700-Horsepower Chevy Camaro Is No Dream: You Can Own One Now

[Perian]

Link: http://detroitnews.com/article/20101...-700-hp-Camaro



Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News

In the late 1960s, Chevrolet dealers and product promoters discovered they could use General Motors' Central Office Production Order system to do more than equip police and other special fleet vehicles.

By checking the right boxes on the right form, and then by doing some tweaking once those vehicles arrived at the dealerships, they could produce ultra high-performance versions of the new Camaro model.

Dealerships such as Yenko, Nickey, Berger and others produced COPO Camaros that were fast then and are much sought today by car collectors.

Today, at least two dealerships — DeNooyer Chevrolet in Albany, N.Y., and NeSmith Chevrolet, with locations in Claxton and Jesup, Ga. — are building what the manager of GM Performance Parts, Dr. Jamie Meyer, calls "the COPO Camaros of the 21st Century."

"700-Horsepower Camaro At Your Dealer Now!" proclaims the cover of the 2011 GM Performance Parts catalog that features images of NeSmith's "Storm" Camaro and the DeNooyer 454 Camaro.

NeSmith, which has become the largest GM Performance Parts dealership in the country, had its in-house NeSmith Customs shop work with Jen Jac's Restorations of nearby Savannah, Ga., to create the "Storm," which started with a transplant that put the supercharged LS9 V-8 from the Corvette ZR1 under a Camaro's hood.

After some tweaking, the engine pumps out around 700 horsepower. Add a special ground-effects aerodynamic body kit, Baer brakes, American Racing Headers exhaust system, Hurst short-throw shifter, Pfadt Racing suspension components, Drive Shaft Shop axles and tuning on the chassis dyno at Hypertech and you have a $125,000 road rocket.

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Article continues at link.

Photo Credit: The Detroit News

[Perian]

$125,000 for a fancy Camaro or $125,000 for a Corvette ZR-1.

Decisions, decisions.

[silvergoat2k6]

Does it come with a crack pipe in the glovebox too? $125K for a Camaro...yeah, right.

[ByTheLake]

I wonder how much HP is too much HP for a pure RWD car? I bet that car sounds great, though.

My stock Camaro is fine enough for me, but it's nice to see that there are some true performance aficionados out there modifying new vehicles.

[Firebird00]

I would never pay that crazy price for a Camaro...I don't care who owned it, what they did to it, or what model generation it comes from.

[Slack]

It costs a lot to be unique. If I were shopping for a sports car in this price range, I'd check it out. Besides, luxury items are good for the economy.

[Mcmflow]

I've always wondered about cars like this, how much more is it really costing to make it? Are the costs $75K more than normal and they are pocketing $25K, or are the cost more like $25-30K and they are pocketing $75K?

I really have no idea so just thought I would throw it out there.

[Skank Boy]

No matter how much power this car gets it just doesn't excite me. I'm really hoping the 6th gen is better looking.

[DetroitIron]

Not a fan of the ground effects. Looks like a cheap catalog dress-up.

[smith7629]

Not a fan of the ground effects. Looks like a cheap catalog dress-up.

Agree. The ground effects kill it.

[johnny smallblock]

I wonder how much HP is too much HP for a pure RWD car?

Good question. But regardless of where the threshold is, I'm pretty sure 700 is beyond it.

[skylark68]

No matter how much power this car gets it just doesn't excite me. I'm really hoping the 6th gen is better looking.

Yeah, this car doesn't excite me that much either. Something about it just mildly states "bland."

Maybe it's just the generation I come from, but the '79 to '81 Z28 Camaros would get me really excited and they didn't put out even half the HP what the current SS does.

[vrocks]

Not worth it at $125,000. The suspension and brake upgrades aren't worth it on the Camaro, as it still won't beat a ZR1 on the track. The mod that matters is the engine, but throwing an LS9 in it to get 700 HP is a mistake. The LSA is much cheaper and it can easily make 700 HP at the crank.

[88ls1blazer]

holy crap... if you want 700fwhp on one of these it shouldnt cost more than 25k in mods...

basically heads, cam, supercharger, exhaust, clutch, axles, and tires...

trust me, I do it all day long, this much money will give you a solid 610-630rwhp at 8psi of boost.

[69project]

700 hp isn't too much for a RWD car. NASCAR Stockers run 850 hp with what you all would consider ancient suspensions. Formula 1 cars are similar as well all the sports car classes out there.

Now for the street, I guess it may be excessive but it would be excessive for AWD car as well. Really, all we "need" is enough power to get to the max posted speed limit on the highway right? This car is all about want.

There are quite a few LS powered drag cars out there pushing 1000 hp and those are RWD cars so....