R20s for the front and 275/35R20s for the rear
- Front Brembo 4-piston brake calipers for major stopping power
- Mechanical Limited-slip differential with 3.27 ratio
- Standard track-cooling package, with engine oil, differential and transmission coolers
- Suede steering wheel for easy grip and shorter-throw shifter for quick gear selection
- Dual exhaust system comes standard
- The Camaro SS fuel system is put in place for higher-load cornering capability
- A Satin wrapped black hood along with a front splitter and a smooth looking three-piece rear spoiler are some of the styling features of the Camaro
- Unique high flow upper and lower grille with satin black accents
- Optional Recaro seats and Chevy's performance video and data recorder



Camaro SS 1LE
The SS 1LE comes with the new FE4 suspension that is track turned for high-performance corner cutting lap times. The Magnetic Ride dampers, springs and stabilizer bars are most likely courtesy of the Cadillac ATS.

Copping one of these SS Camaros will also get you:

- A 455 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 LT1 engine that comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. (no automatic offered)
- Magnetic Ride Control (most of GM's high-performance high-end vehicles have this suspension)
- Special forged aluminum wheels: 285/30ZR20s in the front and 305/30ZR20s in the rear
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires with a compound and construction developed exclusively for the Camaro and carving corners like a supercar
- Brembo brakes with new six-piston monobloc front red calipers and two-piece rotors. Measuring 14.6 inches in diameter, the front rotors are 7% bigger than the regular Camaro SS rotors and feature the 1LE Camaro emblem on them.
- Segment-exclusive electronic limited-slip differential with 3.73 ratio
- Track-cooling package, with engine oil, differential and transmission coolers
- Comfortable suede steering wheel with a shorter-throw shifter
- Dual exhaust system
- Recaro front seats with aggressive bolsters optimized for shifting and steering comfort
- Satin black wrapped hood and front mirrors to match along with a unique three-piece rear spoiler
- Satin Graphite front splitter and rear diffuser
- Chevy's performance video and data recorder optional.



Al Oppenheiser, Vehicle Chief Engineer of Camaro says that “the Camaro SS 1LE sets the new benchmark for the segment, lapping the Big Willow track at Willow Springs three seconds faster than the standard Camaro SS.” He also went on to say the V-6 1LE has been making lap times at the Willow Springs Race Way that keeps up with the V-8 Gen-5 Camaros. As of right now the V-6 pulls .97Gs of corning grip, while the V-8 pulls 1G of corning grip.

So what about the four-cylinder turbocharged Camaros that are even lighter. There is no word if they will make a 1LE package for the four-cylinder Camaro yet, but you can bet that you will be able to buy the 1LE components from GM Performance and have them installed. That would be a pretty fun little four-cylinder sports car to drive around.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

COPO Camaro 2016: A Tall Order to Fill




When it comes to the 2016 COPO Camaro, as with the previous years, Chevrolet will only be producing 69 of them. The problem is there are already some 5,500 order forms filled out all from customers that want the drag strip ready race Camaro.



As of the end of January, at the world-famous Scottsdale, AZ. Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, the first 2016 COPO Camaro was auctioned off for $300,000.00. This COPO Camaro was one of the big-block drag car versions that was specially designed with Courtney Force giving a lot of help in the color scheme and overall look of the Camaro. Unfortunately, big wallets that buy cars from these very prestigious auctions don't buy them to race them. So this car will not only most likely find its home in some museum somewhere, but it also brings down the total of COPO Camaros left to purchase to 68.

There will be three different powerplants that can be ordered with the COPO Camaro. One will be the monstrous naturally aspired 7.0-liter V-8, another engine option will be a 6.2-liter 376-cu.-in. LT engine and a 5.7-liter with a Whipple supercharger will also be an option. The COPO that was auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January came with the 5.7 supercharged setup along with a race-ready THM-350 transmission, the other two engine options will also come with this tranny setup.


That all sounds good, but what if you're not one of the special ones, and, believe me, you will have to be special, to get picked to own a 2016 COPO Camaro. Well, the good news is if you have a big enough pocketbook, the drivetrain and the parts that run the COPO Camaro will be available by order through Chevrolet. You may not technically be able to have a true COPO, but getting your Camaro to move as fast as one will definitely be feasible.

This probably won't happen, but maybe Chevrolet will get their heads out of their asses and see the COPO Camaro's potential for growth and make a few extra ones next year. 

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Opel GT Concept - General Motors European Branch


Opel GT Concept

It's probably been a long time since you heard the car brand name “Opel” and sports car in the same sentence, in fact, if you're young enough, like me, you probably never heard the word sports car describing an Opel period. But the General Motors European branch is trying to change that with a very cool looking Opel GT Concept set to make an appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show Switzerland.


A Small Opel With Big Features
The little two-seat coupe has a lot of big features that prove that Opel is looking to move forward with up-to-date innovations that can attract younger people and compete with the many other compact sports cars in today's auto market.

According to Opel's CEO, Karl-Thomas Neumann, “the concept is no business case, but more of a brand investment.” The idea behind the Opel GT concept is to see the reaction of the consumers and see if something like the GT is something that consumers are really looking to get into.
Although the Opel GT is just a concept and has a long way to go to become a real production car, the '68-'73 Opel GT was also just a concept in 1965, but in just three short years it was in production and making the Opel name popular.

Like many concepts, the Opel GT Concept is built with many innovations that might not make it into production even if the Opel GT sports car does. The first one is the noticeable red front tires and wheels that are designed to look much like a roller skate wheel. You also might notice a set of doors that flow seamlessly into the windows with a silver tint to match the vehicle. It looks pretty cool, but government rules would keep the idea out of production unless some laws are changed.

Another innovation that is pretty cool is if you look closely you will notice that there are no side mirrors. The side mirror's duties are relieved by two cameras mounted on both sides of the rear-wheel arches and then displayed on right and left side monitors inside the vehicle. With that fanciness, you may also notice that there are no door handles. You open the doors by an invisible touch-pad integrated into the red stripe that divides the two-tone paint job. 



The Opel is Fun, Small with Power to Match
The sports car power is supplied by a three-cylinder aluminum engine block with a turbocharger. The power is converted to a six-speed transmission that can be controlled with steering wheel paddle shifters. The combination gives the Opel GT 145-hp, which may not sound like a lot for a sports car, but this car only weighs about 2,200-lbs.

Opel Concept

Along with some other cool perks like duel exhaust that pokes out of
the rear bumper, panorama glass roof, and a patented door design that allows the doors to partially open into the front wheel-well for easier parking in tight areas - this Opel concept might be something we might see making headlines in the near feature – maybe even with Buick emblems on it. If you look closely at the Buick Avista Concept and compare it with the Opel, the cars look very similar, and it wouldn't be the first time that Buick slapped badges on an Opel.