Chevrolet Camaro GS Racecar Concept


One of the most iconic cars of the legendary Trans Am road racing series was the distinctive blue-and-yellow Camaro of Mark Donohue. He was a dominant racer in the series and drove his #6 1969 model to the series championship that year.

With the assistance of GM’s High Performance Vehicle Operations, North Carolina-based Riley Technologies re-created the look and feel of that standout racecar with a tribute that looks, sounds and drives like it’s ready to do battle with its contemporary pony car competitors. In fact, the heritage-inspired racer is more than concept. It is an early prototype for the Grand Am Koni Challenge GS racing class. Racecars like the GS Concept are offered and manufactured by Riley Technologies for the 2009 Grand-Am season.

The GS Concept features the race-ready suspension, reinforced chassis and drivetrain conform to the specifications required of racecars certified for the series. In fact, this racecar has already logged many hours on the racetrack as Riley team members worked to dial-in the chassis and powertrain. Additional features include:

-- Seam-welded production Camaro body-in-white
-- Carbon fiber hood, trunk lid, doors and fenders
-- Production LS3 V-8 engine (used with solid engine mounts)
-- Tremec 6060 six-speed manual transmission with close-ratio gearing
-- Three-inch exhaust system with Coast Fab mufflers
-- C&R racing aluminum radiator
-- Upgraded engine oil cooler
-- Transmission and differential coolers

The GS Racecar Concept is shown at SEMA just as it was last driven off the track, with the grime, brake dust and body imperfections commensurate with a day’s worth of racing. Indeed, it isn’t a car that spent hundreds of hours in a body shop in a quest of sheet metal perfection. It displays the bruises of competition and wears them as badges of honor.

Like Donohue’s ’69 Camaro racecar, the GS Racecar Concept wears a deep blue paint scheme that is accented with yellow graphics, a yellow-painted interior and yellow racing wheels.

Chevrolet Camaro Dale Earnhardt Jr Concept '08'


NASCAR star Dale Jr. is fan of vintage Camaros – he cruises around in a Pro Touring-style ’72 Camaro powered by a GM Performance Parts LS crate engine – and the heritage-inspired design of the 2010 Camaro appeals to him like a checkered flag at Daytona. His vision for the car was channeled to GM’s designers and crafted in a multi-color combination of style, capability and comfort.

They started with a new Camaro SS that uses the standard 6.2L V-8, but modified to use E85. Taking advantage of E85’s favorable octane rating, the engine was calibrated to deliver a few extra horsepower, with the exhaust exiting through GM Performance Parts’ new headers. It’s backed by the SS’s available six-speed manual transmission and GM Accessories’ short-throw Hurst shifter. Additional performance enhancements include a Brembo brake package and a lowered ride height, giving Dale Jr.’s Camaro a sleeker look to match its road-hugging capability.

A custom gray-over-white paint scheme blends the high-performance drivetrain with serious style. It is accented with an orange stripe separating the gray and white sections. Also generating attention on the exterior is a set of 21-inch, five-spoke wheels inspired by the Camaro Convertible Concept. They feature dark-painted center sections on the spokes that complement the body’s gray color. The wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero ZR-rated performance tires.

Additional exterior details include:

-- Chevy Accessories grille
-- Chevy Accessories ground effects and rear diffuser
-- Chevy Accessories exhaust system
-- Early Camaro-style “dovetail” rear spoiler
-- Production high-intensity discharge headlamps
-- Production RS taillamps

Similarly, the interior is outfitted for performance and style, including:

-- Custom-trimmed leather-and-suede-covered seats with accent stitching
-- Leather-trimmed steering wheel, shift knob, door armrests and center console lid, with accent stitching
-- Carbon-fiber treatment on the instrument panel and door panel inserts
-- Racing-style aluminum pedals
-- Production-optional four-pack auxiliary gauge cluster
-- Revised gauge cluster with unique graphics and colors
-- Custom sill plates
-- Dale Jr. also specified Chevy Accessories’ upgraded audio system for the Camaro, which is matched with a Boston Acoustics speaker system, including amps and subwoofers.