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The growing presence of imports notwithstanding, SEMA still is a very American affair. Modifying cars has been ingrained in the American car culture for decades. These cars are not as much about sophistication as they are about unabashed power—and the appearance of unabashed power. Few cars are more fitting than Chevrolet's Camaro and Corvette, which is why they, once again, figure prominently in Vegas. Heading the table of Chevrolet's SEMA fleet is Guy Fieri's Corvette 427 convertible, a 1967 Camaro Hot Wheels concept, Tony Stewart's Camaro ZL1, and the COPO Camaro convertible. 1967 Camaro Hot Wheels Concept This one is a bit curious. Chevrolet has taken a Hot Wheels toy 1967 Camaro and transformed it into a full-size vehicle, which is pictured above. The job is "complicated, as the proportions don't exactly match a full-scale first-generation Camaro," as Chevrolet admits. It does look different and slightly exaggerated, sort of like a Chip Foose job, but it stays more true to the original '67 Camaro than to the Hot Wheels miniature. Chevrolet design manager Dave Ross says that the body lines and styling cues of the concept are taken directly from the toy car. But those lines and styling cues also happen to be the same as the original Camaro. The concept's metallic Kinetic Blue paint and the wheels provide a nostalgic motif; at the same time, they provide a link to the Hot Wheels package that Chevrolet is offering for the 2013 Camaro. The door handles on the concept are gone, there are side exhausts, and under the skin, a 430-hp LS3 V-8 is mated to a four-speed slushbox. Politically correct muscle car lovers—all three of them—will be happy to know that the car is "emissions-compliant."
Guy Fieri's Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition Dive-bar connoisseur and hair-gel aficionado Guy Fieri of television fame has a knack for classic convertibles; it's no wonder he was intrigued by the idea of a Corvette onvertible bearing his name. Customized with a yellow-on-black paint job, black wheels, and a special interior with embroidered headrests, it reflects the, uh, assertive personality of its owner. Fieri's convertible is a variation of the Collector Edition Corvette 427 convertible, which is powered by the Z06′s 505-hp, 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 mated exclusively to a six-speed manual. We think it is a worthy derivative to expedite the C6 Corvette's slow departure from the new-car scene.
Tony Stewart's Camaro ZL1 Few cars are better suited to a three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion than a ZL1, the ultimate Camaro with a powertrain that catapults it into supercar territory. Tony Stewart deemed the 580-hp, 6.2-liter LSA V-8 engine powerful enough and instead focused on cosmetics. His ZL1 features a gray metallic exterior graced with liberally applied "tribal and smoke graphics"—you know, because his nickname's Smoke. The red halo lighting gives Smoke's ZL1 a bleary-eyed appearance most of us will remember from college. Custom wheels are another part of this red-eyed Camaro. Stewart's personal taste extends to the interior, which features his signature embroidered on the black leather seats, and a wealth of effects created by sophisticated stitching, etchings, and white piping. A suede steering wheel ensures perfect grip as Stewart hits the highways—at a pace in accordance with posted speed limits, of course.  COPO Camaro Convertible This one is our favorite: The last of 69 COPO Camaros Chevrolet built in 2012. COPO originally stood for for Chevrolet Office Production Order, which—in half-secrecy and without excessive meddling by GM legal—built high-performance vehicles in the brand's glorious muscle car past. Today, COPO is a highly official operation that essentially hand-builds cars at GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan. The COPO Camaros are tailored to the needs of drag racers. Last year, Chevrolet offered them with the COPO 327 engine and a 4.0-liter Whipple supercharger, the 327 engine and a 2.9-liter supercharger, and a naturally aspirated 427 engine. The independent rear axle of regular Camaros is replaced with a solid rear axle, Bogart wheels and Hoosier tires are fitted, as is a roll cage. The particular Inferno Orange example shown at SEMA is the only one fitted with a three-speed automatic, and it is one of two COPO convertibles made in 2012. It will be sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale in January to benefit the American Heart Association. For 2013, Chevrolet will build another 69 COPO Camaros—sure to leave a lot of prospective customers unhappy. More than 3000 of those prospective customers expressed interest last year. Thankfully, you can order a lot of parts separately from Chevrolet Performance and essentially build your own from scratch. Read full story »from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Original Hot Wheels Camaro, Guy’s Big Vette, Smoke’s ZL1, and a Droptop COPO Camaro Head to Vegas [2012 SEMA Show]
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