Top Speed Cars Car News

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze won’t turn heads as a road-burning machine, but when it comes to a car that comes with a fuel-economy calling card, you can’t do any better than this compact sedan.

And if you’ve got a taste for online configurators, you’re in luck because Chevrolet recently released the configurator for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze for you to go crazy on. You can opt for the basic LS model that comes with a price tag of just a nickel under $17,000 – $16,995, to be exactly. But if you’re willing to splurge on the car, you can click a myriad of features to put on the Cruze, including an RS appearance package, a sunroof, navigation system, and a spare tire to boot. All these add-ons could spike up the price of the car to $26,800, an increase of 10 grand over the basic model but still cheap enough to make it a little worth it.

Then again, all of this is subject to your imaginations so you might as well go the whole nine yards in configurating your virtual Cruze.

Chevrolet releases online configurator for the Cruze originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 6 September 2010 20:00 EST.

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We can’t recall a vehicle that has generated more news and feature stories than the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. One of the biggest questions that many have had about it revolves around its gas mileage once the batteries run out and need refueling. General Motors has been extremely tight lipped about these figures.

Many have driven the Volt, including us, but the models that were used were prototypes and weren’t able to show us mileage figures. Thankfully, a team at Translogic was able to test the new Volt at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. The team ran the battery all the way and recorded their results. Needless to say, they’re a bit shocking.

The car drove on for 16.1 miles and it used 0.59 gallons of fuel. Do the math and that’s an average of 27.3 miles per gallon. That figure is not even close to the number that GM claimed the Volt would achieve. That being said, the testers did drive the Volt quite hard.

There are other gray areas with these figures as well. The crew only went 16.1 miles, that’s well short of the 59.7-mile total range. On top of that, the energy meter was not reset before the test, so old figures factored in. It’s sort of like the trip computer on a normal car. In order to get an accurate reading, you must reset it every time you fill up.

Translogic Tests Chevrolet Volt originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 30 August 2010 12:00 EST.

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The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze was unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Motor Show and Chevrolet will make good use of the next major motor show, the Paris Auto Show, by revealing the hatchback version for the latest model in their line-up. A first concept version of the hatchback Cruze will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and will most likely be followed by a production version.

The confirmation was made by the maker’s Australian brother, Holden: “There will be some exciting news coming out of the Paris motor show and the Chevy reveals for the Australian market.” However, Holden would only say that it was too early to confirm the presence of the Cruze five-door at the Paris show, preferring to leave official announcements to Chevrolet .

The production version will be built on the Delta II platform and will be revealed in the second half of 2011.

We have to remind you that at the same show, we will also see production versions of the Chevrolet Aveo and the Chevrolet Orlando.

Chevrolet will bring Cruze hatchback to Paris originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 August 2010 10:30 EST.

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Former Formula One driver and, now NASCAR driver, Juan Pablo Montoya has never been one to hold his tongue on matters of his opinion. Whether it’s his well-documented rivalry with Michael Schumacher or his penchant for saying and doing the craziest of things at the most inopportune times, Montoya isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and that wasn’t any more evident than during his time with the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

The Columbian driver recently paid a visit to General Motor’s Milford Proving Grounds and got a chance to drive a number of Chevrolet vehicles, including the Cruze and the Camaro. But no car caught his attention more than the Corvette ZR1.

Talking to the cameras after his run with the ZR1, Montoya was quick to pay the American sports car a few compliments, saying that, “if you’re looking for something that is exciting to drive, that gets your heart pumping pretty fast, it doesn’t get much better than this.”

On the flip side, Montoya’s years as a top-class racer has also exposed him to a wide number of uber fast sports cars and, while he did have some well-earned props for the ZR1, he also, ever so subtly, pointed out that the ZR1 is a car that isn’t for the weak of heart.

Check out the video and watch how the fiery Montoya does behind the wheel of the Corvette.

Video: Juan Pablo Montoya runs a Corvette ZR1 roughshod originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 25 August 2010 23:00 EST.

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Lost in the spectacle of racing series’, like Formula One and NASCAR, is one of the most storied and most difficult events in the auto racing calendar: endurance racing.

Requiring a combination of unbridled physical and mental conditioning, endurance racing takes more than just natural talent and top-level driving skills to succeed, and knowing how to take advantage of the level of preparation needed for endurance racing is already half the battle won.

