| FOR RELEASE: November 7, 1996
CONTACT: Chevrolet/Geo Communications
Phone: (800) CHEVY-MI or: (810) 492-8841
Fax: (810) 492-8853
CHEVY'S CAMARO TURNS THIRTY: LET THE PARTY BEGIN!
LAS VEGAS -- Is there any truth to the adage, "You’re only as old as you feel?" In the case of the legendary Camaro, the answer is an enthusiastic yes. And Chevrolet has proven decisively that this perennial favorite gets only better with age.
To commemorate Camaro’s 30th birthday, Chevrolet -- in conjunction with SLP Engineering --has developed a limited-edition 30th Anniversary Z28 SS loaded with special features. Since the production run will stop smartly at 1000 units, this special anniversary model is guaranteed to be an instant collector’s item.
The only Camaro that’s more tantalizing is the concept car Chevrolet will feature at this year’s SEMA show. While basic content is similar to the limited-production SS model, the combined creativity of SLP and Jon Moss, Chevy’s Specialty Vehicles manager, points the way toward another thirty years of road-going entertainment.
Broad hood stripes were all the rage in ‘67 when the first hot Camaros saw the light of day. They’re back for anniversary festivities as well. While the limited-production scheme is orange-on-white, the showcar does a neat flip-flop: White stripes on an attention grabbing orange background. To maintain contrast, the reversed-color motif continues with the front-fender-mounted SS identification badges.
The SEMA "show" Camaro includes several SS options including: a high-performance exhaust system; a level II suspension; a Torsen limited-slip differential; a Hurst short-throw shifter; a hood scoop ushering cold air to the engine; a more effective decklid airfoil; SS identification embroidered into the headrests and floormats; a "Camaro SS" plaque for the console; and P275/40ZR-17 B.F. Goodrich Comp T/A radial tires.
Custom touches just for the show car include: chrome-plated alloy wheels; a form-fitting shift knob; aluminum brake, clutch and throttle pedals (drilled for lightness); and front brakes upgraded to 13-inch Brembo rotors gripped by four-piston calipers.
What matters most to any Camaro fan is what lurks under the hood. The pecking order here is a step-by-step climb toward horsepower heaven. While the standard Camaro Z28 does quite nicely with 285 horses from an LT1 V8, the SS delivers 305 horsepower in standard trim, or 310 horsepower with the optional high-performance exhaust system. The show car takes the next step with a 5.7-liter LT4 massaged to 350 horsepower by means of ported intake and exhaust passages, wilder cam timing and a special light-weight flywheel machined from a steel billet. Rotating inertia has also been diminished by means of a light-weight steel driveshaft.
Like most of Chevrolet’s concept cars, the 30th Anniversary Camaro SS creation is more than a static display. Take a good look now because the next time you see this car, it will be streaking through the gears to smash a few performance records.
30TH ANNIVERSARY CAMARO SS SPECIFICATIONS
| Engine |
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| |
|
| Type |
5.7-liter LT4 |
| Power |
350 horsepower @ 5800 rpm |
| Torque |
375 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm |
| Special features |
hand-ported intake and exhaust ports; long-duration, high-lift camshaft; cast stainless-steel exhaust manifolds; light-weight steel flywheel |
| |
|
| Tires and Wheels |
|
| |
|
| Tires |
B.F. Goodrich Comp T/A P275/40ZR-17 |
| Wheels |
chrome-plated cast aluminum, 9.0 x 17-in. |
| |
|
| Chassis and Driveline |
|
| |
|
| Transmission |
6-speed with Hurst short-throw shifter |
| Differential |
Torsen limited-slip |
| Brakes |
F: Brembo 13.0-inch vented discs with 4-piston calipers R: 11.4-inch vented discs (stock Camaro) |
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| |
|
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For Release: April 29, 1996
Contact: Chevrolet/Geo Communications
Phone: (800) CHEVY-MI or (810) 492-8841
Fax: (810) 492-8853
30TH ANNIVERSARY CAMARO Z28 SET TO PACE BRICKYARD 400®
 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- It’s a familiar sight ... a massive pack of high-performance automobiles anxiously cruises the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, each ready to make its move at the drop of the green flag. Out in front, a white 1997 30th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro Z28 keeps the vehicles in check.
