Autos & Vehicles
2012 COPO Camaro: GM’s Baddest Factory Camaro Ever! – HOT ROD Unlimited Episode 6
It’s the baddest factory Camaro ever! The 2012 COPO Camaro is a pure drag racing car built to compete in NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock classes, and in this episode of HOT ROD Unlimited, we go behind the scenes within General Motors to learn about the car, watch some radical burnouts, meet some of the people behind the COPO, see one of the engines on the dyno, and visit the Performance Build Center where the engines are assembled. At the time of our visit, the only COPO was the very first one, known as the Proof of Concept car, serial number 001. GM was not ready to release engine power numbers, drag times, or vehicle weights, as class details are still being worked out with the National Hot Rod Association.
COPO stands for Central Office Production Order, a process that was used in the ’60s for fleet managers to order unusual combinations of options. Dealer Fred Gibb figured out how to use the system to get GM to assemble cars that were never intended for production. He ordered 1969 Camaros that used a derivative of GM’s 427ci, all-aluminum ZL1 race engine, and bought enough of them to make them legal to compete as production cars in NHRA and AHRA drag racing. There were 69 ZL1 Camaros built in 1969, and Chevrolet is building the same number for 2012.
The new COPO is a pure race car, not able to be licensed for the street, and is available with three different engines: a 427 that’s naturally aspirated, a 327 with a 2.9L Whipple blower, and a 327 with a 4.0L Whipple blower. Buyers have the option to own all three engines, all stamped with the serial number of their car. The COPO is gutted of all the street equipment, has a rollcage, and the original independent rear suspension has been replaced with a Strange 9-inch rearend with 4.29 gears and a spool. Other aftermarket parts include Strange struts and brakes, and ATI Powerglide transmission, an Aeromotive fuel system, Bogart wheels with COPO engraving, and Hoosier 30×9.00-15 radial slicks and skinny front drag tires.
HOT ROD Unlimited appears every other Friday on the new Motor Trend channel. http://www.youtube.com/motortrend
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Porsche 918 Spyder: The Most Technically Ambitious Supercar Ever? – Wide Open Throttle Episode 12
On this episode of Wide Open Throttle, Motor Trend’s Paul Horrell heads to Italy’s Nardo test track to get under the skin of Porsche’s very first rolling chassis 918 Spyder prototype.
Read Paul’s full story here:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/exotic/1103_porsche_918_first_ride/
Plus Motor Trend’s Nate Martinez scores an exclusive walkaround with BMW’s open-top performance hybrid concept, the i8 Concept Spyder.
Read Nate’s full story here:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/exotic/1203_bmw_i8_concept_spyder_first_look/
Wide Open Throttle appears every Thursday on the new Motor Trend channel.
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Nissan GT-R Black Edition vs Porsche 911 Turbo S! – Head 2 Head Episode 6
On this episode of Head 2 Head, Jonny Lieberman pits the new 2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition against its twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive rival, the 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S. With 500+ horsepower planted firmly to the ground, both supercars annihilate California’s canyon roads, then square off for an epic quarter-mile drag race.
Read the full story here:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1206_nissan_gt_r_black_edition_vs_porsche_911_turbo_s_comparison/
Head 2 Head appears every other Wednesday on the new Motor Trend channel. http://www.youtube.com/motortrend
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Where Benzes Are Born – The Downshift Episode 12
On this episode of The Downshift, we tour Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, the German automaker’s sprawling factory in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, where every new M-Class, R-Class and GL-Class in the world is built.
The Downshift appears every Tuesday on the new Motor Trend channel.
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2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 Laps Navarra Race Circuit! – Ignition Episode 12
On this episode of Ignition, guest host and Motor Trend technical director Frank Markus hits Spain’s Navarra race circuit with Bentley’s new Continental GT V8. Find out if this V8 version of the GT actually improves upon its W12 big brother.
Read the full story here: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1205_2013_bentley_continental_gt_v8_first_test/
Ignition appears every Monday on the new Motor Trend channel.
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Cheap Truck Challenge! – Roadkill Episode 3
On this episode of Roadkill, HOT ROD’s David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan join Fred Williams and Rick Péwé of Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine to compete in the infamous Cheap Truck Challenge. Riding into battle with a modded 1979 Bronco, they face-off against a rock-ready 1980 Toyota Pickup and a beastly 1987 Chevy Suburban in a cash-strapped quest for ultimate off-road glory.
Roadkill appears on the Motor Trend channel. http://www.youtube.com/motortrend
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2012 New York Auto Show Roundup – Wide Open Throttle Episode 11
On this special episode of Wide Open Throttle, Motor Trend’s Detroit editor Todd Lassa recaps the top 6 cars of the 2012 New York Auto Show.
Click here for Motor Trend’s full coverage of the 2012 New York Auto Show:
http://www.motortrend.com/auto_shows/coverage/100/new_york/2012/
Wide Open Throttle appears every Thursday on the new Motor Trend channel.
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Jeep Mighty FC Concept Storms Moab – The Downshift Episode 11
On this episode of The Downshift, we head to the 2012 Easter Jeep Safari to check out Jeep’s Mighty FC Concept. Watch this rock-ready concept conquer the Moab terrain alongside its military forebearer, a 1964 Jeep Forward Control.
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