Back in the late '60s, Don Yenko -- a racecar driver and founder of Yenko Chevrolet -- created the Yenko Camaro, a high-performance version of the Chevrolet Camaro. Sadly, the Pennsylvania-born Chevrolet dealer passed away in 1987, but his vision for high-horsepower Camaros lived on.
Now, if you're a Camaro owner or just a gearhead with a pulse, chances are you got excited about the supercharged 2017 Yenko Camaro when it first came out.
At the Specialty Equipment Market Association show back in 2016, more commonly known as SEMA, the New Jersey-based Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) dropped some hints about the 2017 model, and the first look at the car got everyone and their grandma ridiculously pumped.
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A quick look through the specs below, and you'll see why it was such a big deal when it came out.
Per DPCcars:
The tuning company has just unveiled its latest upgrade package for the Camaro which sees power rise atmospherically to a Hellcat-destroying 800 hp and 750 lb-ft of torque.
These impressive gains have been achieved with the installation of a custom supercharger, forged steel crankshaft, aluminum pistons, CNC ported and polished LT1 cylinder heads and LT4 fuel injections. All told, this bad boy delivers 345 hp more than a standard Camaro SS and has a 93 hp advantage over a Challenger SRT Hellcat.
Pretty sweet, right? But, wait, there's more!
Alongside the serious engine modifications, the vehicle also includes a number of custom Yenko badges across the body, on the brake calipers and on the engine cover. There are also Gloss Black, Flat Black, White, Hugger Orange, Silver, Red and Yellow hood stripe and side graphic packages available. Other bespoke touches include different headrests, floor mats and 20-inch wheels.
The price for the upgrade package starts at $40,000 but considering just 50 units will be produced, much of that cost goes towards its exclusivity.
Looks pretty epic, doesn't it? But, let's be honest. Words can't really do it justice. You definitely need to see the 2017 Yenko Camaro in action. Take a look at this slick muscle car in the video above, if you haven't already. This thing definitely gives the Corvette a run for its money!
Thankfully, SVE didn't stop things with its 2017 model. As it turns out, the company is releasing the 1,000-horsepower Yenko/SC Stage 2 Camaro, which is set to come out in the 2021 model year.
They basically plopped a beastly engine into a Camaro SS with a 1LE package and 6-speed manual transmission. In case you didn't know, the 1LE package comes with magnetic dampers, sport-tuned bushings and springs, chunkier stabilizer bars, a limited-slip differential, and powerful Brembo brakes.
So, yeah, this ride is about to be straight-up monster.
This post was originally published on November 13, 2018.