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MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2011 |

Need a new hair dryer? No problem, General Motors has you covered as the Detroit company announced plans to lift the veil from atop its most powerful roofless production model ever, the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
The new soft-top model shares its genes with the upcoming Camaro ZL1 Coupeand is scheduled to go on sale in late 2012. The highlight of the convertible is of course GM's 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V8 engine rated at 580 horsepower (432 kW) and 556 lb.-ft. of peak torque (754 Nm).
General Motors pointed out that's enough power "to exceed the output of 2+2 convertibles of many performance icons such as the Aston martin DB9 with 470HP and the Porsche 911 Turbo with 530HP".

“The Camaro ZL1 convertible will be one of the most powerful and most capable, convertibles available at any price,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “This is a car that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you drop the top – or hit the gas.”
To compensate for the convertible's lack of a unifying roof structure, GM's engineers added tower-to-tower brace under the hood, a transmission support reinforcement brace, an underbody tunnel brace, a front “X” brace and stiffer cradle as well as rear underbody “V” braces.
The firm's engineers made some additional structural reinforcements to improve noise and vibration characteristics, and reduce ride and body motions. These include: a hydrofoamed tube in the A-pillars, an inner reinforcement bracket in the windshield header, a reinforced front hinge pillar and reinforcements inside the rockers.
Like the Camaro ZL1 Coupe, the Convertible is equipped with a third-generation of GM's Magnetic Ride suspension, a Performance Traction Management system and a new body kit that includes a massive vented hood scoop.
Expect more details to be released closer to the LA Auto Show.

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Chevy premiered the 2012 Camaro ZL1 nearly a year ago, revealing all specs of its muscle car that will go on sale this spring with a base price of US$54,995. A real bargain considering that it packs 580-horses from its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 allowing the Camaro to complete the nought to 60mph sprint in just 4.0 seconds en route to a top speed of 180

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MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 |

Chevrolet will produce a limited number of NHRA-certified Camaro rolling chassis designed for drag racing. The package will include a painted body and chassis ready to be fitted with an engine, transmission and other drivetrain components.

Each car will have an NHRA-approved roll cage and other safety equipment, as well as racing chassis and suspension components, including brakes and solid rear axle – minus the third member. The car also comes with Bogart racing wheels shod in Hoosier race tires.

All cars produced are painted Summit White and feature a production Camaro hood and SS grille, production window glass, headlamps, tail lamps and more. On the inside, the Camaro gets racing seats, production-style instrument panel, steering wheel, racing switch panel, door panels, headliner and black carpeting. There’s also basic body and wiring built into the rolling chassis, but engine harnesses and a battery are not included.

Buyers can add their own powertrain components, many of which, including crate engines, racing engine parts, electronics and more, are available from Chevrolet Performance.

Each serialized chassis is assembled by hand at the same facility that makes Chevrolet’s COPO Camaro production racecars. The price for a Camaro rolling chassis is $55,000 (€42,520), with sales starting on Thursday, March 28.

Chevrolet Performance said that race crate engines compatible with the car are a 5.7-liter V8 developing 325 horsepower, a 6.5-liter unit rated at 375 horsepower and a 7.0-liter engine churning out 425 horsepower. Chevy also offers a 5.3-liter engine with a 2.9L supercharger and a 5.3-liter with a 4.0L blower.

By Dan Mihalascu

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TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 |

As we told you earlier today, Chevrolet chose a rather unusual place to reveal its restyled 2014 Camaro for the first time – the set of the “Live with Kelly and Michael” television show.

Part of the program, which aired on Tuesday morning in the United States, was dedicated to the premieres of the 2013 New York International Auto Show. Camaro SS aside, the show also covered the 2014 Jaguar F-Type, 2014 VW GTI and 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible.

However, this reveal means that Wednesday’s NYIAS live event becomes a little redundant, but never mind that, you can see the TV show hosts’ reactions to the new Camaro and the other cars displayed in the studio in the video below.

We’ll only say that the F-Type Jag and the Corvette Stingray Convertible recieved more attention than the 2014 Camaro SS, despite the fact that the pony car had basically its world premiere on the show.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 |

