Ideal 2009 Camaro Stocker

[Mackie Family Racing]

A serious question for those of you that may be interested and/or knowledgeable about the Stocker world (which I am not) -- what would make an ideal (motor) combo for the new 2009 Camaro...? think about the current portfolio of recent motors that GM makes, including the new LS7, and don't restrict yourself to what you may have heard will be the motors available in the car...

appreciate any input

Scott Mackie
Regional General Manager
General Motors

[Geerhead55]

Wow!,,,,A very good question,,,especially if your input is considered by the factory. I can't speak for everyone on here,,but I say do it like they did in 69 and make every engine and transmission combination thats available now be included in the new body coming out. My 2 cents,,,,,,,,,, Danny Durham

[Just Observing]

Any of the LS family of engines would be great, but for my money a LS9 detuned (wink,wink) to say 450 hp rating would be INCREDIBLE! Make 500 availible with either a manual or auto available. You could even put a 4l80e in the autos to make it easy for stock racers to get them out in competetion faster. That way there would be no need to get a six speed auto up to competeition snuff. They could use the current available 3 speed stuff!

BTW @ 450 hp rating they would fit AA/S - AA/SA at 3525 lbs. Should be easy to get them to that weight, even with the super charger!

[Jeff Lee]

Scott,
Great question! Not even being a GM racer, I would have to say from a marketing perspective I would analyze the offerings of the competition. Ford/Shelby has the GT500 & GT500KR both producing 500 to nearly 550HP off the showroom floor. Dodge has the new Challenger with a 6.1L Hemi. I've seen a bone stock 6.1L Hemi produce 550 HP with only an injector change and re-curve on the fuel / timing.
GM is last out of the gate this time for the new pony car war. GM has a chance to shine with even a late arrival and I would like to see a 505HP LS7 or maybe even the CTS 550HP offering. I'm not at all familiar with the later of the two but as a racer, the LS7 makes me salivate. The engine structure offer's much more potential than the other two pony cars even when considering the supercharger of the Shelby. Place that engine between the frame-rails and the others will have their work cut out for them! I suspect the LS7 may be cost prohibitive unless on a limited basis. Think '69 COPO Camaro...
By all means, a manual trans would be required. The racer's would instantly place a G-Force or Jerico in place of the OEM trans. A dual 7" clutch such as offered by Advanced Clutch would handle the power and offer maximum acceleration. Hopefully the rear-end will have a non-IRS option with some unique way of planting the rear slicks. What about the Buick GNX rear-end & it's aluminum ladder bar type suspension as an option?
Has GM explored a competitor to the new Challenger SS 392 Hemi lite-weight package?
I think the makings are here for some heated competion and have no doubt this will turn into an increase in sales. Should be a lot of fun! Thanks for listening,
Jeff Lee

[denny harvey]

i work in alot of auto plants like Gm,ford bmw , mopar and other stamping plants,and i dont think gm looks as the hipo challenger as its competition,not enough to be made,however the new mustangs have the brass talking to them selves,as in the muscle car days as it is today,the mustang is the only real competition to the camaro.that is the car it has to line up to.i am no ford guy but GM and mopar only dream of the number mustang sales..ford hit it out of the park with the new mustang and i dont hear that they fear the new camaro or dodge..just my 2 cents...step it up Gm..lol...denny

[Chad Rhodes]

LS7 detuned to 450, if my estimate of the weight is correct

[Jack Matyas]

Scott -- For my money a warmed over LS2 would be plenty -- something in the area of 425 to 450 HP should do the job for most . I can't wait to get my hands on one........it will make one of the neatest looking stockers I've ever had ! ! !

PS -- Adding an LS7 or an LS9 as an option for AA/SA would be neat but very expensive to most .

[Tim H]

The Real LS7 displaced 454 ci, and this new thing should have been labelled something else !

[Travis Miller]

Scott, One thing to keep in mind when planning a new car is cost. A stripped down race special that is not burdened with luxury options will go a long way in keeping the price affordable. One only has to refer back to the Chevy archives to see how 427 Biscaynes, bench seat Novas, and basic Camaro Z-28's dominated dragstrips around the country in the past. That domination by low cost high performance Chevrolets back then set a precedent for the industry that has held strong over the years. With that kind of history, a new high performance Camaro built with todays technology but kept affordable in the showrooms will keep everyone wanting one of their own. As for the selection of engine in the new Camaro, all the Corvette engines look great.

For those interested in seeing the engines Chevrolet has in store for the Corvette go to:

http://corvettemuseum.com/specs/2007/index.shtml

then click on Specs/Download to see a breakdown of 2008 and 2009 engines

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

[BlueOval Ralph]

Originally Posted by Mackie Family Racing

A serious question for those of you that may be interested and/or knowledgeable about the Stocker world (which I am not) -- what would make an ideal (motor) combo for the new 2009 Camaro...? think about the current portfolio of recent motors that GM makes, including the new LS7, and don't restrict yourself to what you may have heard will be the motors available in the car...

appreciate any input

Scott Mackie
Regional General Manager
General Motors

Are you in the race group @ GM and part of the Camaro group???