In the latest episode of Corvette Racing’s Track to Street series, two members of the Corvette Racing Team discuss the tedious work that goes in preparing for long distance races. For both Oliver Gavin, the driver of the no. 4 Corvette, and Ken Flory, chief engineer of the no.3 Corvette, it’s one thing to be able to participate in one, but it’s a completely different ball game to be competitive in these types of races; ones that stretch your physical and mental strength to the absolute limit.

For both Gavin and Flory, accomplished marathon runners in their own right, the experiences they’ve learned in both competitive environments have allowed the pair to become more prepared in the competitive setting both endurance racing and long distance running commonly share. It’s these shared experiences – the ability to focus on the task at hand despite the taxing an exhausting nature of these two sports – that has given both Gavin and Flory, and the entire Corvette Racing Team for that matter, the know-how to not only infuse their knowledge and experiences on the team, but more importantly, to be able to compete at a high level in both sports.

Want to see the first eight episodes? Hit the jump for some useful links!

Episode 9 of Corvette Racing’s "Track to Street" Series originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 August 2010 09:00 EST.

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GM has already denied rumors about a future mid-engined Corvette, but Jalopnik has some spy pictures of a very strange looking sports car. This spied Corvette features an extended wheelbase Corvette with modified bodywork and a lot of space behind the front seats.

We do not know for sure, but considering the manufacturer plates, we presume this is a testing mule of the future generation Corvette C7.

The guy who caught this car testing said: “It’s a hybrid mule, it has narrow width front tires, extended body to accommodate the drivetrain (Corvette has a rear transmission), and, interestingly, a plug outlet cover on the ass of it? The front wheels also do not match the rear wheels. Just my thought…. since GM mentioned a hybrid Corvette sounds possible.”

The future C7 will go into production in April of 2012 and will then go on sale for the 2013 model year. As previously reported, its exterior design will be inspired by the Stingray concept.

Update: Some readers have pointed out that the manufacturer plate on this vehicle is not from Michigan, as all GM test vehicles usually are. It seems the California manufacturer plate 44699 belongs to Fisker. This should be enough to put GM out of the equation and assign this car to the Fisker company. That also explains the rear plug, as Fisker is primarily focusing on electric cars.

Strange looking Chevrolet Corvette spied testing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 August 2010 18:00 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

Listen, we know that not everyone is a big fan of the Chevrolet Camaro. It’s not something we understand, but it’s a fact and we can live with it. Now, not liking the upcoming Camaro Z28 is just plain ridiculous. It’s not that we only favor the Camaro though. It’s really more of a good old fashioned muscle thing. That being said, we were thrilled to find the Camaro Z28 testing next to none other than the Ford Shelby GT500. It’s like heaven on a street.

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 will feature a 6.2L LSA V8 engine, even though the Corvette ZR1’s 638 hp LS9 was cruising around the rumor mill for awhile. The awesome news regarding the new Camaro’s engine is that it will more than likely feature more than the 556hp found in the Cadillac CTS-V. Stopping power will come from the 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers.

The future Camaro will be distinguished by enlarged air intakes at the extreme, a larger bubble on the hood to make room for the supersized engine, rims inspired by the ones from the CTS-V, and 20″ wheels.

The fact that it was caught testing next to the Shelby is juicy enough for us to salivate on for quite awhile. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to pin these two muscle cars together. The new Camaro Z28 is expected to go on sale in 2011.

Chevrolet Camaro Z28 caught testing next to a Shelby GT500 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 12 August 2010 19:00 EST.

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A little while ago, we wrote on the possibility of a mid-engine Corvette. Karl Stracke, General Motors Vice President of Global Engineering has just denied these rumors when he spoke to Automotive News and Autoweek.

“There is no mid-engine in the plans,” said Stracke.

The mid-engined Corvette has been in our minds for years, almost as long as the car has been around. There have been numerous concepts and different sketches that keep our minds focused on this possibility. The latest machine was the CERV-III concept that debuted in 1990.

Stracke also put down the possibility of a V6 Corvette, as GM has just created a new small-block V8 that might find its way into the sports car sometime in the future. He did say that a hybrid might come along eventually, but we can only imagine how that would go over with the Corvette faithful.

Let us know what you think down below. Do you think there should be a V6 in the Corvette or a hybrid? Or do you think the engine should be in the middle?

