Wheels-up launch leads to 9.18 quarter mile for wicked Camaro SS.
This week’s Drag Race Monday video comes to us from the YouTube channel of Aaron Shaffer and it features his nasty turbocharged 4g Camaro SS. On this particular run, he takes on a Nissan GTR, beating the Japanese supercar and running in the low 9s with quite a bit left in the tank.
The Turbocharged Beast
There isn’t much information on this fourth generation Chevrolet Camaro SS accompanying this video, but in looking around the YouTube channel, we have gathered the key details.
Under the hood of this silver muscle car is a 347-cubic inch LS-based V8 fitted with a massive Borg Warner S485 turbocharger. At 21 pounds of boost running on E85, this car laid down 978 horsepower and 1,104 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels via a TH400 automatic transmission. Based on a 15-percent drivetrain loss ratio, this sleek Chevy is making somewhere in the area of 1,150 horsepower and 1,300 lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft.
Taking on Godzilla
In the video above, the turbocharged Camaro is taking on a late model Nissan GTR, known in the tuner world as “Godzilla”. The GTR is, without question, the greatest performance car ever from Japan with a monster twin turbo V6 sending big power to all four wheels. However, the car named after a fictional lizard is no match for the boosted Camaro.
As both cars stage, the Camaro engages the anti-lag system and the turbocharged LS sings the sweet song of its people. The Nissan also brings the revs way up before the green light drops, but the Camaro still gets a bit jump on the starting line – taking an early lead with the front wheels up off of the ground.
The Nissan does close a bit on the top end, but the Camaro gets the win light, turning in a time of 9.18 at 148 miles per hour. Also, it should be noted that on this run, the Camaro launched around 7 pounds of boost and ramped up to 15, meaning that there is plenty more room for improvement from this turbocharged Chevy.
"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.