This is it: the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, which just received its world premiere today at the New York International Auto Show.The first facelift for the fifth generation of GM's long-running muscle car series since its market debut in 2009 not only introduces fresh styling cues but more importantly, it resurrects a historic nameplate from the past, the Z/28, which will supplement the ZL1, featuring a 7.0-liter V8.
But first things first. GM designers have afforded the 2014 model with newly styled front and rear ends, which are supposed to make the Camaro look more contemporary and bring it closer to Chevy's original sports car, the Corvette Stingray.
Up front, the latest Camaro gains a sleeker and less macho look via a narrower upper grille opening adorned with a chrome trim piece and slimmer headlamps, along with a re-sculptured bumper and a new functional vent positioned on the hood instead of the mail-box-like slit on the SS models.
Moving to the rear, the first thing that catches your attention are the new one-piece LED headlamps that are completely different than those found on the European-spec Camaro, with inspiration likely coming from the 1967 and 1969 Camaros (instead of the 1968-style split units of the outgoing 2013 model).
Chevrolet also redesigned the trunk that is now fitted with a third-stop light and in some models, with a spoiler that looks like its flowing on top. Rounding out the changes at the back is the new diffuser in black that has grown in height reaching the center of the license plate.
GM hasn’t released any photos of the regular Camaro's interior, nor did it mention any upgrades or changes in the current press release. The photos of the Z/28's cabin it did share, though, suggest that there aren't any noticeable updates to the dashboard styling.
Clearly, GM is more thrilled about the Z/28, which it features in detail. The LS7-powered Z/28 is a street-legal sports car tuned for the track and it slots between the 426hp 1LE and the 580hp ZL1, which have yet to be revealed in facelift trim.
"We set out to make the fastest road-racing Camaro possible that was still street-legal,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “While the Camaro ZL1 offers exceptional performance on the street, the drag strip, and the track, the Z/28 is entirely focused on the track performance. The Z/28 will be too track-focused for most drivers, but offers road-racers one of the most capable track cars ever offered from an automaker."
Chevrolet said that the Z/28's, Corvette-sourced 7.0-liter V8 will deliver "at least 500 horsepower (373 kW) and 470 lb-ft of torque (637 Nm)" and will be linked exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox with close-ratio gearing and 3.91:1 final drive ratio turning the rear wheels.
“The build sheet is the wish list of any racer: lightweight, high-revving, dry-sump LS7 engine; carbon-ceramic brakes; integrated coolers for track use; true aerodynamic downforce, and a significant reduction in curb weight. This car could only come from Chevrolet, and could only be called the Z/28,” commented Mark Reuss, president of GM North America.
The Z/28 benefits from a number of weight saving measures including manual adjustments for the front seats, modified rear seat section that is nine pounds (four kilograms) lighter, and 19-inch diameter wheels and tires, which reduce unsprung weight by 42 pounds (19 kilograms) per car compared to the 20-inch wheels standard on Camaro SS and ZL1.
Other examples of weight savings include, removing interior sound deadener, and carpeting from the trunk, replacing the standard LN4 battery with a smaller, lightweight, LN3 battery, elimination of the air-conditioning system that is now optional, and thinner, 3.2-mm glass for the rear window, compared to 3.5-mm glass on the standard Camaro.
All told, the Z/28 is 100 pounds (45 kilograms) lighter than the naturally aspirated Camaro SS and 300 pounds (136 kilograms) lighter than the supercharged Camaro ZL1.
Other notable features include the standard Recaro seats with microfiber suede inserts, a special aero package designed to produce downforce at track speeds, a limited-slip differential featuring a helical gear set, rather than traditional clutch packs, huge 305/30ZR19 Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tires and a braking system comprised of Brembo Carbon Ceramic Matrix rotors and fixed, monoblock calipers. Additional chassis changes include stiffer string rates and suspension bushings for improved cornering response.
GM said that in initial testing, the Camaro Z/28 is three seconds faster per lap than the Camaro ZL1, while it also achieved up to 1.5 g in deceleration on the track.
Pricing, availability and other details for the entire 2014 Camaro range are expected to be released at a later date.

2014 CAMARO Z/28

2014 CAMARO SS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 |

It's still too early to evaluate and form a final opinion on the public's reaction the styling changes made to America's most popular coupe, especially since few people have actually seen the car in person. However, from what we've read on a number of forums and sites including our own comments section, the initial reaction on the 2014 Camaro is lukewarm.

Besides the cosmetic modifications made to Camaro's front and rear end, and the addition of the 7.0-liter V8-powered, track-focused Z/28, the new model year shuffles up the range, adding some new features while discarding others.

Many of these changes are listed in an early dealer brochure discovered by a forum reader of Camaro5. In it, we read that the 2014 model will include four separate lines, beginning with the 323hp V6 base model, and continuing with the 426hp (manual) / 400hp (auto) SS V8, the 426hp V8 1LE, the 580hp V8 ZL1 and the new 500+hp Z/28.

GM will release pricing for the 2014 model in June and begin production of the car before the end of summer.

New additions to the options list include the available Blue Interior Accent Trim Package, Recaro performance front seats for the SS and ZL1, a color Head-Up Display and a color Driver Information Center for the interior, and three new shades for the exterior named Red Hot, Bright Yellow and Red Rock metallic.

On the other hand, the rear spoiler is no longer standard on all models, while Chevrolet is discontinuing the following items/packages for 2014: Victory Red, Rally Yellow and Inferno Orange Metallic shades, the Hot Wheels Special Edition with the Kinetic Blue hue, the Mojave interior trim package, and the Hockey stripe packages.

More details can be found in the brochure after the break.

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