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
Few People Doubt that the Camaro will become a Collectible
A couple accolades were given to the Camaro this week that are based entirely upon predicting the future. Of course, we know that nobody can predict the future, but selecting the Camaro for these accolades seem like safe bets. The first of these, given out by the Friends of National Automotive History Collection selected the 2010 Camaro as this year's new vehicle (13 new vehicles in all were created this year) which will be a collectible down the road. Members of the organization, which supports the Detroit Public Library's world-famous collection of American automotives, vote annually for their "Collectible Vehicle of the Future" award, from a vehicle pool comprised of the year's new American-built cars and trucks. Previous winners of the award are:
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2009 |
Ford Flex |
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2008 |
Dodge Challenger |
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2007 |
Dodge Viper SRT10 |
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2006 |
Pontiac Solstice |
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2005 |
Ford Mustang |
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2004 |
Chrysler 300 |
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2003 |
Dodge Viper |
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2002 |
Ford Thunderbird
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In addition to this award, Wired also named the 2011 Camaro Convertible a sure fire instant classic. That award seems a little premature, as the number of people who have been able to drive the Camaro Convertible is still very very small and selective, but, based purely on looks alone I can honestly say that I can't argue with Wired. The Camaro Convertible is as gorgeous a car as there is on the roads today, and the Camaro's as great a car as there is, so the awarding of this by Wired does make sense. Here's what Wired had to say about the Camaro Convertible:
It's hard to know what cars will be future classics. Oh sure, some of them are obvious — damn near any exotic will certainly go up in value eventually, and it's hard to go wrong with a limited-edition ride like the Porsche 911 Sport Classic.
But what about the cars that aren't so obvious? What models sitting in showrooms might be the next 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350? The guys at Hagerty Insurance Agency think they know. Each year the company, which bills itself as "the world leader in collector car insurance," takes a look at everything in showrooms and compiles its "hot list" of 10 future collector cars you can buy now for less than $100,000.
"We have fun each year looking at which new vehicles embody the characteristics of collector cars, to help predict which ones might have classic appeal in 15 to 20 years," CEO McKeel Hagerty said in a statement. "The Hot List is our prediction for which cars manufactured this year will hold their value and consumer appeal long enough to one day be regarded as collectible."
Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
The drop-top retro ride offers a 6.2-liter V-8 producing 426 horsepower. By the way, if you haven't read Dan Neil's review of the Camaro SS, do so now. It's the best car review ever.
The other cars that made the list:
- Camaro SS Convertible
- BMW 335is
- Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
- Dodge Challenger Drag Pak
- Fiat 500
- Ford Mustang Boss 302R
- Honda CR-Z
- Infiniti IPL G37 Coupe
- Mini Countryman
- Porsche Boxster Spyder
Previous winners are:
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2009 |
Ford Flex |
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2008 |
Dodge Challenger |
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2007 |
Dodge Viper SRT10 |
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2006 |
Pontiac Solstice |
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2005 |
Ford Mustang |
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2004 |
Chrysler 300 |
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2003 |
Dodge Viper |
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2002 |
Ford Thunderbird |
Camaro to Outsell Mustang in 2010
In 1985 a lot of things happened: DNA was used in a criminal case for the first time ever, Bruce Springsteen's Born In The U.S.A. was the best selling album, Tetris was released, U.S. Route 66 was officially decommissioned Amadeus won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Dwight Howard, Wayne Rooney, Evan Longoria, Kyle Bush, Reggie Bush, and Keira Knightley were all born, and the Camaro outsold the Mustang. This is significant, because it was the last time that the Camaro was able to outsell the Mustang in a sales year. This year, with the 5th Generation Camaro reaching unparalleled levels of popularity and press in its first ever complete sales year, that losing streak will be broken. As today, as of right now writing this, the Camaro is on pace (and a very safe pace at that) to outsell its biggest competitor, the Mustang, for the year of 2010.
The Camaro has moved an impressive number of cars, totaling 75,685 sold through November 2010, compared to Mustang’s 68,264 units sold. This large lead guarantees Chevy and GM and the Camaro the sales victory for the year: a feat which is even more impressive when you remember that the Camaro was able to achieve it with only two models (both coupes) available. The V6 and V8 (or RS and SS) Camaros outsold the Mustang, Mustang GT, Mustang GT500, Mustang Convertible, Mustang GT Convertible, Mustang whatevertheycallthosethings, etc. With the knowledge that the Convertible Camaro will be hitting showrooms soon, and the Z28 will be about a year behind it, Chevrolet has to be very happy and very certain in their Pony Car's sales capabilities moving on in to the future.
