As fast as the Chevrolet Camaro moves off the showroom floor, it's no wonder special aftermarket versions pop up in every roll-up rental workshop in the country. But here's the deadly little secret, children: Hardly any of these cars is street-legal.
Want to know why? Because the stock Camaro V8 has a few pieces that are too sophisticated for hop-up hacks and torqued-down tuners. Remove or modify these bits and you've altered the car's emissions control system.
That's what makes the 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99 different from the typical brain-dead, street-illegal tuner car. First, it's legal. And second, you can drive it every day, because it's in a sophisticated state of engine and chassis tune. It even has an automatic transmission.
The Callaway Cars Concept
Changing a car's basic emissions profile means re-certifying it, and you don't want to go there. As an EPA-certified small manufacturer and an approved vehicle partner of General Motors, Callaway Cars did not want to go there either. Reeves Callaway figures that the market is ready for a Camaro that punches out big power, has the necessary chassis control when corners loom at big speed, and yet can chill back down to a sweet-natured puppy. You can even drive the 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99 to work. Did we mention that it has an automatic transmission?
The idea for the 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99 didn't just arrive in a champagne-fueled hallucination. Reeves Callaway has been doing business at Callaway Cars since 1977 with his specialty Corvettes (among other things) like the legendary 1988 Callaway Sledgehammer, so he's been collecting data about his cars and their owners for some time. Turns out that Callaway owners have fewer peeves with Callaway cars than drivers of GM's stock vehicles. GM sees this as an indication that Callaway owners are GM's best customers, so it's given Callaway Cars a backstage pass to not only its development programs but also its dealer body.
That's why the 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99 is sold through Chevrolet dealers. Not every dealer, mind you, just enough of them to make the cars exclusive. The cars vary in specification according to owner preference (both manual-transmission and automatic-transmission cars are available, for starters), yet each car carries a 36-month/36,000-mile warranty. Each car also retains most of GM's hard-won emissions control technology, which includes both the stock catalytic convertors and the stock airbox with its special pad that cuts evaporative emissions when the car is switched off — key items that your local DMV knows all about, we assure you.
The Supercharged Formula
Let's start with the engine, shall we? Or more properly the four-lobe Eaton TVS2300 supercharger, a Roots-type blower that has made supercharging the engine-tuner's friend.
The engine responds with the muscular acceleration you expect, then abruptly hits the fast-forward button.
The supercharger's 7 psi of boost wakes up this car's L99 V8. The L99 V8 is the engine that Chevy specifies for the Camaro SS with an automatic transmission, while the LS3 V8 is specified for the Camaro SS with a manual transmission. The stock L99 is rated at 400 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 410 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm, while the LS3 makes 426 hp at 5,900 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm. The L99 has a compression ratio of 10.4:1 instead of 10.7:1, plus it has cylinder deactivation electronics for better fuel economy, too.
The Camaro's stock catalytic converters provide something of a challenge to Callaway's performance-enhancing intentions, since they're a little less than free-flowing. As a result, Callaway rates its LS3 V8 for 572 hp at 6,400 rpm and 541 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, while the L99 puts out 552 hp.
This isn't headline-grabbing output, but Callaway is after something else here, trying to preserve the Camaro's balanced personality by enhancing the car's original charms rather than going for a fire-breathing transmogrification.
The Right Stance, the Right Attitude
This red car sits just about in the center of Callaway's perceived sweet spot of Camaro performance. The heart of the basic conversion is the Eaton supercharger, its air-to-water intercooler, and the necessary electronic and plumbing upgrades (a $16,990 package). This car also wears Callaway's coil-over suspension package with double-adjustable stainless-steel dampers ($4,990). In addition the Callaway cast-aluminum wheels ($2,995) really lighten the appearance of the Camaro's somewhat monolithic profile.
Matched with linear-rate Eibach springs that are stiffer in front by 36 percent and in the rear by 25 percent, the monotube shocks offer 10 positions of adjustment for compression damping and seven positions of rebound damping. Callaway's antiroll bars are fully 262 percent stiffer in front and 174 percent stiffer at the rear.
Despite its substantially stiffer suspension, this Callaway Camaro is still a pleasant partner on a long interstate trip, where it politely refrains from crashing across joints and ridges. The tires are original-spec Pirelli P Zeros, and other than singing lustily on certain concrete textures, they ride as well as they do on the stock Camaro. The payoff on the chassis investments comes when the road begins to wriggle. As the car digs deeper into its suspension travel, the springs become tauter, the shocks bite down, the bars flex and suddenly you're driving a hard-edged sports car.
