Friday, December 17, 2010

Create your own 700hp Camaro with GM Performance Parts catalog

Photobucket

You just have to love the convenience and quality of performance parts that come straight from the manufacturer. After all, who knows the cars better than the ones who make them? And though you can buy virtually anything for a Chevrolet Camaro, you still have to have the expertise to put all those parts together to make something that works cohesively.

The new GM Performance Parts catalog aims to help you in that endeavor by showing you the way to some serious power in your pony car. As demonstrated by DeNooyer Chevrolet in New York, you can plop an LSX454 engine and 6 speed tranny from a ZR1 in a Camaro and have a ready-made 520hp (at the rear wheels) beast.

Or, you could do like NeSmith Chevrolet in Georgia and drop an LS9 in your own Camaro, which with minor tweaks produces over 700hp. The possibilities are endless, but credit GM for stirring up some creative ideas with their latest catalog.

Press Release

GMPP CATALOG COVER CAMAROS REVIVE THE COPO SPIRIT OF DEALER-BUILT SUPERCARS

2010-12-09

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Dealership-created performance packages were an important part of Chevrolet's muscle car heritage. Names like Yenko, Nickey, Berger and others helped drive high-performance options, while enhancing the mystique of one-off collectables decades later. In fact, it was creative ordering on the part of dealers that created the legendary COPO Camaros of the late 1960s – cars available from those enterprising dealers, but not offered in any official catalog or order guide.

More than 40 years later, a couple of dealers – DeNooyer Chevrolet in New York and Georgia's NeSmith Chevrolet – have rekindled the concept of using Chevrolet's own parts to create specialty Camaros that simply aren't offered in regular production. DeNooyer used GM Performance Parts' (GMPP) LSX454 crate engine (part number 19244611) to build a modern 454 engine for the Camaro SS, while NeSmith transplanted the supercharged LS9 engine from the Corvette ZR1 into their Camaro.

"These great Camaros exemplify the spirit of dealer-built super cars that grew out of the muscle car era," says Dr. Jamie Meyer, product integration manager for GM Performance Parts. "They are the COPO Camaros of the 21st century."

Both cars are featured on the cover the 2011 GM Performance Parts catalog.

The DeNooyer 454 Camaro, dubbed the HTR-SS454 (named for partner Redline Motorsports' owner Howard Tanner), takes the GMPP LSX454 crate engine and adds a port fuel injection system to its LS7-style LSX six-bolt cylinder heads. The engine has an all-forged rotating assembly and an 11.0:1 compression ratio. A front end accessory drive system was added, too, along with a custom flywheel and ZR1 clutch matched to the six-speed manual transmission.

With the custom engine installed and properly tuned, chassis-dyno testing of the Camaro delivered a strong 520 horsepower and 530 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear wheels – or right about the 620-hp/590-lb.-ft. estimates from GMPP for the basic crate engine. The car's driveline was beefed up to handle the 200-horsepower increase over stock, too, with stronger axles and stiffer bushings throughout.

Much like what was done with the legendary Baldwin-Motion cars, of the Sixties, DeNooyer joined forces with an expert performance shop, Redline Motorsports, to help engineer and build the HTR-SS454. Redline a leader in LS-based high-performance engines and vehicles and it also collaborates with DeNooyer Chevrolet on the HTR-600 Camaro, which uses the 505-hp LS7 engine from the Corvette Z06 – also available as a crate engine from GMPP (part number 19211710).

While the DeNooyer 454-powered Camaro evokes memories of yesteryear, NeSmith's LS9-powered "Storm" Camaro is pure modern performance, with the world-beating power of the Corvette ZR1 under the hood. It was created within the dealership's in-house customization facility, NeSmith Customs, with assistance from nearby Jen Jac's Restorations. NeSmith also happens to be the largest GMPP dealer in the country.

The LS9 is offered as a crate engine from GM Performance Parts (part number 19201990) and, because of its similar LS-family architecture to the Camaro's original LS3 engine, easily slipped into the engine compartment – although some fabrication was necessary to accommodate the unique placement of some accessories, as well as the LS9's dry sump-style oiling system. But when the installation was completed, the engine looked factory-installed. And with a few minor upgrades, the engine is producing about 700 horsepower.

Like the DeNooyer HTR-SS454, the NeSmith Storm Camaro matches its greater performance capability with complementing drivetrain parts, including stronger axles and a Baer brake system featuring six-piston calipers, front and rear.


GM PERFORMANCE PARTS RELEASES 2011 CATALOG

2010-12-09

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – GM Performance Parts (GMPP) has released its 2011 catalog. It contains more than 300 pages of crate engines, engine parts and vehicle accessories for vehicles powered by GM's LS, small-block and big-block engines – and almost every one of them is available for purchase online at gmperformanceparts.com.

For 2011, the catalog features more for LS high-performance engine builders, including:

* Vehicle-specific performance parts and accessories
* Expansion of the E-ROD crate engine portfolio
* The LSX454R crate engine
* LSX DR 11-degree cylinder heads and matching intake manifold
* LSX six-bolt L92-style cylinder heads for smaller-bore LS engine.

Along with descriptions and part numbers for all the engines, parts and accessories, the GMPP catalog offers valuable information on selecting matching components for the best-performing combination, as well as detailed specifications on most components – including charts outlining cylinder head specs and camshaft specs. There's also a special section for LS engine builders that provides an overview of the LS engine family and parts interchangeability.