So, for now, Congratulations Chevrolet and Congratulations Camaro! You really are the Mustang Killer!
Lingenfelter Pushes the Camaro in to 8 Second Territory
It would be Lingenfelter, wouldn't it? With all of the buzz surrounding various Camaro modifications around the world, and as different manufacturers and modification teams fight to push the Camaro to new limits on a weekly basis, it would be Lingenfelter that steps in and blows its competition away. And blow it away, they did.
Hot on the heels of AMS and other shops pushing their Camaros through the 9 second range, Lingenfelter stepped in and delivered an 8 second 1/4 mile run. To be fair to everybody else, of course, their Camaro was outfitted with a 1200+ HP LS9, and their 8 second run was as borderline as they come: 8.99 seconds @ 158 mph. Lingenfelter achieved this feat through use of an Eaton Supercharger powered LS9 engine with fully ported heads loaded with titanium intake valves.
Camaro SSX
Yesterday I wrote a long update pertaining to the Camaro at SEMA, in which I high-lighted a few different Camaro Models presented by Chevrolet. At the time, though, I purposefully left out the Camaro SSX, because I felt that a vehicle as impressive as it deserved its own post. Since the fifth generation Camaro was released, it has captivated the hearts and minds of consumers, and has seen a number of people drooling over its pure racing potential. Chevrolet has seemingly tapped in to that track-racing soul as well, now, and they've brought the world the Camaro SSX.
Built from a bare-bones Camaro SS, the SSX does everything it can to move past the weekend-warrior Camaro image in to the realm of the track racer darling. With purposeful, gorgeous, styling choices that provide a greater track performance, the SSX is still as beautiful as any Camaro before it, but with a very precise stylistic look. This thing is minimal, of course. When I say minimal, I mean completely and totally minimal. In order to reduce the weight as much as possible, the Chevrolet team installed a number of Carbon Fiber exterior body parts on to the SSX. In addition to this, they also cleared out the interior, and removed the sound-deadening material, the carpeting, and the entire rear seat section. The windshield and rear-window were then replaced with extremely light-weight Polycarbonate.
Making the vehicle lighter wouldn't be enough for these guys, though, and they then went to lengths to ensure that the Camaro SSX was not only lighter, but also more powerful and more precise. To get more HP for a greater performance they modified their LS3 engine with new heads, a new light-weight camshaft, high-flow racing headers, and a complete exhaust system. For handling performance, they also installed the complete Pfadt Performance package, to ensure a more responsive vehicle handling. All of this, in addition to the down-force improving Rear Wing Spoiler and Front Lip Spoiler mean that this Camaro is one of the lightest, quickest, most powerful, and precise vehicle's there is.
Of course, everything I've written about this Camaro SSX track car only begins to scratch the surface as well. In order to do the vehicle justice, GM's own John Fitzpatrick put together a video with the vehicle's performance modification team high-lighting all of its fantastic features. I'll also include a list of features, and a set of GM released images, so that you can get a really great idea of everything this vehicle has going on. Sadly, at the time, GM has no plans on releasing this Camaro SSZ model build to the public. I'd love to see it, but completely understand their decision not to. What the creation of the vehicle does do, though, is provide Camaro lovers with a groundwork basis upon which they can modify their Camaro if they're looking to optimize their vehicle's track performance.
Exterior:
* Icy White Metallic color with red accents and door graphics
* Carbon fiber hood, fenders, door and deck lid
* Exposed carbon fiber front splitter, rockers and adjustable rear wing
* Unique lower grille and brake ducts
Interior:
* Carpeting, sound deadener and rear seat deleted
* Ace suede-covered racing steering wheel and shifter
* SCCA-approved roll cage and window net
* Racing driver’s seat with five-point harness
* Racing pedals
* Fire suppression system
* Fuel cell
* Video camera system mounted on the roll cage
Performance:
* LS3 6.2L V-8 enhanced with Chevrolet Performance Parts’ camshaft, cylinder heads and dry-sump oiling system
* Production six-speed manual transmission
with Corvette ZR1 twin-disc clutch
* Low-restriction air induction and exhaust systems
* Four-wheel disc racing brake system with six-piston front/four-piston rear calipers and drilled and slotted rotors
* Modified production suspension with Pfadt licensed components
* 20-inch racing wheels and tires (Take note of these gorgeous wheels!)
Camaro SEMA Wrap-Up and SEMA Hottest Car Award
This year's SEMA was a great time for the Chevrolet Camaro, as the vehicle saw a number of interesting models get public release, tons of support from every modification company imaginable, and won the SEMA Hottest Car Award. I'll try and give a brief wrap-up (and avoid a 300+ picture entry, as a lot of places have been giving), and touch on the biggest and brightest high-lights for the Camaro here.
