Camaro still King: Sales continue to rise and dominate the competition.
Well, March marked another great month for the Camaro. After the World Design Car of the Year award yesterday, sales numbers are now coming out for the month of March, and they're impressive. 8,904 Camaros came off the lot in March, the second most in any month since the Camaro launched, and a number that dominated the sales of the Camaro's competition: The Mustang, and The Challenger. As for those two though, must give props to the Challenger for almost doubling its numbers from the month prior. It's not a bad car (I like it a lot more than the Mustang, myself) and it's nice to see it getting some boost in sales numbers. Of course, the King stays on top there, with the Camaro outpacing its rivals big time.
SLP ZL575 Camaro – A Driver’s Car, a Fan’s Dream
The Camaro has been tuned by so many different groups and shops since it was released this past year, that it has almost become a passé thing. Almost. The new SLP ZL575 has absolutely nothing about it one might consider passé, unless of course that means it is passé-ing someone else on an open road. Outfitted with the SLP Supercharger, Long Tube Headers, stainless axle-back exhaust system, and a cold air intake (as well as some other fantastic looking and performing upgrades) the SLP ZL575 Camaro is one powerful machine. Boasting 575 bhp, which is a bump of 149 over the stock SS, this beast gets a lot out of the already awesome Camaro LS3, and couples that with fantastic suspension, braking (Brembo 6-piston big brake kit), handling, and visual modifications for one exceptional Camaro.
With the SLP Supercharger strapped on to the LS3, this vehicle is basically a rocket on 4 wheels. Combining the already great performance of the LS3 with the tested performance and quality of SLP makes for an awesome car. With stiffer springs for an inch-lowered ride height, 29-mm tubular anti-roll bars, enhanced suspension package, and wider staggered (245s front and 275s rear) 20 inch Pirelli P Zero's this car not only flies, but it can sure as hell take a corner as well. Couple all of this with some fantastic styling cues, and you have one of the greatest complete package tuner Camaros out there. The Ram Air hood, functional rear spoiler, active brake cooling rear gills, 5-spoke alloy wheels, custom paint striping, and specialized SLP interior with embroidered mats and seats, all make for one absolutely glorious looking Camaro. The styling touches were small when compared to the stock Camaro (apart from that mean looking ram air hood) but worked absolutely perfect in the context of the car.
If I had any one complaint with the SLP Camaro, it would be with their exhaust choice. This is just personal preference too, but I prefer the more steady hum of a Borla or Billy Boat or other exhaust system to the throatier gurgle of the Powerflo. It is a very mean and aggressive exhaust, and it provides fantastic performance boosts, just wouldn't be my first choice. Of course, it is one of SLP's own in-house products, and makes sense with the package. Saying I don't like it also just feels like nit-picking on my part. And, with the performance and styling this car offers at its price tag (in the very reasonable $60,000 price range), I shouldn't be complaining.
A look at the numbers shows just how impressive these performance modifications are:
- 575 bhp, 550 lbs-feet torque
- 4.3 second 0-60, and a very respectable 9.0 second 0-100
- 12.5 second 1/4 mile run at 118.5 mph
- 121 ft 60-0 braking, 215 ft for 80-0 braking
- .89g on lateral accel (200 ft skidpad)
- and a limited top speed of 190 mph
Very definitely, another great vehicle from SLP, the ZL575 Camaro is a beast begging to be tamed and one of my favorite Camaro tuners on the market!
Camaro Named MotorWeek’s Best Sport Coupe
MotorWeek's annual list of yearly Driver's Choice Awards came out this year, and that just meant more honors for the Chevy Camaro. Continuing its dominance amongst the automobile loving community, the Camaro just won MotorWeek's award for Best Sport Coupe as chosen by their readers. MotorWeek had this to say about the Camaro:
"Our choice for Best Sport Coupe is the Chevrolet Camaro. This modernized throwbackmuscle car is, above all else, an extreme head-turner. Designers combined the retro styling of Camaro's heyday with design cues that intimate the future of sports cars. Now add to that two very healthy powertrains -including a roaring 426-horsepower V8 – and excellent overall handling. Plus an authentically classic interior. With base pricing in the low 20s, the new Camaro is a prize like no other."
Now, I simply can not disagree with that little snippet. Who could? More awards for the Camaro, and definitely more yet to come!
Camaro Christmas! Happy Holidays to All!
Merry Christmas all of you Camaro owners out there, and if Christmas isn't your thing, then I hope you have very Happy Holidays! I hope everyone out there has a nice time with their family and friends this time of year, and is happy and healthy now and in to the New Year.
Also, who would say no to having this Christmas Present?
SLP Has A New Monster on the Roads…
Street Lethal Performance has been doing some great work for GM for some time now, and has gained the Manufacturer's love and blessing. Their new tuner is the apotheosis of their quality too, and definitely gives GM reason to feel good about their endorsement of SLP. The new SLP575 Camaro is an absolute beast, and Edmunds was lucky enough to get a drive behind the wheel of it. The SLP ZL575 packs a 575 horsepower LS3 V-8 and is eligible for the 3-year/36,000-mile warranty from GM if you order the ZL575 package through a Chevrolet dealer. The SLP ZL575 package includes a bunch of dress-up items, 1-inch lowering springs, 20-inch wheels, high-rise hood and a host of interior enhancements as well. The complete ZL575 package sells for $22,995, which brings the total for the Camaro SLP575 to just under 60k. That seems like a steal to me for a car with that much power, performance, and beauty.
