In the early 90’s Callaway went for the cash grab that was the 4th Gen Camaro/Firebird. They offered a body kit known as the ‘CamAeroBody’ but also offered a completely made over car known as the ‘Callaway SuperNatural Camaro C8’. They gave it a 383 that could manage itself to 60 in 4.7 seconds which is pretty impressive, but not for $60,000 ($93,600 in 2014). Continue reading
Showing up to a car show in a wood-paneled hot rod is like showing up to a bikini contest with a Brazilian swimsuit model. Even if you don’t win a trophy, you’ve already won the approval of everyone else at the show. I imagine that the owner of this 1949 Chevrolet got a lot of nods of approval during the 4 days it was on display at SEMA 2013.
The car was done by “Customs by Kilkeary” from Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. The most striking feature of the car is its beautiful wood finish on the exterior. I can’t even comprehend the hours of sanding and buffing that must have gone into this thing! But I can tell you that it looked absolutely flawless in person.
It’s hard to look at a second-gen Firebird and not think of “Smokey and the Bandit.” While this car has been forever etched into our memories by the 1977 film, this car is so much more than a movie cliche.
When this car was new, people were worried about Vietnam War protests, the emerging counterculture movement, the start of punk rock, vehicle emissions laws, and The Man taking away their rights. With its Screaming Chicken logo on the hood and its utter lack of subtlety, the Firebird Trans Am is a middle-finger response to the social changes of the 1970s. As long as I’ve got my horsepower, you and your issues can sit on it and rotate!
When PayPal co-founder Elon Musk launched a new company building mass-market electric cars, he was clever in picking the name Tesla Motors. Tesla was an 18th-century inventor and engineer who was obsessed with the properties electricity. He was a brilliant man who was under-appreciated in his own time, and using his name to sell electric-powered cars is a fitting tribute.
Taking a page from Elon Musk’s playbook, another upstart car company has adopted the moniker of a famous inventor. Meet the Motion supercar from Kepler Motors!
From the city of Puyallup, Washington comes this gorgeous 1967 Chevrolet Nova from Chris Halstrom Concepts. It was featured at the Dynomax booth at SEMA 2013.
The car is nicknamed “9MIL” and it’s easy to see why. The black and chrome look gives it a sinister appearance like a firearm, while an LS9 crate engine is chambered under the hood. Just like a handgun, this car packs a punch!
This red-hot 1967 Chevrolet Nova caught my eye as I was walking past the Magnaflow booth at SEMA 2013. Built for Jimmy Shaw, this car was done by Greening Auto Company of Nashville, TN. Jimmy’s goal with this car was to have a show car that could also perform on the autocross course. I have to say – I think they nailed it!
With so much polished chrome, this is definitely a show car. But haul it out to the track and it can lay rubber with the best of ’em, thanks to the 376cid LSX V8 under the hood! The engine features a custom intake manifold and valve covers and is mated to a Tremec 6-speed manual.
