Seeing a Chevrolet Camaro setting the pace at a NASCAR or Indy race is not uncommon, but its latest tour of duty has taken GM's modern ponycar to another form of racing altogether: the World Touring Car Championship.
The WTCC pits race-prepped sedan and hatchback touring cars against each other on tracks across Europe and around the world. Considering that the factory-backed Chevrolet Cruze has emerged over the past couple of seasons as the car to beat in WTCC competition, perhaps its only fitting that another Chevy act as safety car.
The Safety Ca(r)maro, as it's been dubbed, appears pretty much bone stock, though we'd assume it has had the necessary safety gear fitted, like a roll cage, five-point harness and fire supression system. But as it stands, its 430-horsepower V8 is about 40% more powerful than the restricted engines in the touring cars it's keeping at bay. Scroll on down for the full press release and video clip.
The WTCC pits race-prepped sedan and hatchback touring cars against each other on tracks across Europe and around the world. Considering that the factory-backed Chevrolet Cruze has emerged over the past couple of seasons as the car to beat in WTCC competition, perhaps its only fitting that another Chevy act as safety car.
The Safety Ca(r)maro, as it's been dubbed, appears pretty much bone stock, though we'd assume it has had the necessary safety gear fitted, like a roll cage, five-point harness and fire supression system. But as it stands, its 430-horsepower V8 is about 40% more powerful than the restricted engines in the touring cars it's keeping at bay. Scroll on down for the full press release and video clip.
WTCC Pace Car Stronger Than A Race Car
Safety Ca(r)maro Becomes A Video Star
In the past two years' FIA WTCC seasons, Chevrolet always was "one wheel ahead" of its peers and with the Cruze ended up No. I plus an additional place on the podium in 2010 and 2011.
In 2012, the world-famous American car manufacturer presents another race car for the
World Touring Car Championship that will leave its competitors far behind: the official Camaro Safety Car. The coolest pace car in the WTCC history is portrayed in its own video clip, which also shows its predecessors and the most emotional scenes from the 46-year Camaro history – outperformed by Chevrolet Europe Motorsport Director Eric Nève.
Even the first Camaro generation, built from 1966 onward, showed a huge motor sports potential. Special racing versions of the pony car won quite a number of trophies. And the Camaro was used as the famous Indy 500's pace cars for many, many years, too. Although as the WTCC safety car the Camaro features a serial engine, it is still always in the lead. After all, with its 432 V8 hp it outraces the touring cars of the series by about 40 percent. In its new video clip, Chevrolet depicted this muscle car's character in a glorious manner.
And just as it should become such a car with a long and successful motor sports history, Bruno Correia, an experienced race driver, will be at the Camaro's wheel. Correia has driven in more than 350 races. To be sure, the Portuguese driver is not supposed to outrace the field, but rather to make the races safer with his aplomb. In the five-minute video clip, he casts a light on the life of a pace car driver and looks back upon an accident in 2009, when the safety car's crew was acting rather rashly and collided with Franz Engstler's race car, thereby causing a serious accident. Engstler, the leading driver, also lost the race, through no fault of his own.
What during a safety car phase you better not do with the Camaro is then shown by WTCC world champion Yvan Muller. After all, this Chevrolet top pilot has a very emotional relationship with the fifth-generation Camaro.
Safety Ca(r)maro Becomes A Video Star
In the past two years' FIA WTCC seasons, Chevrolet always was "one wheel ahead" of its peers and with the Cruze ended up No. I plus an additional place on the podium in 2010 and 2011.
In 2012, the world-famous American car manufacturer presents another race car for the
World Touring Car Championship that will leave its competitors far behind: the official Camaro Safety Car. The coolest pace car in the WTCC history is portrayed in its own video clip, which also shows its predecessors and the most emotional scenes from the 46-year Camaro history – outperformed by Chevrolet Europe Motorsport Director Eric Nève.
Even the first Camaro generation, built from 1966 onward, showed a huge motor sports potential. Special racing versions of the pony car won quite a number of trophies. And the Camaro was used as the famous Indy 500's pace cars for many, many years, too. Although as the WTCC safety car the Camaro features a serial engine, it is still always in the lead. After all, with its 432 V8 hp it outraces the touring cars of the series by about 40 percent. In its new video clip, Chevrolet depicted this muscle car's character in a glorious manner.
And just as it should become such a car with a long and successful motor sports history, Bruno Correia, an experienced race driver, will be at the Camaro's wheel. Correia has driven in more than 350 races. To be sure, the Portuguese driver is not supposed to outrace the field, but rather to make the races safer with his aplomb. In the five-minute video clip, he casts a light on the life of a pace car driver and looks back upon an accident in 2009, when the safety car's crew was acting rather rashly and collided with Franz Engstler's race car, thereby causing a serious accident. Engstler, the leading driver, also lost the race, through no fault of his own.
What during a safety car phase you better not do with the Camaro is then shown by WTCC world champion Yvan Muller. After all, this Chevrolet top pilot has a very emotional relationship with the fifth-generation Camaro.
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