Filed under: Concept Cars, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Pontiac

Car and Driver is the first outlet to post real live photos of the SEMA-bound Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept. By taking the looks of the '70 Trans Am and adapting them to the new Chevrolet Camaro, Lingenfelter has created something that will have you playing "What if.." scenarios regarding Pontiac over and over again in your heads. Imagine a world in which you could walk into a General Motors dealer and pick between this and the G8 GXP...

Anyway, snap out of it, because that ain't happenin'. We think what's likely to happen, if people go as batsh*t crazy over this creation at SEMA as we think they will, is that Lingenfelter will probably offer the package to customers. That's probably good, anyway, as we can't see GM spending the bucks to offer the 455 T/A's upgraded interior (yeah, it's premium vinyl, baby) and monstrously-upgraded engine. See, that 455 nomenclature's no joke. According to C/D, the 455 CID/7.5-liter V8 rocks an 11.5:1 compression ratio, ported and polished LS7 heads, a new intake and a forged crankshaft. The exhaust is by Corsa, the honeycomb wheels are custom jobs, and most importantly, the engine comes correct with 655 horses and 610 lb-ft. of torque. We'll have plenty more on this bad mofo next week from SEMA. In the meantime, head over to CarandDriver.com for more images.

[Source: Car and Driver via Camaro5 | Image: Patrick M. Hoey]

The Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept really is badass originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Videos, Chevrolet, Humor, Off-Road

Those punk kids who TP your neighborhoods and smash pumpkins on mischief night? Rank amateurs. If you want to do something, do it right - an idea that Conan O'Brien clearly has a handle on. Hence, when it came time to smash a pumpkin on The Tonight Show, he procured the world's largest, and the blunt instrument he calls upon to do the smashing is Dennis Anderson's Grave Digger. You all know how this ends. The video's posted after the jump. Thanks to Shawn for the heads-up!

[Source: NBC via YouTube]

Continue reading Happy Halloween from Autoblog

Happy Halloween from Autoblog originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

We've seen the pictures. We've seen the videos. Now we're finally going to see the Hennessey HPE700 Camaro in person when it makes its official debut at SEMA next week. There's a lot to love with Hennessey's halo musclecar, starting with the LS9 V8 from the ZR1 packing 725 horsepower and 741 lb.-ft. torque (up from the initial figures, 705 and 717 respectively). Those numbers are good for a 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds, and the trip back to a complete stop takes just 104 feet thanks to 15-inch Brembo brakes. Then there's the subtle Cam-Aero carbon fiber body kit that adds a front splitter, side skirts, rear bumper, and a diffuser, with the look is finished off with a set of Hennessey's three-piece, 20-inch wheels.

Expect plenty of photographs and our first person impressions when we come face to face with the HPE700 Camaro next week. Until then, check out the new high-res photos in the gallery below or read the official press release and the full specs list after the jump.



[Source: Hennessey Performance Engineering]

Continue reading 2010 Hennessey HP700 Camaro to make official debut at SEMA

2010 Hennessey HP700 Camaro to make official debut at SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Buick

A couple of weeks back, General Motors officially announced that its next new Buick will carry a very familiar name: Regal. Two days later, the apparent U.S. spec Regal was added to Buick's Facebook page, revealing that the Regal sold here in the States will essentially be the same as the China spec Buick sedan, which is itself essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia. Got all that?

The only changes we noticed in the photo include a slightly larger and more rounded-off version of Buick's chrome waterfall grille and redesigned lower openings below the grille and headlamps along with the new squared-off fog lamps. After seeing a new "viral" video from Buick, we're more sure than ever that the FB Regal is the U.S. model.

Hit the jump to check out Buick's latest tease of the new Regal. The video was shot guerrilla hand-held style and it reveals nothing other than the front end of Buick's newest sedan. We do see, however, that the grille, badging and lower fascia shown in the video appear to be a match to the photo shown above. Judging by the uptick in Regal info emanating from the General, we're guessing the information floodgates will be opened up very soon.



[Source: Buick via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Buick Regal sneak peek shows face we already know

VIDEO: Buick Regal sneak peek shows face we already know originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

We've already added plenty of Camaros to our must-see list at SEMA, including variations from Hurst, Lingenfelter, and Yenko. Now we can add one more to our schedule -- this Callaway-built Camaro commissioned by Hendrick Motorsports for their 25th anniversary. An appropriate production run of 25 is planned after the show, with each car commanding a $76,181 price tag.

What does the price of two fully loaded SS Camaros get you? Lots of carbon fiber, for starters. The front splitter, rear diffuser, rear spoiler, rocker panels, and hood inserts are all made from the lightweight material. The exterior also gets a see-through ZR1-style hood that shows off the Eaton TVS supercharger sitting atop the V8 directly beneath. In addition to the blower, the Hendrick Camaro enhances its performance credentials with an upgraded exhaust system, short-throw shifter, and Eibach suspension components.

While the price tag might seem a little high for what you get, we're guessing there are at least 25 crazed Hendrick Motorsports fans that will splash the cash for this expensive but exclusive collector's item. The cars can be purchased through Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego, CA or one the three Hendrick Chevrolet dealerships.




[Source: CamaroBlog.com]

Callaway building Hendrick Motorsports 25th Anniv. 2010 Camaro SS originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our new head of Global Vehicle Engineering Mark Reuss will be on Autoline After Hours tonight at 7 p.m. EDT and you can join the webcast right here on FastLane. Mark is the son of former GM President Lloyd Reuss and is back stateside from a stint down under running Holden. He is a certified car guy and has been known to throw a car or two around such famed race venues as the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. Get your questions ready and join Mark, John McElroy, Peter Delorenzo and others right here on FastLane to talk cars, culture and customers with an engineering spin.

By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

Today, at the Monticello Motor Club in New York, the Cadillac CTS-V stood tall in the V-Series Challenge, a race pitting the CTS-V against several of the best production sedans on the market today — those that showed up, that is.

Here are the results from the track. There were no winners or losers today – the point was to have fun with great cars because that’s what they’re all about, and to show that GM vehicles can compete with the best in the world, in every class. It was a great day for the CTS-V, and an exceptionally fun day for me. I’ll have to issue another challenge so I can do this again sometime soon, although I wish I had started doing these when I was younger!

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Cadillac

If you're looking for live updates from the Cadillac CTS-V Challenge, a variety of spectators are tweeting from the Monticello Motor Club. Get the lap times and more information by clicking here to follow along on Twitter.

UPDATE: Top lap times after the jump. We'll continue to update with the best times if you're Twitter-averse
UPDATE 2: Lutz pulls off a 2:58:072 lap on his first run
UPDATE 3: Lutz' best time is 2:56:321. Hired guns and factory hotshoes up next
UPDATE 4: John Heinricy posts a 2:46:560 in the CTS-V
UPDATE 5: Final times added to the list below the fold
UPDATE 6: Video of "The Challengers" added.

Continue reading Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: Follow along on Twitter

Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: Follow along on Twitter originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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