Chilly test conditions kept the Goodyears from delivering their last increments of performance. On our 300-foot skidpad, the Red Devil cornered at a still impressive 0.98 g with minimal body roll and just a touch of understeer. With slight additional throttle pressure, we could easily coax this Camaro’s tail into a stable neutral drift. The securely located rear axle and the effort Stielow invested tuning his dampers, anti-roll bars, and steering system have trained an arthritic Camaro into an agile cornering champion. A few hot laps around the road course and through our slalom cones confirmed that impression. The Red Devil turns in obediently, confidently grabs the cornering line, and exits bends with the steering straight and the rear tires alight.
To achieve modern stopping performance, Stielow added a Corvette Z06 anti-lock system to the Brembo drilled rotors and calipers he fitted to the Red Devil. In spite of a slightly spongy pedal (attributable to imperfect bleeding, says Stielow), we measured consistent, 171-foot 70-to-0-mph stopping distances with no hint of wriggle or fade.
Launching any 756-hp missile without electronic assistance is not for sissies. In spite of the cold pavement and a restricted number of runs, we recorded acceleration figures within sniffing distance of a Corvette ZR1’s: 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds (versus 3.4), the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 127 mph (compared with 11.5 at 128). For a home-built riding on narrower tires and weighing an additional 267 pounds, that’s impressive. And we’re convinced there’s more to be had, but we terminated acceleration and top-speed tests when an overworked supercharger pulley failed, consuming the engine’s serpentine belt. Another interesting comparator is the ’69 Camaro ZL-1 we tested several years ago [December 1997]: That rubber-challenged survivor clocked 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds and the quarter in 13.8 seconds at 105 mph.
|
When the Red Devil’s throttle is down, the din inside rattles wax from your ears. Spectators a quarter-mile away scatter, fearing that a berserk locomotive is heading their way. Yet this Camaro knows how to behave. It has comfortable Recaro bucket seats, informative instruments, effective climate control, and a reasonably relaxed ride. The three-inch exhaust pipes don’t hiss, rattle, or roar until they’re asked to do so. Overall, the Red Devil drives like a refugee from the GM proving grounds.
For the most part, Pro Touring is a credit-card and catalog exercise. You start with a clean core, choose your parts and subcontractors wisely, and exercise patience constructing the car of your dreams. If you’re lucky, you end up with a car half as good as Stielow’s.
In this instance, that old saw about the devil and the details actually fits. With a dozen Camaros to his credit, Stielow has perfected his craft. His underhood presentation is a van Gogh in matte black, red, and zinc plating. To prepare the ZR1 intercooler lid for its new life, he milled off the factory “6.2L” label to install new “7.0L” lettering. The engine shroud that originally boasted “CORVETTE” now reads “CHEVROLET.” When Stielow advances the Pro Touring cause with his next hero car, count us in for another go.
View Photos
View Photos
Leave a Reply