2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS - Dark Attitude

It's not enough just to build an eye-catching 2010 Camaro SS that stops people in their tracks. With the car's popularity at an all-time high, there are plenty of people building cool-looking Camaros that are seen in many car shows and events across the country. But for guys like Greg Raymond of PerTronix Performance Products, the goal was not to build a flashy show car. Instead, he wanted a clean-looking car that would also generate some serious horsepower under the hood.

At the beginning of this project, the goal was to make 600 horsepower. The stout LS engine platform is well known for attaining even greater horsepower levels with the right components. So reaching the 600 mark would take some internal modifications to bring the 6.2-liter V-8 from 426 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque up to the horsepower levels that would set this car apart.

After taking possession of one of the first SS/RS six-speed Camaros to be delivered in San Diego, Raymond immediately delivered it to JBA's Performance Center. It was here that the first set of Cat4Ward JBA headers, long-tubes, and cat-back exhaust systems was designed and built for the 2010 Camaro platform. Once completed, Raymond's SS sported the new JBA 17/8-inch long-tube headers and a set of high-flow mid-pipes with catalytic converters. This was all coupled to a new 3-inch Competition cat-back exhaust with two highly polished tips peeking out from the Camaro's rear valance. With its first modification completed, the JBA Super Sport was born.

Since the body lines of the Camaro are so striking, Raymond didn't want to alter it much with wide fenders or a huge hoodscoop. Instead, the Camaro received new body parts from Carbon By Design, that include a carbon-fiber hood with 4-inch cowl, a carbon-fiber decklid and rear spoiler, and carbon-fiber roof and bumper inlays to give the stock body a more aggressive appearance.

In keeping with the Camaro's dark, subtle, performance appearance, it quickly became evident that the factory taillights, headlights, and foglights needed to be blacked-out. So the Camaro got a set of GTS covers that provided just the right look without hindering any illumination. In addition, window covers for the rear quarters were also added and provide the finishing touch.

It's clear that the JBA Super Sport has the appearance it needs to match up to its horsepower potential. So once the Vortech supercharger was installed with a custom tune, the Camaro made several runs on the dyno and pumped out an amazing 564 rear-wheel horsepower and 507 lb-ft of torque. This system put out 9.5 psi of boost, and considering that the torque peak is at 5,386 rpm and the horsepower peaks at 6,247 rpm, you can bet that the JBA Super Sport Camaro pulls strong enough to plaster you in the seat for much longer than a quarter-mile.

Powerplant

After carefully looking at cylinder head modifications, piston upgrades, and camshaft profiles, it was a conversation with the people at Vortech Engineering that led to the decision to supercharge it. The engineers at Vortech knew the engine might reach the 600hp mark with no other internal modifications. This seemed like a better route to try for a car that begs to be driven daily. Furthermore, the need for reliability on the street made it a better choice as its power goals needed to be easy enough to manage during daily commutes. Finishing the engine compartment is a carbon-fiber fuse box cover along with a polished intake and discharge tube.

The Look

For the exterior, new carbon-fiber body parts from Carbon By Design are used on the JBA Super Sport Camaro. These include a 4-inch cowl hood, decklid, rear spoiler, and roof and bumper inlays to transform the car into its race ready appearance.

Rollers & Stance

Adding to the increased handling performance and appearance is a set of Lexani LSS5 20-inch wheels mounted to Falken FK452 ZR tires. The fronts measure P245/40ZR20 while P275/35ZR20s are used in the rear, fitting perfectly into the wheelwells and provide much needed traction around corners and on the dragstrip. The killer stance was accomplished with a set of B&G Suspension Systems S2 Springs, which lowered the car 2 inches and provided additional cornering power.

Cockpit

The interior looked perfect enough in the stock, factory leather, but the original six-speed shifter was upgraded with a direct-fit Hurst billet unit that features the retro-styled white ball and allows for significantly quicker shifts.

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