Earlier this week, we told you about the 2011 Camaros that Chevrolet was bringing to SEMA, and now it's time to see them up close and personal. Four Camaros are hanging out in Las Vegas this week, and each one provides a very different point of view on Chevy's pony car.

The Red Flash Show Camaro is a look-at-me V8-powered coupe that will certainly grab your attention out on the road thanks to its modified intake and exhaust system. On the other end of the spectrum is the XM/Accessory Appearance Package V6 Camaro that goes for a more subtle, not-so-flashy styling upgrade. The Synergy Series Camaro is the second version of a once-per-year limited-edition, and it features interior and exterior colors not available on any other model in the Camaro range. Finally, the SSX Track Car Concept rumbles on to the SEMA floor to tease us with the idea of a purpose-built track-day machine.

Source: AutoBlog

Yesterday, GM announced the release of the General Motors Performance Parts Z06X Corvette and SSX Camaro. These uniquely track-equipped versions of the Corvette and Camaro will be built by GM and Pratt & Miller Engineering (of Corvette Racing and Camaro race car fame). Pfadt Race Engineering was selected as the exclusive and premier manufacturer for the suspension equipment on both vehicles. The Performance oriented packages will be available to the public through every GM dealer as part of the GMPP (General Motors Performance Parts) catalog. Boasting of select carbon bodywork, lightweight components throughout, increased horsepower, upgraded brakes, wheels and tires; this Corvette Z06X is the real deal track machine.

Hit up the source for more info!

Source: CorvetteForum

After 84 years, General Motors officially says goodbye forever today to Pontiac. No more Bonnevilles. No more Firebird Trans Ams. No more GTOs.

The New York Times just wrote an obituary for the brand:

The Times pays special attention to the GTO, brainchild of engineering bon vivant John DeLorean, who went on to create the car in his own name and to get caught, and later acquitted, in a FBI cocaine sting.

Even now, long after Pontiac disappeared from the headlines and sales lots but before today's official end, it seems strange for it to be gone.

Source: USA Today

Ford has been on a roll with the new Mustang, especially with their new and amazing 5.0L V8 and the new 3.7-Liter V6 that’s replacing the primeval 4.0L V6. But if the new engines, updated chassis and suspension dynamics, and reworked bodies weren’t enough, our friends at Edmunds spotted a slightly new Mustang in the works.

The results are some visual tweaks on the exterior that suggests that they’re working on a new trim, but that new front lower valence looks like it’s set up for an intercooler and additionally, the interior is what gives some more clues. A new rev counter pegged at 9000-RPM and a sticker demanding that drivers use premium fuel can only suggest that an EcoBoost V6 Mustang is on the way.

Now of course you guys can say, “Hey, maybe it’s just a new V8 model…” but as far as I’m concerned and by logical deduction, the only guys that have been able to make a V8 that can rev to 8000 or 9000 RPM from the factory are the buffoons at Ferrari and Audi.

So that leaves us with the only logical conclusions that Ford could be throwing in a new inline-4 into the mix, or could be planting the new EcoBoost turbocharged and intercooled V6 that we saw in the Taurus SHO.

Source: eGMCarTech

We've seen companies attempt to turn the Chevrolet Camaro into a Pontiac Trans-Am, but the results are often mixed at best. Heide Performance Products, a customizing company out of Madison Heights, MI, is looking to change that. Is it successful?

Source: AutoBlog

In a live webchat this morning, Ralph Guiles and Pietro Gorlier announced that Dodge and Mopar will be pulling the sheets off of the new Challenger 392, complete with a 6.4-liter V8 with 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. In addition, quarter-mile fans can get excited about the new Challenger Drag Pak V10. The car will come with all the goodies you'll need to dominate the strip, including a V10 borrowed from the mighty Dodge Viper, a two-speed transmission, roll cage, fuel cell and unique gauge cluster. Even better, both Challengers are production models.

Source: AutoBlog

Drop Top Customs, an aftermarket customizer which typically creates convertibles, has created a T-Top kit for the Chevrolet Camaro. The Drop Top T-Top Camaro will make its debut at SEMA show this November and the company says most of its creations will come equipped with a supercharger, but Drop Top assures us that chassis flex isn't an issue. Sales begin shortly after its debut in Vegas next month and carry a sticker of $6,500.

