Edelbrock Supercharger Turns V6 Camaro Into a V8 Killer
New Edelbrock supercharger kit for the 2016-2021 V6 Camaro turns the humble “rental car” into a performer.
For some time now, anything less than a V8-powered muscle car has typically been scoffed at by enthusiasts. These sorts of things are relegated to rental or first-car status, but once you save up a little bit of cash, you either ditch the engine or the car for something with a V8. But iconic parts maker Edelbrock is out to change that perception a bit with their new supercharger kit for the 2016-2021 V6 Camaro.
The 3.6-liter V6 Camaro offers up a decent but not thrilling 335 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque from the factory, at the crank. At the wheels, those numbers drop to around 235 horsepower and 198 lb-ft. But Edelbrock’s supercharger kit, which comes with an Eaton TVS R1740 rotor assembly, an integrated air-to-water intercooler core, front-mount heat exchanger, and calibration pumps those numbers up to 376 horsepower and 310 lb-ft. and a better power-to-weight ratio than a V8 Camaro.
That’s certainly impressive, and we also must consider the fact that a V6 Camaro is a bit lighter than one equipped with a V8, particularly in the nose. That makes the car a little more balanced, and as Robb Report found out recently when they were able to test drive Edelbrock’s supercharged V6 Camaro, it also makes this car immensely fun in the canyons.
“It’s not until reaching one of the main canyon roads in Malibu that the souped-up six-cylinder really comes alive. The vehicle maintains the gravitas expected from a muscle car without the bulk, which affords greater agility. The end result is a surprising contender in its muscular class.”
Of course, a lot of people will still say, why bother to modify a V6-powered Camaro when you can just buy one with a V8? But as we remember from our younger days, and as Don Barry, Edelbrock’s CEO points out, we weren’t always “flush” with cash, and most of today’s young buyers aren’t, either.
“Our research showed that, much like hot rodders in the late 1940s and early 50s, younger buyers are interested in performance, but lack the money to buy a new V8 car,” Barry said. “We also know that the Camaro is a desired body style, so we coupled its V6 foundation with an affordable supercharger to provide more power than a stock V8 Camaro, at a fraction of the overall price.”
Makes perfect sense to us. And if said supercharged, V6-powered Camaro is good enough to outrun its V8-powered brethren, we imagine that its owner won’t be regretting their decision one bit.
Photos: Edelbrock
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