Wasn't it just a couple of years ago that the American Family Association was boycotting Ford for marketing in gay-centric publications? Fast forward to today and see just how much things have changed. Last month, Chevrolet sponsored an event in Los Angeles called Gay Day at the Movies to promote the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Michael Bay's latest opus, of course, features a bunch of General Motors vehicles, not the least of which is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro that plays the leading role of Bumblebee.

A video was produced to promote Gay Day at the Movies featuring a pair of "Bumblebee Boys" in Camaro-branded briefs washing the Bowtie brand's pony car revival. The cheeky (pardon the pun) video is clearly targeted at the gay community and uses beefcake car washers to that effect in a not-so-subtle way.

Will Chevy or GM see a backlash from being associated with this video? Who knows, but the video isn't exactly being shown in primetime on NBC. For the moment, it lives solely on YouTube with a gajillion other vids – and one would have to actively search to find it.

Follow the jump to watch the video for yourself, and please remember to be respectful in the comments.

UPDATE: The video has been removed from YouTube by the user. We're searching to find it again on the interwebs.



[Source: USA Today via Huffington Post]

High end tuner Fesler has created its own 2010 Fesler Moss Camaro; a tuned-up version of the hot-selling coupe that's been designed as an homage of sorts to General Motors' 1969 Bowtie. For about $55,000, you can get features like an adjustable coilover suspension, special 22-inch wheels and tires, as well as stainless steel struts. Bump the price up to $90k, and you'll get a supercharger that bumps the power quotient to an even 600 ponies. The fully loaded model stickers for a stout $150,000, and includes more equipment than we can reasonably add here. Fesler is even offering a package that includes a matching 1969 model(!) if you've got the garage space and the financial wherewithal.

Hit the jump to watch video of the supercharged version of the car in action. As you can probably guess on your own, the video includes burnouts and donuts. We wouldn't have it any other way.

[Source: Fesler]

You want a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro? You'd better come strong with more money than the MSRP requires, and you'd better be willing to wait. Bloomberg is reporting that General Motors can't build the reborn bow tie pony car fast enough to quench public demand. That's excellent news for a company that needs a reason to smile, and it could be even better for dealers donning the bow tie. After all, car sales are still firmly in the tank, and GM has seen more than its fair share of shrunken demand.

Dealers have already booked about 25,000 orders for the Camaro, yet only half have been delivered to date. Analysts reportedly told Bloomberg that dealers are getting $500 over sticker on average, too, and at least one dealer is guessing that he won't have a Camaro to sell in stock for at least a year. Bartow Chevrolet in Florida sold its first two Camaros at MSRP, and he's already booked 18 orders.

There is no question that the Camaro has grabbed the attention of the car-buying public, and the debut of Transformers 2 will likely give the pony car another marketing shot in the arm. GM sold 5,463 copies of the Camaro in May, and we're guessing that number will grow as production ramps up.



[Source: Bloomberg]

Normally the twisting of an ignition key doesn't constitute news here at Autoblog, but this is one of the few exceptions. Back in January, Hennessey Performance announced the HPE700, a concoction born from the combination of an LS9 supercharged V8 from a ZR1 and a 2010 Camaro. The Texas-based company only recently shoe-horned the engine into the engine bay. A video camera was on when it was finally time to start the newly created monster, and the sound is nothing short of amazing. The result of open headers plus what appears to be a fairly aggressive cam makes for a sound that has the hairs on the backs of our necks standing on end. Have a listen for yourself by watching the video after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Brian!



[Source: YouTube]

It's a classic case of old versus new, classic versus current, father versus son. A 1968 Chevy Camaro RS/SS lines up against a 2010 Camaro with the same options packages. According to the comments on YouTube, the '68 is anything but stock, with a 406 cubic inch small-block V8 mated with a five-speed manual Tremec transmission and a 3.73:1 posi rear end. This powertrain combination helps level the odds against the newer and more powerful (in stock form, at least) 2010 model, though we can't say if the new car has is fitted with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

In any case, the race is a close one and, as often is the case with such feuds, the winning driver is probably the one that can make the best use of the available traction. Speaking of which, racing cars out on public roads is never a good idea – even if there isn't any other traffic – and posting the law-breaking antics on YouTube probably isn't a particularly smart move either, given that the authorities seem to be combing the website for lawbrakers these days. In any case, click past the break to watch it all go down on video. As an added bonus, we've included a second video of the same 2010 Camaro lining up against a 1972 big-block Chevelle. Thanks for the tip, Khanh!

