70 HEMI 'CUDA " THE MOST SAUGHT AFTER OF ALL !! "

From 1966-71, Dodge stuffed their massive Hemi into the small E-Body platform and the 1970 Hemi 'Cuda is widely accepted as one of the most saught after of these. Only 652 were built when new, including 14 rare convertibles, making an original Hemi 'Cuda a rare sight. The Hemi 'Cuda was forced in scarcity due to the extra $900 it cost to build one-nearly a third of the standard purchase price. At $250, the 390 bhp 440 V8 became the norm and made the Hemi Cuda an exception. Motor Trend tested the 426 Hemi ’Cuda in their May 1970 issue, reaching 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 14 seconds at 102 mph. The long list of options made available for 1970 Barracudas included such goodies as a Track Pak with a 3.54:1 differential ratio, Rallye wheels, a range of exciting colors including Plum Crazy, pistol grip shifters, hockey stick sport stripes, hood pins and a variety of creature comforts. Of all the options, the R-code steet Hemi 426 was the most legendary Mopar engine. It typically delivered 425 bhp through the solid 727 Torqueflight automatic and a 3.55:1 Sure Grip rear axle. That is, unless the car was one of the 284 that got a 4-speed manual. With their classic shape, tire-shredding American power, limited production and huge popularity a 1970 Hemi 'Cuda can easily fetch over $150 000 USD. This is a remarkable amount for a car with the same build quailty as a mass-produced Plymouth. However, the aggressive sound of Hemi combined with visual street cred and Barrett-Jackson publicity now make these Cudas more expensive than most Ferraris produced in the same era. Changes for 1971 were minimal and included a more complex 6 inlet grille design and fender gill louvers. Only 100 or so of these were built and the seven ultra-rare 1971 convertibles are the most expensive muscle cars money can buy. In 72, the government and EPA kicked the muscle car in the ass with emissions regulations. After that time, no more Hemi or more big block models could be ordered

Saturday, February 25, 2012

GM drops video of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro Concept on the drag strip

If you are somehow unfamiliar with the Chevy COPO Camaro Concept, it is a purpose built race car set to compete with the likes of the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet and the Dodge Challenger V10 Drag Pak. The new COPO Camaro is fitted with interior and exterior modifications to make it legal and ideal for stock and super stock drag racing including a full roll cage, removal of non-essential items (radio, heating/air conditioning items, a back seat) but more importantly – there is a 2-speed PowerGlide transmission, a solid rear axle and the buyers’ choice of two high performance GM crate motors. The first engine is the supercharged 327 cubic inch LSX engine fitted with a 2.9L Whipple supercharger and the second is 427 cubic inch LS7 borrowed from the Corvette Z06 with modifications made to allow it to fit into the stock eliminator racing class.

Unfortunately, no horsepower figures have been offered thus far but those familiar with these two high performance engines know that the new Chevy COPO Camaro Concept will certainly pack the power to keep up with the Mustang Cobra Jet and Challenger V10 Drag Pak. Also unfortunately and like the two super stock competitors from Ford and Dodge, the COPO Camaro Concept is not expected to be street legal should it see production.

The Chevrolet COPO Camaro Concept looks great in person and sounds even better but for those who were unlucky not to be at the COPO debut in Vegas, GM has offered up a video of the new COPO Camaro drag package on the track. GM is testing the car with what seems to be an intent to offer the car to racers for the NHRA Stock and Super Stock eliminator classes and their recent stop, which was caught on lots of cameras, was to Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida. The result is a 2 minute and 32 second video featuring the COPO Camaro tearing up the drag strip with each of the two available engines. Between shots of the new COPO Camaro launching from the starting line and soaring through the top end of the track, there is a variety of interview segments with GM brass…all of whom express their satisfaction with how well the car performed. Towards the end of the video, Chevrolet Performance Parts Marketing Manager Cliff Cohen stated that the COPO Camaro “met or exceeded every expectation that (GM) had over the last three years to get to this point today. The vehicle went down the track…it turned the times that we thought it would and we’re leaving here today very, very satisfied.”

The good news is that the video is packed full of sights and sounds of the new Chevrolet COPO Camaro Concept in action – the bad news is that the video doesn’t give us any idea as to what the purpose built Camaro turned in the quarter mile. We can expect that this video will lead to more and hopefully, soon, GM will tell us just how fast we can expect the new COPO Camaro to be when it reaches production. Check out the video below for a look at the COPO Camaro in action!











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