Speed Academy Showcases the Power of the Camaro SS

Camaro SS becomes a track terror with some basic upgrades.

The video above comes to us from the Speed Academy YouTube channel and it features host Dave Pratte testing a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS on their test track. The car is owned by a guy named Marco, who lent the car to Pratte and the channel with the hopes of seeing a sub-1:20 lap on the track where the owner frequently races, Toronto Motorsports Park.

The owner gets his wish, Pratte has a good time and viewers get a great on-track review of the 2017 Camaro SS with the 8-speed automatic transmission.

The Machine

The video begins with the host and the owner talking about the Camaro, discussing the modifications made to this V8-powered muscle car. Marco has added a set of 275-40-18 Hankook Ventus RS4 tires on aftermarket wheels, aftermarket brake pads and rotors, Eibach springs that complement the Magnetic Ride Control suspension system, a carbon fiber front splitter, a cold air intake and a custom engine tune.

In other words, it has better-than-stock tires, brakes, springs, power and aerodynamics. None of the changes are major, but they surely all play a key role in making the Camaro SS better on the curvy course.

The Track Test

As Pratte rockets around the tight track, he leaves the transmission in automatic shifting mode, rather than using the paddles to shift manually. He points out that the automatic transmission is very intuitive and that it is “definitely doing what you would want a track-oriented gearbox to do”, although at times, he points out the fact that the transmission is not shifting quite how he would want it. He eventually goes on to say that the same car with the manual transmission would probably be a second quicker around the track, but in the long run, he likes the function of the automatic gearbox.

Next, he raves about the braking system, he loves the V8 power and how well the car slows down to turn in with good turn-in response. He doesn’t love the lack of headroom and he points out that it understeers a bit, saying that “it is a lot of car, a big brute with some front end push”.

The Results

In the end, the 2017 Camaro SS with the short modification list turned a 1:19.11, so Pratte hit the owner’s goal of a sub-1:20 lap. More importantly, this car ranked 5^th all-time on the Speed Academy Track Testing leader board, beating a collection of smaller, more-agile cars on a track that caters to smaller, more-agile cars.

He continues to go on about the brakes, but he points out that the tires are a bit worn, causing both understeer and oversteer as result of the aging rubber. However, he closes by calling the Camaro SS a “properly capable car”.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com