GM Denies Rumors Of The Mid-Engined Corvette originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 12 August 2010 08:00 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

We are beginning to see a trend in the teasers shown ahead of the SEMA Auto Show. Last week, we received a teaser image of the Honda CR-Z Hybrid by Fortune Motorsports that showed a vehicle covered in a tarp with just a smidgen of the car shown as the tarp was pulled back just a bit. This week we received another teaser image of a vehicle set to take the SEMA stage in a few months’ time with the same setup. This time, it’s the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS by aLL STaR Performance that is being teased ahead of this year’s SEMA (November 2nd-5th).

This unique tuning project has been led by Gene Marcel and includes a set of 22×11” Forgestar wheels, a custom set of Baer brakes, Air Lift digital suspension, Lysholm supercharger, and a custom paint mix thanks to Dupont. We wish we could tell you a little more about the kit, but that’s all we know as of right now.

The tuner has yet to announce the engine’s new performances, so you can only imagine what we’ll get! In its standard version the 6.2 liter V-8 engine delivers a total of 426 HP and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. We are hoping we’ll get a substantial power boost from the boys over at aLL STaR Performance considering they are a manufacturer and distributor of racing and high performance parts.

This unique Camaro has been developed in cooperation with Extreme Dimensions, American Status Racing, STACK, Autometer, MagnaFlow Exhaust Products, Webasto, StreetGlow, Image Dynamics, TechAFS, Royal Purple, Real Autoworks and others. This seems like an intense list of collaborators so we’ll be on the edge of our seats until aLL STaR announces further details on this tuning project. They say they will provide more details in the next few weeks, so stay close!

aLL STaR Performance Camaro SS teased before SEMA originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 9 August 2010 10:00 EST.

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Want to know what makes the Chevrolet Volt the better electric vehicle? Yeah, Chevrolet wants you to know as well, which is why they have released this two and a half minute highlighting the Chevrolet Volt. One of the major features, of course, is its capability of running 40 all-electric miles and traveling for up to 340 miles on single full tank. Being able to charge it anywhere and everywhere is also a nice little perk as the liquid cooled lithium ion battery can be charged in ten hours using a 120V outlet or in four hours using a 240V outlet.

Another cool feature for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is its eight year or 100,000 miles warranty that covers all 161 battery components found in the Volt. Of course, this warranty loses its originality as Nissan is offering the same one for their Leaf.
Pricing for the Volt was just released yesterday and will cost $41,000 before federal and state tax incentives. The federal tax credit adds up to $7,500, cutting the cost of the Volt to $33,500. The lease option seems to be the best choice with buyers being able to lease their very own electric Volt for $350 per month for 36 months. That is the exact same payment that Nissan is asking for with the Leaf EV. The tax incentive will be factored in the lease payment.

Check out the video and let us know if you think the Chevrolet Volt is the better electric vehicle or if Nissan’s Leaf Attack Plan will outrun the competition.

Chevrolet releases a video to highlight the Volt’s Value originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:00 EST.

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Top Speed Cars Car News

We finally have some pricing information on the Chevrolet Volt. General Motors Vice President for Sales and Marketing, Joel Ewanick announced the Volt’s pricing at an event named Plug-In 2010. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt will cost $41,000 before federal and state tax incentives.

While the sticker price is rather high, the lease deal seems to be the best choice. Buyers can lease their very own electric Volt for $350 per month for 36 months. That is the exact same payment that Nissan is asking for with the Leaf EV.

Buying this sort of car comes with perks. Buyers will get a federal tax credit of $7,500, cutting the cost of the Volt to $33,500. Buyers will have to finance the $41,000 and get the credit back on their next tax return. For people who choose to lease the car, the credit will be factored into the payment. The Volt will require a $2,500 down payment, but now buyers can buy the car at the end of their lease.

That price will get buyers a well equipped sedan. The car comes with a navigation system, a great battery warranty, Bluetooth, Bose Sound System, and a subscription to OnStar. The only options for the electric Volt are heated leather seats, chrome wheels, three premium paint colors, and rear park assist.

We are very interested in how the Volt will sell. The sticker price is a tad high and the Volkswagen TDI models offer great mileage at a cheaper price. We will have to take the Volt for a drive to really get a good idea of how it operates.

2011 Chevrolet Volt Will Cost $41,000 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 19:00 EST.

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It’s about that time, folks. The time for police officers to ride in style while they capture the miscreants that roam our cities. The 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) will be seen on the streets starting in April 2011. Before that officers can order the Caprice PPV detective package (9C3) in October 2010. The police package (9C1) can be ordered starting in January 2011 before the vehicles start their service in June 2011.