Sports Car Handling
The 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99 can make an impression as a sports car because it adds strict ride-motion control to an already stiff structure. No modifications were needed here; the GM Zeta platform remains impervious to any attempts at twisting or bending, and the worst of the bumps come through as a muted skateboard clatter. Steering that feels over-assisted and artificially light in the stock Camaro seems mysteriously to have acquired some heft. Not such a big mystery, it turns out. The car rides an inch lower and Callaway has changed the wheel offsets, thereby altering the scrub radius.
Through the slalom, the Callaway Camaro shows its goodness with a run of 68.4 mph, enabling you to make steering corrections with the throttle like no other Camaro — stock or aftermarket — that we've ever driven. The car's balance on the skid pad is impressive, and while the 0.88g result is largely a function of the tires, the drivability of the Callaway SC572 is outstanding. Pete Callaway, the general manager of Callaway Cars West in Corona, California, tuned the suspension himself, and his training as an engineer and his experience on the racetrack are evident.
Personality Switch
Another sudden shift in personality occurs when the throttle is flattened. The engine responds in midrange with the kind of muscular acceleration one might reasonably expect from a 6.2-liter V8, then abruptly hits the fast-forward button. There's no sudden smack in the shoulder blades or anything, but the car is very soon traveling at rates you are not sure you asked for. A little request for some hurry-up on a freeway ramp now has a line of traffic backing up to you as if you pulled onto the wrong side of the freeway.
A similar demand for passing power on the highway sees you running so hard past the slower cars that you need the brakes to get back in the lane. Our tests at the track produce a 4.3-second run from a standstill to 60 mph (4.0 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), and the quarter-mile arrives in 12.4 seconds at 113.9 mph. This is even more impressive when you remember that we're using the stock Pirelli P Zero tires.
When you're getting the 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99 away from the starting line, there is some difficulty balancing the car between bogging and spinning, but it's nothing we couldn't take care of. And since this performance is very much in the same realm as other aftermarket Camaros that boast higher horsepower figures, a limited amount of available traction is evidently the common denominator here among all these cars.
Power for the Road
On the road the responsive six-speed automatic conspires with the muscular motor to provide effortless thrust any time you call for it. It can be deceptive, because the power is never abrupt or crude. With 541 lb-ft of torque, there's a copious supply of jetlike propulsion on call. While cruising, it's nice to know that the supercharger stands by on a bypass system when not needed (it is said to require just 0.3 hp to keep it in motion), which maximizes your fuel economy.
Considering the ease with which this car picks up speed, the Callaway Le Mans GT brake package, featuring components from StopTech, is a welcome addition. As you'd expect, you don't see their impact in the car's stopping distance from 60 mph, as the result of 109 feet is the same as another Camaro we tested that had the stock Brembo components. No, it is the improved resistance to fade that sets this expensive ($8,190) racing-specification brake kit with its high-tech calipers and massive rotors apart from lesser equipment.
Another costly accessory for this Camaro (it's a showcar for Eibach springs, so it has all the good stuff) is the Callaway "CamAero" body kit, which includes a front splitter, extended rocker sills, rear aero diffuser and a wing on the rear deck. All these carbon-fiber body parts are made by Callaway using its clever vacuum-assisted molding technique, and they are beautiful pieces (as they need to be, since they're stickered at $19,900 for the set). Meanwhile the hood features Callaway's ZR1-style window that showcases the Eaton blower, a piece of real glass framed in carbon fiber that costs $3,950.
Daily Speed
Plenty of Camaro hot rods have hit the street since the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS began rolling off the production line. But the number of them that can stay on the street with the sanction of the EPA is not so certain.
There's no uncertainty about the 2010 Callaway Cars SC572 Camaro SS L99's ability to stay on the street. That's what happens when you build a car that can be purchased right off the floor of a Chevy dealer, complete with a warranty and financing and all that good stuff.
And this is also one such Camaro that you'll want to keep on the street, because the combination of its sophisticated hardware and its automatic transmission makes it a car that's for driving, not just burnouts.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Add A Comment »
ryno2007 says:
01:11 PM, 06/02/2010
I drove a Callaway Camaro yesterday and in doing further looking and reading I ran across this report. I read most of your comments and would absolutely agree with most of them regarding the "fully loaded" Callaway Camaro. However, these are options that can be added to the car. The car that I drove and am considering to buy was priced at $55K. I have other tuned vehicles and there is a lot of bang for your buck in this Camaro.
bruceleroy81 says:
10:23 AM, 05/22/2010
92k For a car like that which is not even fully equipped. Wow, I'll take a lighter, quicker, more fuel efficient, cheaper Nissan GT-R please.
charlesb says:
08:42 AM, 05/17/2010
All that for a mere $93K. Callaway & Hennessy should get together and share a crack pipe because they whacked.
akscallaway says:
05:04 PM, 05/10/2010
To each their own when putting modifications on an already fantastic car, whether you do it yourself or have a well established company like Callaway do it for you.
