Did you just buy a new, sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro SS? Dying to hit the track but terrified of voiding that precious new-vehicle warranty? Don't be.
Much as it does with the Corvette, Chevrolet has confirmed that it will honor the warranties on V8 Camaros even if the issue in question was caused by a track day or night at the drag strip. Motor Authority was told about the policy by Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser, and Autoblog got an official confirmation from GM. There are, of course, caveats, plus some open questions about the policy.
"If you're not modifying your car and you take your production car to a track day and you have an issue with one of your parts, it's covered under warranty," Oppenheiser told Motor Authority. "That's pride of craftsmanship that we know it will stand up to track use."
As Oppenheiser says, don't expect to make sweeping modifications to your car and have GM still foot the bill for any issues that befall your car on the track.
"We know when somebody changes their ECM calibration and we know if they changed to a cold-air intake, we can tell all that," Oppenheiser said. "But driving it as you break it in from the dealership, if you have a half-shaft or whatever, it's covered."
We're still waiting for specifics from GM regarding just how far the policy goes – for instance, are you safe if you slap on a set of stickier tires and track-focused brake pads? These are, after all, things that are meant to be replaced, not to mention some of the most affordable and impactful changes you can make to a car for track duty. We're expecting the answer to be yes, but stay tuned. Also, this policy only covers V8-powered SS models for now – sorry, turbocharged and non-1LE V6 Camaro owners. It will carry over to the higher-performing 1LE and ZL1, as well as the expected Z/28. (Chevy covered track use of ZL1 and Z/28 models in the last generation.)
But if you've got a bone-stock 2016 Camaro SS, there's no need to wait for further instructions; go hit the track. GM has your back.
Related Video:
Much as it does with the Corvette, Chevrolet has confirmed that it will honor the warranties on V8 Camaros even if the issue in question was caused by a track day or night at the drag strip. Motor Authority was told about the policy by Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser, and Autoblog got an official confirmation from GM. There are, of course, caveats, plus some open questions about the policy.
"If you're not modifying your car and you take your production car to a track day and you have an issue with one of your parts, it's covered under warranty," Oppenheiser told Motor Authority. "That's pride of craftsmanship that we know it will stand up to track use."
As Oppenheiser says, don't expect to make sweeping modifications to your car and have GM still foot the bill for any issues that befall your car on the track.
"We know when somebody changes their ECM calibration and we know if they changed to a cold-air intake, we can tell all that," Oppenheiser said. "But driving it as you break it in from the dealership, if you have a half-shaft or whatever, it's covered."
We're still waiting for specifics from GM regarding just how far the policy goes – for instance, are you safe if you slap on a set of stickier tires and track-focused brake pads? These are, after all, things that are meant to be replaced, not to mention some of the most affordable and impactful changes you can make to a car for track duty. We're expecting the answer to be yes, but stay tuned. Also, this policy only covers V8-powered SS models for now – sorry, turbocharged and non-1LE V6 Camaro owners. It will carry over to the higher-performing 1LE and ZL1, as well as the expected Z/28. (Chevy covered track use of ZL1 and Z/28 models in the last generation.)
But if you've got a bone-stock 2016 Camaro SS, there's no need to wait for further instructions; go hit the track. GM has your back.
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