SEMA Hottest Car Award
First off, we have to begin with a congratulations to the Camaro for being given this award. This latest feather in the hat of America's hottest car confirms what we've been saying for quiet some time: the Camaro is, by far, the hottest car on the road today. Of course, they don't just mean hotness in the simple visual aesthetic sense, but also in the sense that this vehicle has the most buzz and support from modification companies. There's no denying the Camaro this one, either. This year has been a fantastic year for the Camaro, as we've seen companies like Borla, Edelbrock, AMS, Pfadt, and others all release incredible new lines of high-end Camaro modification pieces (especially considering that a number of these products, like the Borla ATAK and the Edelbrock E-Force were made first and foremost for the Camaro, before being retooled/ported to work on various other vehicles as well).
Well, the year has come to a head as of late with all of the Z28 news leaking, and now, with the SEMA Convention and the SEMA Hottest Car Award. Coming second and third, respectively, were the Mustang and Challenger, and that just speaks to the popularity of the recent Pony Car revival, and the incredible job that Chevrolet has done with their Camaro. So, congratulations Camaro, on winning the SEMA Hottest Car Award. In addition to the Camaro, the Jeep Wrangler won the SEMA Hottest 4x4 Award, and the Ford F150 won the SEMA Hottest Truck Award. Congratulations to those vehicles as well.
Red Flash Camaro
... and the picture above, of one of the hottest Camaros at SEMA, leads us directly to the Red Flash Camaro. A number of different Camaros were unveiled at SEMA, but none were as gorgeous or exciting (to me, at least) as the Red Flash Camaro. With the focus being to stay pretty true to form to the stock Camaro SS, the Red Flash doesn't fall in to the common tuner trap of doing too much and sullying the look of the vehicle. In fact, Chevrolet does more with less with the Red Flash, and the touches they've installed look absolutely fantastic. With the Red Flash, though, looks were not the only focus: they also wanted to make the Camaro SS perform and sound a lot better as well.
With a well-done high-wing spoiler (something I never thought I'd say about the Camaro), a beautiful two-tone interior, and a fantastic style, the Red Flash Camaro is meant to be showy and sound loud enough to be the Camaro that alerts everyone else of your presence, while still being a Camaro that can be driven on a daily basis.
Features of the vehicle include:
Exterior:
- Red Jewel color
- Heritage hood stripes in gray
- Chevrolet Accessory high-wing rear spoiler (body color with black stanchions)
- Chevrolet Accessory ground effects (body color)
- Chevrolet Accessory 21-inch wheels with gray inserts
- Camaro badges with chrome edges and gray inserts
- Body-color antenna
Interior:
- Ebony leather with titanium stitching and red accents on the seats
- Prototype Chevrolet Accessory racing-style steering wheel with flat bottom
- Red LED lighting in door trim
- Red footwell and cupholder lighting
- Chevrolet Accessory racing pedal kit
- Chevrolet Accessory floor mats and cargo mat
Performance:
- LS3 6.2L V-8 with Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission
- Chevrolet Accessory air intake and exhaust systems
- Chevrolet Accessory engine cover in Red Jewel
- Chevrolet Accessory Hurst shifter with custom stone-color stitching on the boot and shift knob
Synergy Camaro and XM Camaro Packages
Two other interesting Camaro model packages were unveiled at SEMA this year: the Synergy Camaro (and not just Synergy Green this time), and the XM Camaro. They're both pretty neat Camaros, and, apparently will be coming to dealerships near you soon. The Dealership brochures for these two packages have hit the web now, and they offer a lot of insight in to everything that the vehicles will offer. From their custom leather interior options, down to the new dash lights, wheels, and exterior paint options as well.
The Synergy Camaro Package:
Synergy Series Camaro Brochure
XM Series Camaro Package:
Camaro XM Package Brochure
GM OnSTAR MyLink Mobile App Coming to 2010 Camaros
Ok, so, the heading there says it all. The super cool iPhone and Android MyLink App for OnStar outfitted GM vehicles is also being set-up to work with 2010 vehicles. I know a lot of Camaro owners were sad to hear that their 2010 Camaros would not work with the App, so fret no longer, Chevrolet's setting up to be compatible with your vehicle as well.
That's all I have for today. A big update covering a lot of ground from the SEMA 2010 Convention, and some other basic Camaro news. Hopefully I've left myself stuff to talk about tomorrow (considering the Camaro's popularity, I'm sure there will be!)