Quick Story for everyone:
There is a guy in my same town that got his camaro around the same time i did. He decied to put a supercharger on his camaro and do all the work himself. Since the supercharger was put on his car has been in the repair shop at the dealership 3 times. Twice for major engine problems and once for a transmission overhaul. This says two things to me, either the guy is a horrible driver and can't shift right or, his supercharger modifications aren't quite set up right. Oh and by the way he had NO warrenty.
For me with my Callaway i like having the reassurance that i know i can push my car to its limits with no worries because i know my modifications were put on correctly with a lot of thought and engineering by a company with a long standing reputation for building "Powerfully Engineered Automobiles"
Just my two cents.
akscallaway says:
05:04 PM, 05/10/2010
As a personal owner of a Callaway Camaro, (not to mention the first automatic callaway camaro sold for retail), i am extremely pleased with the upgrades that Callaway put on my car. It is very quick and the response when accelerating is unbelievalbe. The car sounds amazing and super smooth when shifting through the gears. Callaway did a excellent job and it is a good feeling to know that if something were to happen in the next 3 years Callaway/GM will stand behind it. For all of you complaining about the $90,000 price tag, you have to remember that is for all the options and yes it is a bit expensive, I got my Callaway Camaro, which has the same power that the one edmunds tested, for $20,000 plus the price of the Camaro.
Once again thanks Callaway. I'm very pleased with the preformance of my car!
paulvincent1 says:
12:15 PM, 05/08/2010
Maybe the economy really is recovering.
50cosmo says:
08:34 PM, 05/07/2010
if I see someone driving one of these I'll figure he has more money than sense..real nice car but for $92,000? come on..
wjtinatl says:
04:11 PM, 05/07/2010
Ummm... 2011 Shelby GT500 Coupe for 53k sticker, performance package, fully loaded, 3/36 warranty and all. I appreciate Callaway's craftsmanship but don't see how it works, math wise.
paulvincent1 says:
11:51 AM, 05/07/2010
Please note: First 2011 Mustang GT 5.0L 4V in The 11's with just DRs, exhaust, and tune.
11.98 @ 117MPH with a 1.67 60ft
11.85 @ 117MPH with a 1.64 60ft
11.82 @ 118MPH with a 1.63 60ft
All three runs were done within 24 minutes, these are real world numbers! Videos will be posted later tonight.
this done by Evolution Performance Inc.
deadviper says:
10:32 AM, 05/07/2010
Thats not a REAL callaway. No way. Wheres the outlandish-yet-somehow-apropriate body work? How's callaway gonna set this supercharged camaro apart from the 20,000 other tuned supercharged camaro's running the streets out there now, nevermind the upcoming Z28? Sorry but this is a fail for callaway and I'm dissapointed. $90k from the folks behind the C16 should get you more than some exhaust work, a supercharger, and a callaway tramp stamp.
johnnyr3 says:
02:58 AM, 05/07/2010
Without driving the car and judging based on specs and price alone - I'd be hard pressed to got through the trouble of getting this instead of a R35 GT-R.
If everything said and done came to about $65k, then it would be worth it.
kingfish4 says:
09:11 PM, 05/06/2010
Steeldan
Emission regulations vary state by state. As for the LS9 it is sold by GM Performance Parts, and does come with a 2 year 50,000 mile, parts and labor warranty. For emission compliance, it should not be all that involved, as most of the emission hardware is already on the vehicle.
GM Performance Parts just introduced the E-Rod LS3, which has the blessing of CARB in California for emission controls and compliance.
My local Chevy dealer will sell you a brand new Camaro with an aftermarket supercharger installed for around $65K, they have no problem getting these licensed for the street. As a matter of fact they have sold nine of them in the past few months.
And you can install any engine in a vehicle built prior to 1976 without worrying about emission standards. As a matter of fact, the state I live in no longer does emission testing on vehicles prior to 1995.
And yes, with an LS9 installed, the GM dealer will honor the warranty.
steeledan says:
08:10 PM, 05/06/2010
Kingfish. Your suggested route to performance is a good example of the misunderstanding of the law. You cannot buy an LS9 and put it in the Camaro and have either emission compliance or a warranty.
The Clean Air Act of 1966 says that you cannot transplant any engine into a federalized motor vehicle, under any circumstances. Each occurrence is a $50 K fine for starters...
