We here at S:S:L have always been huge fans of the Corvette Z06 and have said that the Z06 is the best track car of the entire Corvette lineup.  The folks at Chevy have taken an already incredible track car and made it even better with the 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition.  Limited to just 500 units, the Z06 Carbon is sure to sell out quickly to both track junkies and collectors alike.

To improve on the standard Z06, Chevy has fitted the Z06 Carbon with Brembo carbon ceramic brakes (first seen on the ZR1), black 20-spoke wheels, magnetic selective ride control, and enhanced cooling.  The Z06 Carbon also features black headlight buckets and mirrors, a ZR1 style rear spoiler, carbon fiber hood, and carbon fiber splitter/rockers. 

If you aren’t one of the lucky 500 to pick up a Z06 Carbon, Chevy will be offering the Z07 performance package on the standard Z06 which includes all the upgraded mechanical goodies that the Z06 Carbon has.  The carbon fiber goodies will be available through the optional CFZ package.

No pricing has been announced yet, but deliveries are expected to begin this summer.

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Forget everything you know about the Aveo name and how bad it was, as Chevy has pulled the sheets off the Aveo RS Concept which will debut next week at the Detroit Auto Show.  This new Aveo RS Concept is a slightly over-the-top look of what’s to come for the Aveo badge in the near future.  

We’re told that while the Aveo RS Concept won’t be destined for production, about 80% of what you see will make it to dealer showrooms, including the very nicely done interior, and agressive body lines.  This concept version of the Aveo is powered by the same 138 horsepower 1.4-liter inline-4 Ecotec engine which will make its way into the Chevrolet Cruze.  The new Aveo will be slightly smaller than the Cruze, but larger than the new Spark which is also expected to bow at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. 

While this is just a concept, we’re already impressed with what GM is doing with future product, and can’t wait to see the new Aveo go head to head with Ford’s new Fiesta.  Rumor has it that the Fiesta ST will be hitting our shores in the not too distant future, in which case an Aveo RS  would make perfect sense.  We can only hope. 

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For many ponycar fans, the most compelling variant of Chevrolet’s reanimated Camaro isn’t the big-money, nose-heavy SS model. The lighter, more efficient “high-feature” V-6 base car has captured a lot of hearts and minds since being released earlier this year, and although Ford’s revised 2010 Mustang meets or beats the Chevy in many areas, it was severely hampered by its thrashy, understrength four-liter V-6. With this morning’s announcement of a Duratec-powered V-6 2011 Mustang and a track-oriented Performance Package to match, Ford has made it plain that they intend to match the Camaro pony for pony — a stance that we can only hope they back up further with a new high-performance “Coyote” V-8 announcement in weeks to come.

The new 2011 Mustang has 305 horsepower from a thoroughly revised 3.7L Duratec V-6, allowing it to challenge competitors as diverse as the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Infiniti G37, and the aforementioned “Jodie Foster Special” Camaro. More details, including specs on the long-awaited V-6 Performance Package, after the jump.
Continue reading 2009 LA Auto Show – 2011 Mustang V-6 Performance Package: The Camaro isn’t the only competitor who should worry.

The 2009 SEMA show kicks off in Las Vegas today and while we can’t be there, we’ll throw up some high-res galleries of the cool stuff that the manufacturers are showing off this year.  First up, General Motors and their Camaro Extravaganza.  Chevrolet has brought 5 different Camaro concepts including the badass Jay Leno Camaro shown above.  In addition, the Chevrolet Trucks team has brought a Silverado ZR2 Concept to the party.  Check out the galleries and descriptions of each after the jump. 

Continue reading SEMA 2009 General Motors Gallery – Camaro Extravaganza

Forget the break-in period and suggested care instructions from the owners manual. When you have a hot car in your hands like the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, the first thing you should do is take it immediately to the drag strip. That’s exactly what the guys down at Hennessey Performance did yesterday as they got a baseline for their new Camaro build.

We’re heading over to the Hennessey facility on Friday to get some driving impressions before the Camaro begins it’s transformation into a 550+ horsepower monster.

http://www.hennesseyperformance.com/

This past weekend I had the chance to ride along in the 2010 Chevy Camaro with 3-time Sprint Cup champion, Jimmie Johnson at Texas Motor Speedway.  While I didn’t get a chance to drive the Camaro, the experience from the passenger seat was exhilarating to say the least.  I chose to ride along with the model range topping SS version, which sports a 6.2-liter V8 engine.  Automatic transmission Camaro SS models such as the one I rode are rated at 400-horsepower, while the six-speed manual versions get an extra 26 horsepower on top of that.  Whichever one you buy, you can be sure that there won’t be a lack of horsepower.     

For those of you waiting to get your hands on a 2010 Camaro of your own, rest easy that the wait is almost over.  Based on my quick impressions from the passenger seat, the long wait will be completely worth it. 

Track Video and Photo Gallery after the jump!

Continue reading We Ride Along With Jimmie Johnson in the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS