Texas tuner developing turbocharged V6 Camaro to take on GT-R's 'Ring record
2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS -- click above image for high-res gallery
Must. Beat. Godzilla. For some reason. Here's the skinny. A tuner company called East Texas Muscle Cars is fitting a couple of turbos to a 2010 V6 Camaro in order to "beat" the 'Ring time laid down by none other than the Nissan GT-R. That leaves us with two questions then: how and why?
Lots of folks are going to buy V6 Camaros, grok the 304 hp V6, scratch their heads and say, "More power." In other words, there's a market. ETMC will rip the guts come out of the 3.6-liter LLT and throw in forged rods, crank and pistons. And then, of course, you get the two Squires Turbo Systems turbos. These are remote-mounted turbos that bolt up under the car near the exhaust. With such a system, you're basically trading a bit of lag for increased cooling and no need to mess around with new headers. East Texas thinks they can wring 500 horses out of the system no problem.
Then there's the matter of dealing with the stock Camaro's "tremendous understeer and cradle walk." That's pretty necessary if you want to do battle with a R35, which neither understeers nor cradle walks nor really does anything bad or sloppy. East Texas Muscle Cars will be addressing those issues via harder bushings and Pedders coil-overs, along with a Baer big brake kit and lightweight forged 20-inch wheels.
Then there's the question: Why? Why go after Godzilla, such a high profile target? Unless you're building Clubber Lang, why call out Rocky? Publicity, obviously. Would we even be writing about a bolt-on turbo kit for a V6 Camaro unless they publicly challenged one of the production car 'Ring masters? Probably not. But there is one part of their scheme that we do like. Once the Camaro is finished, ETMC will be flying it and a friend's stock GT-R out to Germany to run 'em both simultaneously. Since that's the case, no need to even mention the inherent fallacy of Nurburgring lap records. Good luck boys.
Gallery: 2010 Chevy Camaro
[Source: Inside Line]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Farris 8:06PM (8/07/2009)
I need to dig up the magazine that said it, but I thought the R35 GT-R understeered like a pig when taken to it's limits?
Also, what exactly is "cradle walk?" I've never heard that term before.
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savageretard 8:44PM (8/07/2009)
Really? From what I've read, in most articles, the GTR handles very well around the corners. But I wouldn't mind reading a counter example. Can you find and post the link of the said article pretty please?
Benfolio 10:20PM (8/07/2009)
My guess is crade walk refers to the inhernet shifting of the engine cradle due to suspension load. Like most cars it's probably bolted to the unibody and insulated by rubber bushings (the post makes a reference to harder bushings being installed).
Must be pretty bad if you or I have never heard of it before. Especially if it's bad enough to be felt when cornering hard.
Tagg 11:34PM (8/07/2009)
I've read where the Camaro handles like a pig.
"It's a pig."
PJ Jones
Automobile Magazine September 2009; Vol. 24, No. 6
Farris 12:51PM (8/08/2009)
MotorTrend, February 2009, Page 48.
"But mostly it understeers like a pig." says Didier Theys.
This was the "War of the Worlds" comparo, where they ran a ZR1, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, GT-R, and Porsche GT2.
Farris 1:05PM (8/08/2009)
Alternatively:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0810_2009_corvette_zr1_vs_porsche_gt2_vs_ferrari_599_vs_nissan_gtr/lap_times.html
Rar 4:23PM (8/08/2009)
Front engine, 4WD GT-R is not so stable car like Midship engine car. beacuse front is so heavy.
BigMcLargeHuge 8:11PM (8/07/2009)
There's an inherent fallacy of same-day same-driver tests as well, when it is a biased party with both keys.
And stop plugging that article. We had established that Ring records were unofficial months before that biased crap was introduced.
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knapps 8:15PM (8/07/2009)
Honestly, this is the third time in a week you linked to that article and the SECOND TIME TODAY. If you really hate the 'ring or people setting lap times that much, then stop writing for Autoblog.
longbowmkii 8:57PM (8/07/2009)
knapps, i think hes just trolling you. itd be easier for you to just not read it, or not take it so personally.
BigMcLargeHuge 9:22PM (8/07/2009)
Seriously Lieberman,
You think any part of that article is, as you said, 'brilliant?'
Scary.
It takes more than power-to-weight and 'heritage' to prove cheating.
And since there are no other premises... that argument is retarded.
I posted on an Autoblog thread denouncing an 'official' lap-time
months before it showed up on SSL. And I stole the idea who had
posted it months before me.
Bottom line, it was common sense before you even got here, friend.
If you're going to go that road, I challenge you to plug my
point-counterpoint to that power-to-weight and heritage NONSENSE that
was used as a premise to imply that just because any company CAN
cheat
at the 'Ring, out of all of them it had to be Nissan.
I argue and can SUPPORT that Porsche was full of sha-hit. Really
doesn't matter what site it is posted on, the numbers I use in all my
arguments come straight from verifiable sources. I don't guestimate
based on brand name. My estimates are based on sh*t that really happened.
http://www.gtrcenter.net/?p=2735
Temple 7:55AM (8/08/2009)
This is what happens when Autoblog hires writers from the flame-bait troll blogs like The Truth About Cars.
Slade 8:10PM (8/07/2009)
looks cool.
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Taglane 8:18PM (8/07/2009)
I is intrigued...
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MoonRover 12:55PM (8/09/2009)
I is too.
Sean Morris 8:22PM (8/07/2009)
As much as I like GM, I like Nissan GT-R's more. This might end up looking a little silly. The Camaro might be able to go fast straight, but them corners, at this track, might throw these boys from Texas for a loop.
Maybe they think its an oval or something. Nurburg - Ring ?
http://www.2009gtr.com
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Autblogist! 8:29PM (8/07/2009)
Well the Camaro is heavy enough to be a GT-R, but that weight ain't technology. Just my .02.
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campasini1 11:06PM (8/07/2009)
thats the problem with the gtr its not you thats driving its the technology.
axlewood 2:03AM (8/08/2009)
^^^ that might a problem for you..but not for most of us.
the4thheat 2:12AM (8/08/2009)
Yeah because our cars better not have technology in them, the horror.
Maybe you should ditch your modern radial tires too, because that's that fancy tire technology that's helping drive for you what with the traction and all. And why, those modern suspensions are also helping since they like, keep the tires on the ground for you.
Seriously a ridiculous argument. The GT-R's technology helps it put more power down especially through turns and maintain maximum traction all the time. If you think a total lack of technology is the only purist thing then have fun posting 25 minute ring times.