Camaro Convertible as early as Q1
Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I wanted to give some thanks for the Camaro. So, to Chevy, thank you very much for providing us with this car! It is a fantastic car that has really helped Chevrolet thrive, which is fantastic because Chevy is about the only American Car company doing well these days. Because of the extreme popularity of the Camaro and demand for it, Chevy has also announced that as early as Q1 of 2011 we will be seeing Chevy Camaro Convertibles rolling off of the assembly line (they will be put together at the Chevy Canadian Plant). Thankfully, this also means more Camaro sales for the foreseeable future. Past that, there are a few other things involving the Chevy Camaro I want to give thanks for: How much fun it is to drive, what an eye-turner it is, and how great it sounds. I'm sure there are some things about the Camaro you want to give thanks for as well, right?
2010 Camaro SS
Fessler-Moss Announces New Camaros
Any and all serious Camaro collectors out there, start saving right now. Fessler-Moss has announced two new collector packages for the 2010 Camaro, both of which look to be pretty awesome. I could write about it a lot, but their own press release covers it pretty well, so check it out here-
Fessler-Moss Press Release:
Fesler-Moss Enhanced 2010 Camaro to be unveiled at the Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio!
The world has waited for upwards of three years, and now the 2010 Camaro is a reality. Combined retro styling and advanced technology this car is enough to redline the interest of any gear head right off the showroom floor. Touted as a "heritage-inspired sports car for the 21st Century" the 2010 Camaro.
Anyone with a passion for high performance automobiles, however, could foresee that hardcore muscle car enthusiasts would want even more. Being such enthusiasts themselves, Jon Moss who is the former director of GM's specialty vehicles division and Chris Fesler of Fesler Built, a high end hot rod builder and parts manufacturer, teamed up so that they could take the 2010 Camaro to the next level.
Limited Edition Package! - $150,000
The ultimate Fesler-Moss offering is limited to 60 units per year and a must for any serious collector. This one is loaded, they pulled out all the stops, but there are still two exclusive features worth mentioning twice.... Each Limited Edition Package will feature an individual serial number from 1-60 and be personally signed by both Chris Fesler and Jon Moss! On top of that, each will include adjustable coil over suspension, front and rear sway bars, 6-piston Fesler branded race brake upgrade, GM LS-9 supercharged engine, Fesler branded stainless steel bi-modal exhaust system, color-matched engine block, 6-speed manual transmission, billet, carbon fiber or black reverse lights, stainless steel hood struts, stainless steel trunk struts, carbon fiber interior accents, color matched leather seating, suede headliner, carbon fiber pillar gauge kit, heat and sound barrier, a custom sound system plus Fesler-Moss badging.
In addition to the aforementioned upgrades, the Limited Edition Package features a host of exclusive features including 22-inch Fesler-Moss wheels and tires, custom color paint scheme with painted racing stripes, Corvette-style door handles, Fesler billet grille with hideaway headlights, Billet RS taillights, carbon fiber Fesler-Moss body kit, 2-day training course at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving and, as mentioned, each vehicle will be designated an individual serial numbered (1 - 60) and personally signed by both Chris Fesler and Jon Moss!
Package price without car, $110,000.
Fessler-Moss Camaro
101 Year Old Also Loves the Camaro
When Chevy brought back the Camaro to the car-buying public I think that their target audience was an age group similar to my own. 18-34 year old men, young professionals and car enthusiasts who would see the incredible styling and fall immediately in love. In attempting this, they did a fantastic job and brought to the masses a fantastic looking and performing vehicle that had no equals in its price class. It outshines the Mustang and Challenger in style and performance, and is a huge hit Nationally as well as over-seas. Well, this man, broke the mold, and I say more power to him for doing just that. The Camaro's appeal is so incredible that it reaches all people of all age groups, social classes, and sexes.
Camaro to Outsell Mustang Despite Short Year?
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro outsold the 2010 Ford Mustang in October, marking the fifth straight month that Chevrolet’s revived muscle coupe outsold its Ford competition. If these sales trends continue, it’ll put the Camaro on pace to outsell the Mustang this year -- a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 1985.
With two months left in the year and only around 9200 sales to make up, GM officials say it is a real possibility the Camaro may outsell the Mustang by the end of the year. Through October, GM sold 47,233 Camaros to Ford’s 56,469 Mustangs. If the Camaro does take the top muscle car sales title away from the Mustang, it will do so with only nine months of sales compared to the Mustang’s full year.
Erich Merkle, analyst at Autoconomy.com, told the Detroit Free Press that the Camaro’s success was expected. “While the economic environment isn’t the best, I think there are still enough baby boomers out there that are able to make a purchase like a Camaro,” he said. “It’s got all of the great stuff you remember from some of the muscle car of the late ‘60s without all of the bad.”
In Dearborn, Ford doesn’t seem too concerned about the Camaro’s sales success. “I don’t think Mustang sales would have been much different one way or another,” said George Pipas, Ford’s top sales analyst. “There are people that buy Chevys just like there are people that buy Fords. The passion for one brand or another is strong. What we are seeing right now is ten years of pent-up demand… rather than some positive indicator about the economy.”
Make that seven years of pent-up demand: GM killed the Camaro (and its Pontiac Firebird sibling) in 2002, leaving Camaro fans in the dark for quite some time. On the other hand, Ford has been producing Mustangs continuously since 1964.
Styling like this makes it almost a given that the Camaro outsells the Mustang
Source: Automobile Mag
Synergy Camaro
Something else out of SEMA, and an image I missed the first time around. Apparently Chevrolet is putting in to motion plans to release the Synergy during 2010 as a Special Edition model. With this Synergy Green color, which is actually fantastic looking on the Camaro, and styling touches such as 21" custom wheels, custom Chevy body kit, hood stripes, and rear spoiler, I'm beginning to think I purchased my Camaro a little too early! Check this thing out and try to tell me that it doesn't look great!
Synergy Camaro
Synergy Camaro