These days, it’s not uncommon to come across a 1,000 build. Breaking the four-figure barrier in a car is and will remain an incredible feat. But it seems like the accomplishment has lost a bit of sheen. But what if a car had, say, more than double that? And what if it was built by the crazy SOBs that are notorious for other radical builds, such as the V16 engine found in the one-off Devel Sixteen hypercar? That’s what we’ve got here with this fifth-gen Camaro. Which, by the way, weights about 4,000 pounds. Must be because they kept the radio and headliner in there.
The video from Steve Morris Engines details a purpose-built fifth-gen Camaro designed to conquer standing mile events. Still a small-tire car, the LS-based “SMX” engine displaces 525 cubic-inches and utilizes a billet block, twin throttle bodies, 16 fuel injectors, and two 94-millimeter turbochargers mounted behind the grille pushing around 20 psi at the moment. Oh, and it runs on pump gas.
The engine is also a new build for this 2010 Camaro. According previous articles, the old engine was a 427 cubic inch engine that pushed out 26 pounds of boost and making roughly 1,400 to 1,500 horsepower to the wheels. It was a seven-second car then. We can only imagine what it will achieve now. And not just in the quarter-mile, but the standing mile as well. With these times, and that much power, this custom build would certainly whip a COPO Camaro out of the box.
A fully built SMX engine package starts at $75,000, according to the company’s website. On the dyno, again with pump gas, and what’s described as a “soft tune,” this monster fifth-gen Camaro makes 1,998 power to the wheels. Turns out that’s just barely even trying, as the Michigan-based performance company offers up to 4,500 horsepower with the SMX package