The Caprice police car is powered by a 6.0-liter V8 engine producing 355 HP and 384 lb-ft of torque and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It also has the appeal of Active Fuel Management technology and E85 capability. Those features will come in handy when patrolling the streets as will the full-width prisoner partition when the police officers have “guests” in the backseat.

The PPV comes with tons of standard equipment to help out the boys in blue including 18-inch steel wheels with bolt-on center caps, large, four-wheel disc brakes with heavy-duty brake pads, police-calibrated stability control system and special equipment packages such as spotlights and a little something called “Trap Speed”. This feature captures speed when tracking/pacing other vehicles.

Hit the jump for the press release containing full specs for the Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle.

Chevrolet Caprice goes on duty in April 2011 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 17:00 EST.

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There have been quite a few talks of the next C7 Corvette and those talks have been circulating for some time now. In fact, there have been so many talks that Chevrolet chief engineer, Tadge Juechter, even had a few words to say in defense of the next generation C7. But with all of those talks, there still aren’t too many hard facts, leaving everyone with plenty of opportunities to speculate.

This speculation comes to us from MotorAuthority and it is a rendering of the 2013 Corvette as drawn up by Schulte Design. It draws inspiration from the Stingray Concept as seen in the Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen movie and brings forth the egg-crate grille, vertical slat headlights, side vents, and the jet-fighter glasshouse. Adding some truth to speculation, this rendering also includes a split rear window that will be a part of the next C7 according to GM’s product design head, Ed Welburn.

Very little details are known as to the engine options for the Corvette. GM says there have been talks about a 440-horsepower, 5.5-liter V-8 version of the next-gen GM small block engine, but others say a smaller, forced induction engine may also be possible. We think Chevrolet is going to keep the lid tightly closed on this one until the car debuts in late 2011. Sales should begin in early 2012.

Check out another rendering of the Corvette C7 by clicking here!

2013 Chevrolet C7 Corvette Rendering originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 12:00 EST.

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In the last episode of Fifth Gear, Jason Plato decided to try his hand at reviewing the 2010/2011 Camaro SS and boy did he take advantage of it! Right off the bat, Plato explains that this beast of a muscle car runs the 0-60mph sprint in under five seconds which is one second faster than the Porsche Cayman. That shouldn’t be too hard to believe considering the Camaro SS also runs with 426bhp which is about 150 more horsepower than the Cayman.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS is powered by a 6.2L V8 engine and contains fuel-saving Active Fuel Management on automatic-equipped combinations or a six-speed manual transmission. It also features an FE3 (performance) suspension and a lower ride height.

Want to hear what Jason Plato thought about the Camaro SS? Well, you know we are not going to spoil it so just check out the video to see for yourself!

Fifth Gear’s Jason Plato reviews the Chevrolet Camaro SS originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 25 July 2010 06:00 EST.

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Feast your eyes on the luscious Camaro Z28 that has been laid before you in all of its beauty and triumph. Yeah, we received confirmation of this gorgeous piece of machinery last month when GM’s Vice President of Global Vehicle Engineering Karl Stracke openly confirmed its production, but to actually have a photo of it while it gets tested with a bunch of other Camaros just increases the level of excitement that we were already feeling.

The 2012 Camaro Z28 features a lower front fascia than the standard Camaro and much larger intakes. At the rear you can see quad exhaust with dual pipes on each side. The sound that comes out of this beast was described by the photographer as “nothing short of unholy!” The wheels are 20? SP550 anodized black (20×10 in the front and 20×11 in the rear) wrapped in Goodyear tires. Last month, Stracke mentioned that the new Z28 would be built on a new Alpha platform (and not the Zeta like the current car). He also stated that he didn’t like the steering wheel controls on the Camaro because they were placed too far and the driver needed to remove his hands from the wheel when trying to reach them. We expect to see those changes as well as a few other tweaks when the Z28 is officially unveiled.

The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 will be rocking a 6.2L supercharged V8 engine mated to an automatic transmission. Official numbers have not been released yet, but we cannot wait to see what this baby will do!

Stay tuned! As soon as we get more details, we’ll pass them along to you!

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 spotted! originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 24 July 2010 18:00 EST.

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Midsize sedans are the bread and butter cars of most companies. Yet, even if typical bread and butter may seem like a bland food, that doesn’t stop these cars from being stylish, sporty, and fun to drive.

The best selling cars in the country are midsize sedans and the best selling cars for most automakers are their sedan offerings. The midsize sedan offers practicality without the reputation crushing style of a minivan.