Over the radio comes word for the Camaro driver to let the racers loose, and suddenly the racetrack is a combination of controlled chaos and raw power.
It’s likely that the beginning of the Third Annual Brickyard 400® will look something like this -- for the third year, a Chevrolet leads the pack as the official pace vehicle.
"This is truly a proud moment for Chevrolet," said John Middlebrook, general manager of Chevrolet and vice president of General Motors. "There’s no better way for the sporty Camaro to celebrate its 30-year heritage than on a racetrack in front of race fans."
An impressive fifty Camaro Z28 pace cars supplied by Chevrolet will converge on Indianapolis on August 3. Two of the vehicles will be responsible for official pace car duties, while the others will be used for support services.
To fully understand the significance of the Camaro pace car, one needs to look deeper -- under the teal blue and gold Brickyard 400® graphics, the Z28 is a special edition 30th Anniversary Camaro. In fact, it’s technically identical to the new 1997 Camaro. The laps it makes around the Indy Speedway will mark the first time a 1997 Camaro will be driven in public.
To commemorate the 30th birthday of Camaro, Chevrolet will produce the vehicle in a special trim package for retail sale in the 1997 model year. The 30th Anniversary Camaro Z28 features an all-white exterior, including badging, grille, door handles and aluminum wheels. Two eye-catching "Hugger Orange" stripes running the length of the vehicle complete the exterior finish. Inside, white appointments and special houndstooth seats with the 30th Anniversary embroidery on the headrests and floor mats round out the 30th Anniversary package.
The 1997 30th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro Brickyard 400® Pace Car features:
- 5.7 Liter LT1 V8 engine with Sequential Fuel Injection rated at 285 horsepower at 2500 rpm, with 325 lb.-ft. of torque at 2400 rpm
- Four-speed electronically controlled 4L60-E transmission with computer-controlled fourth gear overdrive
- Cast-alloy aluminum wheels, Goodyear Eagle GS-C P245/50ZR-16 steel-belted radial tires
- Four-wheel disc brakes with GM’s award-winning ABS VI anti-lock brake system
- Power rack-and-pinion steering
- White aluminum five-spoke wheels
- Light bar and strobed driving, brake and cornering lamps.
This Camaro Z28 pace car has some big shoes to fill. Chevrolets have served as the official Brickyard 400® pace vehicles each year of the race’s history. A Chevrolet Monte Carlo paced the first-ever Brickyard 400® race in 1994, followed by a full-size Vortec V8-powered Chevy C/K Pickup the following year.
In 1995, it appeared that, no matter where you looked, the red bowtie had left a major impression. Chevrolet won the SCCA Manufacturers Championship with Camaro, and Monte Carlo captured the Busch Grand National Drivers Championship and Winston Cup Drivers Championship. Finally, Dale Earnhardt’s win in Atlanta last season marked 300 NASCAR wins for Chevrolet in the modern era.
Go to John G. Middlebrook's biography
CAMARO Z28 PACE CAR TECHNICAL INFORMATION
ENGINE SUMMARY
| TYPE: |
5.7 Liter V8 |
| BLOCK: |
Cast iron |
| CYLINDER HEAD: |
Cast aluminum |
| BORE: |
4.0" |
| STROKE: |
3.48" |
| DISPLACEMENT: |
350 cubic inches |
| COMPRESSION RATIO: |
10.4:1 |
| INDUCTION SYSTEM: |
SFI |
| LIFTERS: |
Hydraulic roller |
| HORSEPOWER: |
285 @ 5200 rpm |
| TORQUE (LB.-FT.): |
325 @ 2400 rpm |
| EXHAUST SYSTEM: |
Stainless steel |
| TAILPIPES: |
DuaL |
| IGNITION: |
Opti-spark |
| ALTERNATOR: |
140 amp |
| BATTERY: |
525 CCA |
| MIN. RECOMMENDED FUEL: |
92 octane (87 acceptable) |
TRANSMISSION
| TYPE: |
4-speed manual
with overdrive |
| GEAR RATIOS: |
|
|
| 1ST |
3.06 |
| 2ND |
1.63 |
| 3RD |
1.00 |
| 4TH |
.70 |
| REVERSE |
2.29 |
|
