American carmakers have manufactured some of the coolest sports cars over the decades. It is almost impossible not to name at least three iconic muscle cars without having to even blink. Some of them ended becoming rivals, and their makers did everything possible to outperform the competition.
Chevrolet released its Camaro about two years after the Mustang. Despite being less popular than the Mustang, the original Camaro sure is not a used Chevy to avoid at all costs. The Camaro is an amazing vehicle that aged beautifully. Moreover, it is a pony that can be turned into a complete beast thanks to the right modifications.
10 Transformers
It is widely known that Camaros released before 1970 are some of the coolest Camaros ever made. Their very bold designs and outstanding engines, especially the very limited edition equipped with the L88 engine, have shown the world that Chevrolet was at the time the only company capable of rivaling Ford Motors.
About four years ago, Director Michael Bay was selling his 1967 Bumblebee Camaro. Fender flares on an old school Camaro is the kind of mod that would make a Camaro look badass. Under the hood is a fuel-injected Corvette LS3 with all the Transformers badges needed. It is quite unsure how much this beauty sold for, but it is safe to assume that it must have sold for a couple of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
9 Murdered Out
In recent years, the value of the first-generation Camaro skyrocketed. Even when the cars are in terrible condition, they might cost a lot more than some disposable cars sold nowadays. The reason behind it is quite simple. The first-generation Camaro is among the best base for a restomod project.
Despite not having huge fender flares or oversized spoilers, this Camaro is far from tame-looking. The dark theme chosen for this goes hand in hand with what is lodged under the hood. The modified LS7 V8 fitted in this Camaro produces 505hp, which is a little more than the L88 engine found on the ZL1 of the same era. The car was estimated between $175,000 and $225,000.
8 Pro Street
Restomod is not always a murdered out oldie with modern body parts and an engine swap. To some extent, street-legal hotrods can be considered as restomod projects. However, it is fair to say that conventional restomod fans and hotrod enthusiasts may not always consider themselves to be similar.
Though blown classic muscle cars are falling out of favor with younger drivers, they are still some very beautiful and respectable customized cars. Though it is unclear how much power this Camaro produces, it can be safely assumed that it would tear up the strip without any difficulty. As the license plates indicate, this gorgeous hot rod is street legal.
7 Swapped
The restomod trend gained so much traction that it became increasingly difficult for tuners to create vehicles that would truly captivate gearheads. Especially if the base is a classic Mustang or a Camaro, coming up with a truly mesmerizing customized vehicle has become a daunting task.
This 1970 Camaro is far from being the sort of Camaro no collector wants to own. 1970 was one of the last years of the golden age of the muscle car. This particular lowered 1970 Camaro is fitted with a modified 6.2L LS2 V8 that produces a staggering 800hp. No wonder the car's moniker is World War Z.
6 Yenko
It is quite astonishing that Chevrolet had to stop the production of the Camaro back in 2002. The once iconic pony car was nothing like what it used to be. The 2002 Camaro was simply a shame of a muscle car. Thankfully, Chevrolet rethought the Camaro and re-released it in 2010. From 2010 onward, the Camaro has been living up to its original reputation.
Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) has been coming up with Yenko Camaros for decades now. It is fair to say that SVE is the equivalent of Roush for Chevy. This 2018 Camaro SS saw its 6.2L engine being transformed into a monstrous supercharged 6.8L that is capable of producing 1,000hp.
5 Beastly ZL1
Ford has the Shelby GT500. Chevrolet has the Camaro ZL1. When looking at some of the latest ZL1, it is quite understandable that people have abandoned the Ford pony for the Chevrolet one. It is fast and absolutely stunning. Though class and sportiness come at a price, the ZL1 will for sure please 99.99% of its owners.
A Camaro ZL1 is a great car to own. A modified Camaro ZL1 is even better. The 6.2L V8 found on this ZL1 was combined with a Magnuson supercharger among other things. Following some fine-tuning, the car developed 950hp at the crank. This is 300hp more than the stock ZL1.
4 The Exorcist
Chevrolet decided to seriously take on the super muscle car market with the ZL1. Though it is true that the Z28 and SS are fantastic trims, the ZL1 is what Chevrolet has done best for the Camaro. As the ZL1 is among the best pony cars out there, professional tuners such as Hennessey Performance have done what is necessary to turn this great muscle car into a demonic beast.
Hennessey Performance is known for its outlandish cars. The Velociraptor, the Venom, or even the Goliath are some of the names that are commonly heard. However, this time Hennessey went a much more sinister label: The Exorcist. Given the fact that the car was modified to produce 1,000hp, and is in direct competition with Dodge's Demons and Hellcats, it is quite obvious why it was given that name.
3 Street Outlaws
The last 25 years saw the entire TV industry completely changed. In an effort to captivate a wider audience, TV networks have switched from shows that could be considered as classically filmed to shows that are including the audience. Reality TV took over just about every channel. Even car shows are now filmed as reality TV.
This beast is definitely the sort of modified Camaro that defy all logic. As part of the reality TV show Street Outlaws, drag racers go either on a strip or on the street and race one another. This Camaro Iroc-Z is far from being your younger sister's V6 Camaro. Wheel stands and flames coming out of the exhaust are telltale signs that this Camaro is insane.
2 Pro Touring
The best part about some classic vehicles is their affordability. Depending on the year they were released, it is possible to find some of them for really cheap. If a given buyer has the skills and time necessary to turn a lemon into a sports car, building a racecar such as this Pro Touring Camaro should be considered.
The entire look of the car may not be suited to go out on a date. However, the 360ci small-block V8 is perfectly adapted to take this Camaro around the track. The car was fitted with performance suspension and a lighter body to make sure it would perform well along the track.
1 Less Than 6 Seconds
American muscle cars are known for their modularity. They can easily be turned into monsters. Though it will require a lot of free time and a considerable amount of resources, the result will more likely than not be absolutely mind-blowing. This Camaro is the prime example.
This Camaro underwent some really mind-blowing work. First, its original engine was swapped for an LSX one. LSX engine produces at least 450hp. As if that was not enough, the team working on this car fitted two giant turbos in the engine bay. It is unclear whether this car is street legal. However, it seems to be able to pop wheel stands fairly easily.