New Camaro Z28 Nurburgring Testing Video
This video, the most recent of the Camaro Z28 spy footage, shows a lot of what we've seen already, and some new bits too. Obviously taken by the same group of individuals who provided us all with the first two Camaro Z28 spy videos, this one also has some fantastic moments of the Camo-wrapped Z28 rounding wide bends at the Nurburgring. I'm starting to be less satisfied by these videos then I was at first, though, and really want some more official word from Chevrolet concerning the Z28's performance. Sadly, those numbers will be a little ways out, so until then my Z28 desire must be satiated by videos like this one. It's definitely worth a watch, as it's new footage of the Z28, and you really can't go wrong with that.
Camaro’s Brazil Launch Short Film
This past week Chevrolet Brazil officially launched the Camaro as part of their vehicle line-up, and to coincide with that they put together a great official Camaro Brazil website, and produced an awesome short film. Now, if you don't read Portuguese, the website may be a little difficult to navigate, but the opening animations are awesome and worth a watch, and the video they produced is absolutely a blast.
The film, titled "Não encoste no meu Camaro" (or, "Don't Touch My Camaro" in English) is a great, very fun, film just over 3 minutes long. The basic translations of the text notes in the film aren't necessary at all to get the feel of it, as it is about a feeling and experience most every teenager knows and most every parent of a teenager fears, but if you're interested I'll provide them below. (Translated, albeit, to the best of my very limited ability). The detail, in short, the story of a child who gets a hold of his parent's Camaro keys when they go out of town (anyone else thinking of Ferris Beuller?).
Translations:
- Good morning son - Kisses, Mom
- Don't touch the car
- On Flight 3551 - Take care of home
- Don't think about it.
- Flight canceled, we're coming home.
GM OnStar iPod and Droid App Now Available
The iPhone and Android App that I wrote about a few months ago is now officially available for download in your respective App Store. The Application, which works for 2011+ GM vehicles, has a number of fantastic functions which become available from the press of a button on your phone screen. From being able to turn the vehicle on early (so it can cool down on a hot summer day, or warm up on a cold winter one) to many other things, this App will provide GM drivers (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC) a new level of vehicle control remotely. In addition the aforementioned function, the OnStar App will also allow OnStar equipped vehicle owners the ability to: lock the car remotely (in case you're worried you've forgotten), check diagnostic vehicle levels (such as fuel level, oil level, tire pressure, available driving range, and others), and ensure the vehicle's safe. So, if you own a 2011 GM vehicle, go ahead and download this App for your smart phone today!
Halltech Bumble Bee Intake Review
When it comes to the Camaro, I'm as big a fan as there is. I mean, hell, I write about them for fun. I also spend a lot of time perusing the various forums and reading what other people have to say about them. In doing this, whenever intakes were mentioned, one name always came up a lot:Halltech. The Halltech Yellow Jacket is such a well-reviewed and well-respected system that it's near impossible to avoid its name when reading up on aftermarket performance mods for the Camaro SS. I've always considered getting one for myself, too, but had been putting it off because of the proposed Vararam system. Of course, Vararam has taken 6 months longer than they originally said, so my patience was beginning to run thin. The Vararam system will be, undoubtedly, incredible when it releases, but I wanted something now. This wait ended up being, in the long run, a bit of blessing, because in the time I waited Halltech released an all carbon fiber version of their Yellow Jacket-which they call the Bumble Bee-and boy-howdy! is this thing awesome.
So, I saw the Bumble Bee and realized that my waiting was a bit of a blessing in disguise. Placed my order through my friends at Southern Car Parts (I know, I mention them a lot, but they treat me right and have great prices, so I gotta spread the love!) and got it within a weeks time. Upon opening the box, too, I was immediately pleasantly surprised. The build quality is awesome. It's true carbon fiber, and it's thick! They didn't cut corners anywhere on making this thing. The intake weighs a lot less than my stock (I'd guess about 8 pounds less, but I didn't weigh them on a scale), fits in perfectly, looks great, and gives obvious power. Their Dyno numbers of 18+RWHP are easily believable, as the added punch I felt on the throttle was comparable to when I first put on my new exhaust, and the tone it gives is absolutely fantastic. Coupled with my Borla ATAK exhaust, I can't help but be regularly amazed at how fantastic the LS3 sounds. The install was easy, too, and took maybe 45 minutes (2 beers time!). The supplied heat shield is a fantastic fantastic component, also. I've read about how necessary a proper heat shield is for a CAI, and it makes perfect sense. In all, if you're looking to install a Cold Air Intake on your Camaro SS, the Halltech Carbon Fiber Bumble Bee is an awesome awesome option definitely worth your consideration!