And fat chance on doing the conversion, getting the software integration right ( read the horror stories of how badly the Hennessey LS9 actually worked) and driving into your Chevy dealer, and expecting what? Warranty? LOL...
Seriously, go to anyone familiar with the FMVSS and the EPA Regulations and get educated. It's posts like these that are embarrassingly misinformed, and serve to spread bad information and false hopes.
lt1boy says:
07:54 PM, 05/06/2010
"Callaway CamAero Body Kit ($19,900 -- includes paint and installation)"
$20k for a body kit? And I thought ricers were silly...
kingfish4 says:
06:19 PM, 05/06/2010
I agree, $92K is a little steep.
Consider this, you can go to GM Performance Parts and purchase a brand new LS9 Supercharged Corvette engine for around $22K. It produces 634 HP and comes with a GM 2 year 50,000 mile warranty. As this is the stock Corvette ZR-1 engine, I would imagine that making it emission legal would not be too involved, as the stock Camaro has most of the equipment installed. And this engine is hand assembled by GM, with no modifications of compression ratio necessary.
steeledan says:
06:18 PM, 05/06/2010
Oh, and be sure to read the Second Opinion part of this article. It lets me know that these guys get it.
steeledan says:
06:15 PM, 05/06/2010
The trouble with listing a 90k price is that is masks the message ( and gives the rabid something to be more rabid about...)
The fact is, any manufacturer wants to equip a magazine car with all the goodies because it's a showcase for their efforts. But, the Camaros that are really bought off the showroom floor are hardly ever equipped that way. The message being masked here is that the Callaway package is a really good deal, both cost and performance. Just add up the car, the SC package and the wheels. in the 50's. Add the rest to suit.
This is for the guy who wants a very well assembled, 'best in class', version of HIS CHOICE brand. He simply wants the best Camaro he can find. One that has been equipped in a way that GM hasn't. Yet, still has a Dealer to depend on, a warranty, and financing, and resale. That is the role of the specialist. Don't fault for cost. If I wanted the best approach to Camaro life, I'd get this one.
mountainking says:
02:52 PM, 05/06/2010
Wow. Even with just the supercharger and suspension your talking 55K. Isn't that Corvette territory? 8K for stoppers that don't even reduce the stopping distance? Puh-leeze, like this car would ever see a track were it not for magazine tests. This is a car to buy so that you can tell people how much you spent on it, then ogle it in the garage. Perhaps even put it out in the driveway on days you have guests coming over, so you can show it off. People really interested in performance could get far more performance for their dollar. I guess that's why it comes with an automatic...
omairkhanzada says:
02:39 PM, 05/06/2010
Not to be an ass on this thread... but didn't the Mustang GT with racing slicks run a 12.49?
zoomzoom22 says:
01:43 PM, 05/06/2010
When you've just read about a Caddy running an 11.6 @ 127.6 quarter mile, nothing about this Camaro is impressive.
ESPECIALLY when considering that both vehicles are $90k.
tonkatoytruck says:
01:39 PM, 05/06/2010
I think I would just start with a stock LS3 Corvette and drop a cam and pro charger on it. Then pocket the 30K as a money back warranty package.
Much better solution with better performance for a lot less money.
artsy3 says:
01:26 PM, 05/06/2010
$92,000 for a CAMARO? Puleeze.
fortstring says:
11:48 AM, 05/06/2010
I mean, modified cars aren't bad, but I'd appreciate some mileage per gallon figures, just for a bigger picture. But with 80k you can get a much nicer---and faster---car. *COUGH* R35 GT-R
beermagazine says:
10:58 AM, 05/06/2010
Ummm 92K for a Camaro? WTF? Sorry I'll pass on a name and a SC for that price. You could probably get a ZR-1 for that...or pay the 8K more if you're dumb enough to get the a Camaro for that price.
iskch says:
08:39 AM, 05/06/2010
What a Joke. 90K for a Camaro w/slap on Supercharger.
jeepsrt says:
07:16 AM, 05/06/2010
Seriously, another tuner Camaro post? These are getting a little old.
necallaway says:
07:11 AM, 05/06/2010
One can continue to comment about the price point of $90 grand and say how completely stupid it is... But have you driven the car? I know fair and well that a person can get into a Callaway Camaro for just $16,990 over sticker price of their favorite SS. A Camaro 1SS with cloth seats and a six speed stickers around $32K - $33K bringing your total investment in a car that HOLDS its VALUE to just shy of $50K. (Not that someone would want a high end sports car with cloth seats, BUT IT CAN BE DONE!)