At least, that’s what they want you to think.

The Toyota Camry was once the most popular car in the world and a year ago, the Camry’s annual American sales typically exceeded the total annual new car sales in the average European country.

There are many choices for car buyers and that allows people to demand many different things from these four door cars. Some people buy them as family cars, opting for more room over a compact sedan, without sacrificing small car handling and fuel economy. Other people like a bigger car over a smaller one and then there’s people who prefer the Honda Accord to the Civic because it has a bigger presence on the road. The larger car makes you feel safer and more secure during highway travel.

These are our top ten midsize cars under $30,000.

Hit the jump to read on.

Top Ten Midsize Sedans For Under $30k originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:00 EST.

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A few months ago, tuning house Lingenfelter ran their LS9-powered 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS to a quarter-mile run of 10.46 seconds at speeds of 139.95 mph. Pretty impressive, right?

Apparently, it wasn’t impressive enough for the boys at Lingenfelter.

The tuning house brought their beast of a machine out once again at the Muncie Dragway over the weekend and proceeded to set three staggering 9-second quarter mile runs with a top time of 9.974 seconds at a speed of 141.64 mph. The other two recorded times were 9.993 seconds at 140.38 mph and 9.979 seconds at 142.04 mph.

To make things even more impressive, the entire run was done on a race strip with an altitude of 3,600 feet and a temperature of 88 degrees with 75 percent humidity.

Talk about stomping your old record and kicking it on the curb, which is exactly what the boys from Lingenfelter did and did so convincingly.

Lingenfelter LS9 Camaro SS breaks 10-second quarter mile time – three times! originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 10:00 EST.

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As a fan, attending the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans is an experience like no other. While the unquestioned highlight of the entire weekend is the race itself, so many other things go on behind-the-scenes that attract thousands of fans from all over the world. Fan expos, autograph sessions, meet and greets, and the annual driver’s parade are just a few of the many things that makes the entire weekend such a worthwhile endeavor.

In the latest episode of their web series, Corvette Racing gives us a look at the fan experience during the 24 Hours of Le Mans event. We’ve already seen what happens on the track, but rarely do we get the chance to see what happens off of it. For the team, the off-the-track activities, especially those that involve fans from all over the world who came to witness the historical race, are as important as the on-track happenings because this is the opportunity for the team to give back to the very same people that cheer for them from the stands.

Episode 7 of Corvette Racing Team’s "Track to Street" Series originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 09:00 EST.

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It was bound to happen. We don’t care how good the Corvette ZR1 is, people are just not going to buy a Vette that costs over $100,000, especially in this economy. Due to the lack of sales, there is a growing inventory of ZR1 Corvettes.

Since January, the number of ZR1s available has grown from 175 units to 500. Those numbers have helped GM decide to give the ZR1 a little help in the sales department.

The Detroit automaker is offering its first rebates for the supercharged Corvette, in the hope to increase sales. The rebates will run through September 7 and will allow buyers to get a $3,000 rebate, or 0% APR for up to 60 months. If you buy the 2009 version, you can get $5,000 back.

On top of all that money, you can also get the $1,000 Toyota Conquest rebate, which we find to be hilarious. So, if you purchase a ZR1 you could be saving $4,000 or $6,000, depending on the year.

If you’re interested in any ZR1 contact your Chevrolet dealer.

GM Offering Rebates On Corvette ZR1 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 19 July 2010 19:00 EST.

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Tuned versions of the Chevrolet Camaro are quite a fashion statement for SEMA and this year’s show will be no exception. CGS Motorsports is currently working on a tuned up version of the Camaro that will step up its popularity and give it some more flare to compete with the Mustangs of the world.

The CGS Camaro will be distinguished by a unique custom paint, a ZR1 influenced hood, and body kit by ACS. The CGS team is also designing and building handmade chrome moldings. IT will also include custom leather from Pecca Leather, one of CGS’s Cat-Back Exhaust Systems, and Whipple Ind’s new Camaro twin screw supercharger producing close to 500hp.

The package will be finished by 22″ wheels up front, a set of 24″x15″ rear wheels by Genuine Boyds, and Pirelli’s new 405/25/24″ rear tires. The suspension will also receive some work as it is being replaced with Chris Alston’s Fab 9 rear end with latter bar and coil over suspension.

Press release after the jump.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro by CGS coming at SEMA Show originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 19 July 2010 12:00 EST.

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