Lingenfelter Wows Vegas with C2 Corvette, 6G Camaro & Original Firebird

Lingenfelter used SEMA to showcase big power upgrades for Corvette and Camaro, old and new.

While reporting from the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas, we saw a great many modified Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro show cars. We also saw more than a few vehicles with aftermarket upgrades from the folks at Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE), but as you might expect, no booth offered as much LPE-modified Chevrolet performance as the Lingenfelter booth itself.

This is true every year, as Lingenfelter often has as huge display right in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s main hall and for the 2018 SEMA Show, LPE brought out a trio of modified C2 Corvette show vehicles, a new Camaro ZL1 and a 1967 Pontiac Firebird named Project Oculus.

Lingenfelter Corvettes

First up, we have three C2 Corvette show cars, although a quick look at one might lead you to believe that it is a first generation Chevy sports car. This included a Superformance 1963 Grand Sport, a white C2 with a modern engine that appears to be a 1965 model and a red C2 with a C1 front end.

The odds are good that if you are familiar with Lingenfelter and Superformance, you recognize this 1963 Grand Sport kit car. This car wasn’t actually built by GM, but rather, Superformance has permission from GM to build these modern 1963 Grand Sport kit cars and you simply provide your own drivetrain. In the case of this particular modern-day 1963 Corvette, it is powered by Lingenfelter’s 427 cubic inch V8, delivering around 550 horsepower.

Next, we have the white C2 that appears to be a 1965 model with a modern drivetrain. Under the hood is a Lingenfelter-built LS engine, while modern suspension, modern brakes and a set of chromed ZR1 wheels complete this slick restomoded Vette.

Also, we have this C2 Corvette with a C1 front end. This car has been lowered and equipped with a modern LT4 engine, while the standard front end was replaced with one from the latter portion of the first generation. As a result, it looks like a C1 from the front, it looks like a C2 from the back and it performs like a C7 Z06.

Lingenfelter ZL1

While LPE clearly focused on classic Corvettes and crate engine packages at the 2018 SEMA Show, they did bring out one new Camaro. To be exact, they showed off this beautiful blue 6G ZL1 equipped with the LPE 1000 package, lifting the output from 650 horsepower to 1,000 horsepower.

This is achieved by adding ported cylinder heads, a new camshaft, all of the supporting top end upgrades, a ported throttle body, long-tube headers, an Edelbrock TVS2650 supercharger and a beefed-up fuel system, transforming the newest ZL1 into a four-figure-power beast.

Project Oculus

Finally, we come to the 1967 Pontiac Firebird named Project Oculus. This was built by Snake Pit Customs and it has a host of upgrades, but the focus in this booth was the engine. Under the hood of this cool classic Pontiac is a Lingenfelter-built LSA topped with a Kenne Bell supercharger, which with a long list of key features offers 901 horsepower and 976 lb-ft of torque.

Of course, in addition to showcasing their modified GM engines in these vehicles, Lingenfelter also had a spread of crate engines on stands, some of which you can check out in our gallery below.

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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