You can slap on aftermarket components and call your car amazing, but does it have a factory warranty? NO! It may be covered by a small warranty from the maker of the component, but that doesn't change the fact that the instant you throw in a component not authorized by the factory (Chevrolet) then you're simply out of luck. With Callaway you not only get coverage on their components with a 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty, but you are also still covered by your original Manufacturers Warranty. Callaway is the only "SMALL PERFORMANCE MANUFACTURER" (not tuner) to be noticed by Chevrolet as an "Acceptable Performance Manufacturer."
Callaway Cars creates commercial value by providing driving enthusiasts with maximum satisfaction. They produce specialty vehicles, engineering services, and performance products that showcase technological sophistication, artistry in design, and beauty in craftsmanship. They truly make "Powerfully Engineered Cars" which are 50 State Emissions compliant, and meet all manufactuer standards. Just call Callaway and ask, call Chevrolet and ask, you can't go wrong with a Callaway. At the end of the day don't you want the most for your money? Don't you want to know that there is someone out there who actually will stand behind their product? Talk with any Callaway Dealer, they won't sell you a car for your money, they will cater a Corvette or Camaro to your needs wheather its $50k or $300K.
scardeal says:
06:10 AM, 05/06/2010
Hold on here. I take issue with the first two paragraphs.
It implies that if you alter the emissions controls at all on a car, then it becomes illegal. It is only partially correct. If you alter it so that it cannot pass the emissions regulations, then and only then it becomes illegal.
There are many modified cars that are street legal. They just use emissions compliant parts. Rather than just putting in test pipes (ie straight pipe instead of a catalytic converter), a high flow cat can still pass emissions (even if just barely) and still remain street legal.
While many modified cars are hack jobs, there are also many competently executed ones as well. It frankly sounds biased against making mods to your car.
roscoe108 says:
04:36 AM, 05/06/2010
This is yet another case (among many) of a tuner shop doing something because they can, not because it's a good idea. An extra $50K+ just to shave off a few tenths of a second from stock 0-60 times, and maybe a little less body roll? What a pointless endeavor. There are many, many more interesting, refined, and powerful vehicles one could buy for Callaway's completely unjustified $93,000 price point. Booooooo....
jpeyton89 says:
04:34 AM, 05/06/2010
......so is Callaway trying to preempt Chevrolet's release of the Z/28? And charging about twice the price for the privilege of being first?
reykdal says:
11:52 PM, 05/05/2010
A bit more than 90k will get you a GTR. And that's in supercar territory. This is nowhere near that.
Mitchtj says:
11:45 PM, 05/05/2010
What can this do that a regular SS can't? It can do burnouts, go fast in a straight line, and provide a comfortable cruiser that gets alot of stares, the absolute same thing a regular SS does, only this is three times the price. The fact you could buy a Z06 and a SS Camaro for this money is absurd.
Pass on that.
ChromieD says:
11:14 PM, 05/05/2010
Guys, can we move on from our Camaros-only orgasm now?? It's a Chevy with more power and very little else. Where's the "total package" treatment to warrant the stupid price? Why can't the Hennessys (OOOoooooooo) and Callaways (AAAAaaaaaaaah) do some better crafting instead of just a meat cleaver to these efforts? As exciting as it seems, it honestly does get duller than dirt after a while. And all the smoking power just further highlights the chassis insufficiencies.
U.S. manufacturers are doing a whole mess of cars these days that warrant more attention if only from a reader's point of view.
So dang tired of the parade of Camaros and Mustangs and CTS-Vs and Corvettes. Four meat cleaver cars (that I love, too) but where's the finesse??
pontneuf2503 says:
10:31 PM, 05/05/2010
As badass as this car is, it's no difference than the umpteen other Camaros Inside Line has already tested. This website is seriously becoming a glorified Muscle Car/Hyundai Genesis blog. I've been faithfully following you guys since the beginning and I have to say, you're losing direction. Sigh...
double_duece says:
10:11 PM, 05/05/2010
$90k? are you kidding me?! no no no. i mean the performance upgrades are great and all, but that's a steep price to pay. you're talking Porsche money now. I'll stick with a stock Camaro SS or bolt my own power adders on. Hell, I'd just buy a new Shelby GT500 for that matter.
ant14 says:
09:38 PM, 05/05/2010
For that price, get 3 Mustang GT's.... they could have just focused more on weight cutting by replacing steel with carbon fiber or aluminum materials and they might not have needed to do as much engine work.
notabigdeal says:
09:19 PM, 05/05/2010
90k is steep but sweet car. Would I get this over a Z06 or Z01. Just maybe. Alas , would probably not ever buy a GM product as I do have 2 traumatizing incidents in a CTS and a Impala. Love camaros but not enough to actually try a GM dealership.