The majority of the show cars at SEMA each year have been modified to go fast, but the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS Slammer Concept is designed to showcase the type of cars in the show scene – with a slammed stance and some big, chrome wheels setting this muscle car apart from the rest of the American beasts at the 2016 SEMA Show.
“The Camaro SS Slammer concept is a design exercise intended to take the Gen 6 Camaro’s proportions to the extreme, pushing boundaries to evoke reactions and inspiring personalization on behalf of other Camaro owners,” said John Cafaro, executive director, Global Chevrolet Design. “From styling accessories to performance parts, the choices from Chevrolet for new Camaro owners are almost endless.”
The body of the Camaro SS Slammer Concept has been modified to allow proper clearance for the 22 inch wheels up front and the 24 inch wheels out back – all of which are clad in bright chrome and wrapped in extremely low profile tires. Next, the build team added an adjustable air ride suspension setup that allows the car to rest with an impossibly low stance while parked, but with the push of a button (or the flip of the switches, if you prefer), this Camaro SS lifts to a comfortable height for public roads.
Next, the team turned to the Chevrolet Accessories catalog, adding the ground effects package, black bowtie emblems, Camaro fender badges and tinted headlight and tail light lenses. A Brembo big brake kit works with the custom suspension to improve handling while a Chevrolet Accessories axle back exhaust system adds sound from the LT1 V8.
The entire Chevrolet Camaro SS Slammer Concept is painted a unique Dazzling Black tri-coat exterior paint with gloss white flakes offering a brilliant sparkle when the light hits it just right and the interior is finished in Adrenaline Red.
“Adrenaline Red is a production interior color taken to the extreme in the Slammer concept,” said Cafaro. “The leather-trimmed seats are fully ‘dipped’ in the color, while all the upper portions of the interior have also been painted or trimmed Adrenaline Red, including the instrument panel.”
While the look of the Camaro SS Slammer Concept might not be for everyone, there is enough of a following for the low-riding muscle car scene that it was a good move for GM to offer up this unique SEMA show car.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
