2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Indy Pace Car ready to roll

The Indianapolis 500 may be several months away still, but the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car is ready to go. The tangerine Camaro is a throwback to the past, paying homage to the one that paced Indy in 1967.

While the mechanicals are stock, the car does have some visual upgrades, as expected. The Inferno Orange Metallic paint and White Diamond rally stripes go nicely with the Indy 500 logos on the doors, front fenders and seat headrests. The front grille is a new piece that may become an option on future Camaros.

Check out the press release below for all the details.

PRESS RELEASE

Chevrolet Camaro SS to pace 2010 Indianapolis 500
Rally Stripe Paint Scheme Pays Tribute to '69 Camaro Pace Car

INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials from Chevrolet and Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 pace car at the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum today.

"We've enjoyed a great partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the years, and are proud to once again have the privilege of pacing the Indianapolis 500 in a Camaro," said Jim Campbell, General Manager, Chevrolet.

The 2010 Chevy Camaro Indianapolis 500 pace car is a 21st century sports car that looks to the future with a nod to both the car's and the race's heritage. The first year for Camaro to pace the Indianapolis 500 was in 1967, the year the Camaro made its debut. Camaro has since paced the race in 1969, 1982, 1993 and 2009.

This year's pace car features an Inferno Orange Metallic paint scheme with White Diamond rally stripes that travel from the front to the rear over the top of the body, as well as extending to the instrument panel. The design is a modern interpretation of the original rally stripe that debuted on the 1969 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car.

"Chevrolet has done it again with the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Pace Car, it is simply beautiful," said Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. "The car's tribute to '500' history and its sports car feel will be a big hit with our fans, and it will look great leading the Indianapolis 500 field on Race Day."

This year's pace car is equipped with a stock 400 hp 6.2L V-8, an RS appearance package and leather interior with Inferno Orange interior accents. The pace car also features unique design cues that further enhance the Camaro's head-turning design. Features unique to the pace car include:

2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo painted on doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests
2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders
All-new front grille insert that Chevrolet plans to offer as a future Camaro accessory
Amber lens tail lamps
Complete safety strobe light system with custom interior light bar in the rear window (no rooftop light bar)
All-new GM Accessory floor mats with red and orange accent stitching
Starting at approximately $23,000, and offering an EPA-estimated 29 highway mpg on the V-6-powered car, the all-new Camaro is a budget-friendly sports car that doesn't sacrifice on performance. Despite the recent economic challenges, the Camaro has overtaken its closest competitor to lead the regular sports car segment in sales for the last six months. Chevrolet sold more than 6,000 Camaros in each of these months.

The public will get their first look at the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 pace car when it makes its auto show debut at the Indianapolis Auto Show starting on Dec. 26.

Chevrolet is one of America's best-known and best-selling automotive brands, and one of the fastest-growing brands in the world. With fuel solutions that range from "gas-friendly to gas-free," Chevrolet has nine models that offer an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway, and offers two hybrid models. More than 2.5 million Chevrolets that run on E85 biofuel have been sold. More information can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. The 2009 racing season marked the 100th anniversary of the Speedway and the start of its Centennial Era, which continues with the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.

For 2010, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will play host to the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, the Brickyard 400 on July 25 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 29. For tickets and information, visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

Autoweek reveals more details on 5.0 powered 2011 Ford Mustang

After yesterday's not so surprising information that the 2011 Ford Mustang would indeed pack an available "Coyote" 5.0 V8 packing 412 hp, today Autoweek has revealed a few more details about the new mill.
To go along with that 412hp, the new 5.0 puts out 390 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. It also gets a thrifty 25 miles per gallon, reportedly. It accomplished this feat thanks to an aluminum engine block with cast cylinder sleeves and brand-new heads with four valves per cylinder, vertical intake ports and twin independent variable valve timing. The engine also features tuned exhaust headers, a forged steel crankshaft with four-bolt main bearings and new pistons and connecting rods.

Transmission options include either the 6R80 automatic transmission or the MT82 six-speed manual.

It's official: 2011 Ford Mustang to have 412 horsepower 5.0 V8

It has been rumored over and over for a long time now, but we have confirmation today that the 2011 Ford Mustang will indeed offer an available 5.0 V8. This news comes on the heels of Ford's 2011 V6 Mustang that offers almost as much power as the current V8 Mustang, so you knew a healthy boost was in store for the V8.

The 5.0 in the '11 will have a healthy 412hp, which is 10 ponies less than the Camaro SS and 13 less than the Dodge Challenger SRT8. Only thing is, both of those cars are considerable heavier than the Mustang.