GMPP has also included accessories for new Chevrolets, including the Corvette, Camaro, Cruze and trucks. They include performance, suspension and appearance upgrades.

Enthusiasts and builders can buy the 2011 GM Performance Parts catalog from GM dealers or online at GMPP's eCommerce store, located at gmperformanceparts.com. Simply click on the SHOP button and enter "catalog" in the search function. A free download of a PDF version of the catalog is also available at gmperformanceparts.com.

Cover cars

A pair of dealer-modified Camaros are featured on the cover of the 2011 GMPP catalog and exemplify a growing trend in using crate engines to offer extraordinary performance to a new generation of enthusiasts – all while evoking the spirit of the dealer-driven COPO Camaros of the late 1960s.

The Camaros were built by DeNooyer Chevrolet in New York and Georgia's NeSmith Chevrolet. DeNooyer used GMPP's new LSX454 crate engine to build a modern 454 engine for the Camaro SS, while NeSmith transplanted the supercharged LS9 engine from the Corvette ZR1 into their Camaro. (Please see the separate release for more details on the cars.)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 on the dyno

Photobucket

The new and improved, as well as larger, 392 cubic inch Hemi present in the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is rated at a stout 470hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. These numbers already handily beat the previous generation's 425hp and 420 lb-ft, but it appears that they may be a little underrated.

The folks at Inside Line managed to get their hands on a 2011 model and strapped it to the dyno to find out what kind of power the new Hemi really puts out. The results were better-than-advertised rear wheel numbers of 452hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. And while the new Charger is still a good bit heavier than the Camaro or Mustang, this should help to even things up a little.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Ford Racing reveals Mustang Boss 302S race car

Photobucket

Ford Racing has introduced its latest race car at the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, FL, the Boss 302S. The 302S is a direct replacement for the FR500 used in the Mustang Challenge series. It is intended to serve duty for the serious racer, as well as race series such as the SCCA's World Challenge and NASA's American Iron.

The Boss 302S slides in between the Laguna Seca edition Boss 302 and the Boss 302R and features a stock transmission, clutch, and flywheel. Power is the standard 440 horsepower 302, but that's where the "stock" part ends. Hardcore goodies like Brembo race brakes, fully adjustable suspension, and an adjustable carbon fiber wing add to the good times. Price? $79,000, with a mere 50 being made available.

Press Release

DEARBORN, Mich., - December 9, 2010 – It has been 'The Year of the Boss.' This past year has seen the return of the Mustang BOSS 302R to track at Daytona and the unveiling of the 2012 BOSS 302 production Mustang, and now Ford Racing announces the latest addition to its line of turn-key ready to race Mustangs – the BOSS 302S.

Building on the successful race history of the BOSS302, Ford Racing is providing Mustang enthusiasts an affordable way to road race with the introduction of the Mustang BOSS 302S. The limited production BOSS 302S will be the third competition car in Ford Motor Company's history to be built at a Ford production facility and made available for racers to purchase through authorized Ford Racing dealers. The Mustang FR500S was the first race car built on a modern Ford production line followed by the NHRA legal FR500CJ, a.k.a. 'Cobra Jet.'

"Ford Racing is excited to add an additional turn-key ready to race car to our stable, which includes the highly successful FR500C, FR500S, BOSS 302R and Cobra Jet," said Mark Wilson, Engineering Manager Ford Racing. "The enthusiasts who purchase the BOSS 302S will be competitive in both the World Challenge GTS and the NASA American Iron Series. We look forward to adding their names to the BOSS 302's racing history."

The 440-hp Ford Mustang BOSS 302S was developed by Ford Racing engineers, and will be built at Auto Alliance International (AAI) assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, the home of the Mustang. It is based on the street legal 2012 Mustang BOSS 302. The Mustang BOSS 302S is powered by a Boss 5.0-liter 4-valve Ti-VCT V-8 engine and includes a 6-speed transmission sourced directly from the BOSS 302 parts bin. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a T2 Torsen differential and 3.73 gears. The BOSS 302S suspension features two-way adjustable coil-over dampers and Ford Racing anti-roll bars in both the front and rear.

The BOSS 302S uni-body starts as a Mustang body-in-white, to reduce weight, the factory seam sealer, sound deadener and interior panels are deleted prior to body build. In addition to body reinforcement, a 6 point FIA legal roll cage is installed for driver safety and chassis rigidity. The interior features a RECARO HANS Pro-Racer lightweight race seat, 6-point safety belt, quick release steering wheel and AIM data acquisition system with GPS.

BOSS 302S aerodynamic updates include a unique fiberglass heat extracting hood, adjustable front splitter and adjustable carbon fiber rear wing. A "retro" styled BOSS 302 graphics package is included with each car and mimics the graphics from the original 1969 BOSS 302 program.

Production is scheduled the second quarter of 2011 and orders are now being taken at Ford dealers that participate in the Ford Racing Performance Parts program by ordering part number FR500-B302S (performance white paint) or M-FR500-B302SO (orange paint). MSRP for the BOSS 302S is $79,000.00.

For more information on Ford Racing Performance Parts, please visit: www.fordracingparts.com