[Source: YouTube]

Artisan is teaming up with Turbochargers.com to create a turn-key tuner out of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS. Using a similar formula as its Lexus IS-F SEMA car, the crew is employing a duo of rear-mounted GTK350 turbos, a cat-back exhaust, intercooler and a tweaked ECU to net a total of 600 whp from the SS' 6.2-liter V8. The body benefits from a 1.5-inch flare in front and a three-inch stretch in the rear where a set of 21-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) iForged wheels reside, framing 14-inch SSBC Big Brakes. A new lip, rear diffuser, gauge package, Artisan-embroidered head-rests, BASF Glasurit paint and a numbered plaque round out the mods, and although the parts can be had separately, the full turn-key package will set you back $69,000 when the Artisan SA-600 goes on sale this June.

Might the newly-revived Camaro be the bright shining sales star that General Motors so desperately needs? That remains to be seen, but at least initial reports are favorable. According to The Peterborough Examiner (via The Detroit News), demand for the new-gen. muscle car is high enough that GM has asked workers at the assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, to work through the week of June 29, which had previously been scheduled as mandatory time off. Furthermore, Camaro orders are expected to be strong enough to keep the Oshawa plant's flex line humming along on Saturdays in June, July and August, and that means overtime for the beleaguered auto workers.



[Source: The Peterborough Examiner via The Detroit News]

Camaro5 forum member Bumleb drove his brand new 2010 Chevy Camaro SS about 40 miles when it suddenly just shut down (that's his car above being trailered back to the dealer on a flat bed). The culprit turned out to be a battery cable run from the trunk. Its insulation had broken down from rubbing up against the starter and eventually just shorted out, which ultimately caused the car itself to shut down. Before this was known, however, the forums blew up with speculation about what could be the cause and Mustang and Challenger fanboys had a field day. It turns out, however, that what happened to Bumleb's new Camaro may not be an isolated incident. General Motors has reportedly issued a voluntary product safety recall for any 2010 Chevy Camaro equipped with a V8 engine to ensure this doesn't happen again.

The recall is a pretty easy fix, but GM is reportedly offering two options for owners: a temporary fix that requires a second visit to a dealer and a permanent fix. The temporary fix involves wrapping the battery cable with protective insulating tape and rerouting it to ensure enough clearance between it and the starter. The permanent fix involves the same thing, except will use a new engine wiring harness that's being shipped to all dealers by May 11. Thus, owners can choose the temporary fix and keep driving their Camaro or just leave it at the dealer until the new wiring harnesses arrive.

The real question is whether or not this recall will damage the Camaro's reputation and ultimately hurt sales. Every aspect of GM is under the microscope, so what does it say when such an important new product launches with a recall right out of the gate? Thanks for the tip, Mark!

UPDATE: The AP reports that GM has built about 1,400 Camaros equipped with a V8 that are affected by this issue, but only 300 have been sold and are therefore under recall. The rest will be fixed before they're delivered to dealers.

[Source: Camaro5]

The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 may be stuck on an indefinite holding pattern, but Hennessey Performance is one of the first aftermarket firms to step up and fill the void between the base SS and Henessey's own 705-hp, ZR1-powered Camaro HPE700.

The Camaro HPE550 begins life as a standard SS model, and with the help of a Magnuson supercharger and a Corsa exhaust, the blown LS3 puts out 562 hp at 6,200 rpm and 557 lb-ft of torque beginning at 4,200 rpm. Hennessey is claiming a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds (down from five seconds on the standard model) and a quarter mile pass of 11.9 seconds at 119 mph.

The entire HPE550 package, which also includes high-flow fuel injectors, an aero package and aluminum wheels, will set you back $24,950 plus shipping uninstalled, or $31,000 installed, not including the cost of the donor car. If that's not enough, you can send your new SS to Hennessey for the aforementioned HPE700 package, or go completely nuts with either the 850 hp or 1,000 hp twin turbo setup that will set you back $54,500 or $59,500, respectively – again, not including the cost of the stock Camaro SS. All the details are in the press release below the fold.

Has it been three years already? The 2010 Chevy Camaro is finally rolling off the assembly line in Oshawa, Ontario after what seems a lifetime of anticipation, and 14,000 early adopters are impatiently waiting the arrival of their Bow Tie pony car. The very first Camaro to roll off the production line was a black SS (of course) with a red leather interior. Hendrick Motor Sports CEO Rick Hendrick is the lucky recipient of Camaro #001, and he flew up to Oshawa to claim his prize.

Few companies understand the significance of VIN #001, so the General had cameras rolling to share the milestone with the world. Follow the jump to watch production of Camaro #001, and click here to read our First Drive of the 2010 Camaro.



[Source: GM Fast Lane Blog]