2012 Camaro Z28 to possibly have Vented Hood?
The speculation has been rampant about the 2012 Camaro Z28 and how it seemed to have a hood vent in the spy photos from numerous sources. Well, as of about a week ago, dealers were confirmed nationally that production on the new "HP Edition" Camaro Z28 will begin on January 1st, 2012. It will feature the louver/slat design that was seen in the leaked/spied photos over the past couple of months. It was brought to our attention by a couple of members on the camaro5.com forum (Luce MI and macalot) that the hood on the new Camaro bears a very striking resemblance to the hood on the CTS-V race coupe by Cadillac. It seems that there are a few similarities between the two cars that have been noted by Car and Driver- namely the 6.2 liter LSA powerplant, which is rated at 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. Sounds like good stuff to us. The brakes quite possibly are also a close variant of the mammoth stoppers found on the CTS-V. The exterior styling is confirmed by Chevy to have a more aggressive grill and possibly a number of smaller aesthetic touches such as a slightly more sculpted rocker panel, and rear fascia sporting quad exhaust tips. Until the real pictures come out… keep an eye on this guy. It's sure to be a mean one…
Pictures are property of their respective owners and are for informational purposes only. 2012 Camaro Prototype pictures from caranddriver.com and CTS-V Race Coupe pictures from camaro5.com.
Camaro Christmas List Round-Up
Let's say you have a Camaro owner in your family and you're looking for a great Christmas present for them. What great thing could you maybe get them that wont break the bank? I'll try and help you out by running down a list of 5 great items for the fifth Generation Camaro that any owner would certainly love to have that will not break the bank. I'll be using SouthernCarParts as my source for linking to them, also, as I've dealt with those guys a lot and they tend to offer the best prices and the best customer service I'll find much anywhere.
(Also, if you're my wife reading this, I already have all of these items, but I would love a new set of Forgeline Wheels for Christmas!)
5. A Set of Lloyd's Mats
If the Camaro suffers in any category at all, it's the interior styling--while functional and streamlined--sometimes lacks a little luster. A great way to give the car a little more visual pop, and to also provide it with a nice new means of keeping it clean and in mint shape, is with a set of new car mats. You could buy the GM produced mats, but when they tend to cost in the $200+ for a set of the front 2, that seems a little ridiculous. Couple that with the fact that the Ultimats by Lloyd's are made with a thicker, higher quality carpet and match the Camaro interior 100% perfectly at a more affordable price, I can't see any reason why anybody would want to order GM standard mats. With SCP's Free Shipping and great prices, you can score a set of embroidered custom floor mats for your Camaro lover's car at right around $100! That is an awesome present that will not break the bank, for certain!
4. Camaro Color Anodized Billet Aluminum Racing Pedal Set
Again, this Camaro present focuses on the interior styling of the Camaro, and this is a damn good looking modification piece. This pedal sets are made from high quality billet aluminum, anodized in a highly durable coloring process, and provide an awesome, race-car look and grippy shifting feel for the Camaro Manual Driver in your home. Once again, these pedals come with SCP's free shipping and cost just $129, making them another perfect Christmas gift for a Camaro owner that they'll be certain to love, and so will your wallet. These Camaro Pedal Sets are available in Orange, Blue, Red, and also in various Black and Silver arrangements for a little bit more, elsewhere on the website.
3. Camaro Billet Aluminum Seat Adjuster
Once more in to the breach for interior styling cues! These seat adjusters are subtle for showy, and provide a great little interior touch for the Camaro owner who doesn't like to draw too much attention away from the sound and performance of the car. These adjusters are also more comfortable to use and make shifting the seat's position much easier, so you're thinking of yourself as a passenger a little bit when buying them also. And, when they cost just $40 (!!!) you've got to be certain that they're as affordable and appreciable a Camaro present as there is out there.
2. Camaro Skip Shift Eliminator
Now, this product doesn't look like much, and the cost is as affordable as they come, but if you have a Camaro driver in your family who loves getting every bit of excitement out of their Camaro, this is an absolute must own. In fact, if you're reading this and DON'T already have one of these, BUY IT FOR YOURSELF NOW! This thing is one of the favorite things I have on Camaro, and it only cost me about $25. Why do I love it so much, do you ask? Do you know the ridiculous 1-4 skip shift you get when you're running your Camaro with some force? Say you're at 5000 RPMs in 1st gear, yeah? The only place you can go from there is 4th gear! That's just ridiculous! This tiny, little, non-descript piece is brilliant in that it easily installs and eliminates that Camaro driving annoyance, quickly. So, at such an affordable price, this is a must have for any and all Camaro owners!