Source: AutoBlog

Own a piece of history. Incredible condition, incredible car.

Source: eBay Motors

It's the big headline currently on GM's media news site:

"2011 Chevrolet Volt Reinvents Automotive Transportation In A Complete No Compromises Electric Package"

Um, well, no. Even conceding that all engineering projects involve compromise and chalking that phrase up to marketing hyperbole, the Chevy Volt isn't as electric as GM pretends it is. And it isn't as electric as GM has been saying for the past three years. You know, GM statements like this one:

"The Chevrolet Volt is not a hybrid. It is a one-of-a-kind, all-electrically driven vehicle designed and engineered to operate in all climates."

In fact the Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid and it has more in common with conventional "series-parallel" hybrids like the Toyota Prius than the marketing hype led us to believe. There are circumstances in which the Volt operates with the internal combustion engine directly driving the front wheels. That's right, like a Prius.

At the heart of the Volt is the "Voltec" propulsion system and the heart of Voltec is the "4ET50" electric drive unit that contains a pair of electric motors and a "multi-mode transaxle with continuously variable capacity." This is how GM describes it:

"Unlike a conventional powertrain, there are no step gears within the unit, and no direct mechanical linkage from the engine, through the drive unit to the wheels."

The 4ET50 is, however, in fact directly bolted to the 1.4-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec internal combustion engine. When the Volt's lithium-ion battery pack runs down, clutches in the 4ET50 engage and the Ecotec engine is lashed to the generator to produce the electric power necessary to drive the car. However, under certain circumstances — speeds near or above 70 mph — the engine will directly drive the front wheels in conjunction with the electric motors.

Source: InsideLine

Shelby American has finally released the specs on its 2011 Shelby GT350. Starting with a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, Shelby utilizes Ford's 5.0-liter V8 engine but ups the ante a bit. The base GT350 is rated at 430 horsepower (the stock GT musters 412 hp). On the standard GT350, a Whipple supercharger can be added to boost power output to 525 hp – enough to propel the modified Mustang from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. If that's not enough, the R tune version produces a monstrous 624 horses.

All 2011 Shelby GT350s are fitted with a long list of performance-aiding parts which include upgrades to the brakes, suspension and tires. As you can see above, they also wear unique Shelby aero and trim bits, a GT350 45th anniversary badge and a serialized Shelby GT350 dash plate.

Pricing for the naturally-aspirated Shelby GT350 conversion is set at $26,995 and the base supercharged car runs $33,995. Due to the 99-pony jump with the R tune, you would expect that package to cost close to $40,000, but it doesn't. It's just 750 bucks over the price of the standard supercharged kit. All of these prices, however, fail to include the cost of the donor Mustang GT.

Source: AutoBlog

Looks like a Z28 model isn't too far off.

Should they have kept the old one or did they make the right decision with a redesign?

The hotly anticipated 2011 Dodge Charger has beat a path onto the Internet in a million little ways, but this is the first complete, undisguised look that we have of the redesigned muscle sedan after a seemingly endless stream of spy shots and leaks.

2011 Dodge Charger, rear viewSaid to be more closely inspired by the second-generation Charger of 1968-1970, the rear/all-wheel-driver picks up the classic model's full-width rear taillamps but goes without the original's hidden front lighting. That massive 'race track' brake lamp assembly, incidentally, is illuminated via 164 LEDs. The nose appears to be more closely derivative of the outgoing model, albeit with a prominent grille assembly that sits a bit more proudly ahead of the front fascia.

Under that big hood, Chrysler confirms that the 2011 Charger will receive both the 5.7-liter V8 Hemi and the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as expected. All-wheel drive will be available in R/T trim, and the system includes a front-axle disconnect function to aid in fuel economy, meaning that when it isn't needed, the AWD Charger ought to behave like its rear-drive counterpart (albeit with some extra weight from the additional componentry).

The Ontario, Canada-built Charger is expected to rumble into showrooms before the year is out.

Source: AutoBlog

For more photos, hit up the source.

Source: Camaro5 Forums

A lot changing this time around!