1. Camaro Sequential Turn Signals
Ok, this product comes as result of a tiny bit of Ford envy, I'll admit it, but it just looks so cool that I couldn't deny it! This Sequential Turn Signal Harness changes the blinkers on the Camaro to function in sequence instead of simultaneous. It's a small modification in theory, I know, but the number of compliments and comments I get as result of having these installed on my Camaro are absolutely amazing! They're also functional, as they increase vehicle visibility while turning, and, in doing so keep your Camaro extra safe against potential rear-endings. And at just $89, this Wiring Harness for the Camaro Lights is a great great great gift that any Camaro owner is certain to love.
Camaro Sequential Turn Signals
Camaro Leading in Votes for SEMA 2010 Hottest Car Award
The vehicle which, unquestionably, generated the most buzz at last year's SEMA show seems to be doing it again this year. Every year, before the SEMA conference begins, the SEMA hosts open up voting for their "Hottest Vehicle Award" and at this early stage the Camaro apparently has a pretty hefty lead. Following behind it? Why, none other than the Mustang and Challenger. The Camaro's two closest competitors in most every category are, once again, falling short of it in terms of popularity and buzz. The Camaro is so far ahead that it was dubbed, by the event organizers, to be the "outstanding leader" in voting. Some other also-rans, behind the Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger, include the Audi A4, Scion tC, Hyundai Sonata, and Subaru Impreza. This is great news for Camaro owners because of the very nature of SEMA. As a convention tailored specifically to aftermarket modification, the Camaro's popularity ensures that the biggest and the best will continue to bring out more and more incredible performance modification goodies for the Camaro, building off of the buzz that it seems to continually generate on a daily basis.
Camaro T-Top Conversion Kit
Drop Top Customs, who beat everyone else (including Chevrolet) to the punch on the Camaro Convertible have created a new custom Camaro package. This time, they're offering a Camaro T-Top Conversion kit for $6500. My first car ever was a T-Top, and I have a special fondness for them, so seeing this come to fruition with my favorite car is great. The T-Top Camaro looks sleek and stylish, and should be a great middle ground between the Convertible and the Coupe for someone who wants a little extra wind in their hair while driving without having to sacrifice vehicle performance and flex.
The T-Top kit, while great looking, is not without its flaws and questions, though. Drop Top Customs removed the reverse Mohawk top of the Camaro, which has become one of its most immediately synonymous features, with this kit. The T-Top is also only being shown in roof continuation styling, and I'd like to see a glass-top option instead. Also, with the $6500 price tag, one has to question what sort of warranty is included. Do they guarantee against leak protection, or offer warranty in case of issue with said leakage, or a locking/clasp mechanism malfunction? Hopefully these, and many other answers, will be answered at this year's SEMA when Drop Top Customs highlights their Camaro T-Top Conversion Kit.
Camaro Ground Effects Install Instructions
The following Ground Effects (GFX) Install Instructions just hit the web, and they're extremely handy to have. If your Camaro came with the GFX installed and you need to remove a part of it for some reason, having these instructions will really help with the surprisingly complex process. If you're also looking to install part of the Chevy GFX Kit on to your Camaro that is currently without it, then obviously these instructions can be a major help to you as well. Some people have also reported that their GFX packages were installed improperly by Chevy in the first place, so having these instructions are a great way to check on that yourself, since some mechanics simply can't be trusted. Regardless of the reason, ultimately, these are a handy tool to have access to. So, here you are!
Camaro VaraRam Intake: Looks potentially very cool!
I was doing some shopping for my Camaro, looking around the web for the best intake system I could find, and while a few names came up time and time again (i.e. Halltech Yellow Jacket, Airraid, and R2C Cold Air) there was one listing that really jumped out at me. Apparently, Vararam, who have made quiet a name for themselves in the 'Vette and other high-end Domestic Performance vehicles market, are making a Ram-Air system for the Camaro. It's not out yet, so no-one has any reviews of it out there, but based upon their information concerning it, it looks to be pretty awesome. I'm inclined to believe too, based on the prior Vararam reviews that exist out there, that it will be just that. Promising Dyno-tested results of more than 20+ HP on a stock system, I know what intake I'll now be waiting for. Just as I chose to wait for my ATAK (and was more than pleasantly surprised) I imagine waiting now for my Vararam Camaro Ram-Air Intake will be the same sort of experience. I'd recommend those of you in the market for an intake right now to check it out, and if it's not for you, maybe thinking about the Halltech Yellow Jacket, as the reviews on that system out there are more than fantastic. Info on the Vararam Camaro system:
Features
• Adjustable mass airflow meter housing -allowing you to richen the mixture manually if needed for fine tuning!
• Helmholtz Resonance System designed into the unit- this is used to reflect the sound signature back into the intake manifold to boost mid-range TORQUE and HORSEPOWER by 1.5 - 1.6%.(this is a form of Ram Air tuning)
• Flow capacity from 1400CFM – 2000CFM+
• NO TUNE and TUNE models - SUB FEATURES BELOW
• One piece seamless MAF / filter housings-for smooth laminar airflow
• Guaranteed gains of 3tenths or 3mph through the ¼ mile with the NO TUNE unit,
and 4-5 tenths and 4-5mph with the TUNE models!
• Engineered to produce a broad power curve, not just peak horsepower. We gave up
top end power to produce maximum torque & power under the curve from the air
horn design & resonance tuning.
(See dyno charts)
• True ram affect -reducing intake temperatures inside the intake manifold up to
20 deg "BELOW" ambient temperatures at WOT and -5 deg at cruising speeds!
Data log verified with EFI Live for a 4 - 5% boost in power over static dyno
hp numbers. (See below)
• Quick and easy installation, no cutting or drilling on the car install time is
about 10min!
• NO WATER Issues! – The high mount location ensures safe operation in all weather conditions.
• Construction - Rotary molded and vacuum formed hybrid construction allowing for production to precision machine tolerances.
• The Venturi System creates thrust while reducing unwanted turbulence keeping the MAF readings clean even at speeds of 150mph!
• The air horn is a product of months of work in on-road testing to create the best horn for quick windup from 600RPM to 5800RPM ("Tune Models" use a higher RPM biased horn for more peak flow) Its converging and diverging shapes and sharp angles are the work of the latest in CFD - the end result is an air induction system that will accelerate airflow to the far side of 100% of road speed at the throttle body bell mouth (The exact number is our secret). We have detuned this system three times to tame it for the street.
• The filter - Custom made to VR specs featuring low pressure drop with specific flow rates and filtration that meets OEM requirements. Washable and reusable – with a Green filter cleaning kit!
• Materials –VR High Density material (Reducing unwanted heat soak by 8 - 12% over conventional plastics and up to 100%+ compared to metal.) Military spec ABS featuring a flat black sand blast finish for that muscle car look. Billet aluminum rear hose clamp ring molded into the ABS for extreme strength.
• A Multiple Patent Pending design!
• Guaranteed Power & Performance gains!
"No Tune" Models have seen Gains of 20-32HP / 22-40+ft lbs of Torque through the entire curve on the Dyno! Documented and data logged. Using EFI Live & wideband systems to verify air fuel ratio, "TUNE" models
have reached 35-40HP on dyno with stock cars! Modified cars can produce more power!
VaraRam Releasing a Camaro Ram Air Intake System
VaraRam, an industry leader in Ram Air Intake systems, is about to release a new Ram Air system for the Gen 5 Camaro. If the system ends up being anything like VaraRam's other systems, then it will certainly be one of the best intake systems available for the Camaro today. VaraRam's Ram Air systems for the 'Vette and other performance cars have always been great, so I'm looking forward to seeing this when it is released.
This system is not public yet, and wont be released until late March or early April, but a friend with was able to see one in action and linked me to the early press information from VaraRam concerning the system, knowing the interest I would surely take in it. Their write up promises no less than 20 HP gains without a tune on a stock Camaro, apparently going up to as much as 32HP without tune and 40HP in gains on a tuned Camaro. VaraRam has also committed to providing multiple different options for every different level of performance Camaro out there, from stock to those pushing over 1000HP.
Of course, what do these numbers mean in a real-world setting? VaraRam claims a half second, and extra 5mph 1/4 Mile performance just by installing the Ram Air kit. Even if those numbers are on the high end though, a .3 second and 3mph improvement at the cost of a VaraRam system is very impressive. If the Camaro VaraRam Ram Air intake system runs equivalent in price to the other VaraRam systems, (anywhere from $300-400) this may wind up being the single best bang for the buck Camaro upgrade on the market. Definitely worth a look-see, so keep an eye on the Ram Air system as its release date gets closer. Remember, late March to early April.
