SEMA 2012: Lingenfelter’s 655hp New School Trans Am

By John Coyle - November 4, 2012

The name is legendary, so when you see Lingenfelter on something, you know it’s going to have some tire-shredding power under the hood.

The company’s new LTA convertible boasts an all-aluminum 455 LSX block topped with LS7 ported cylinder heads and has a bunch of beefy internal bits—Callies 4340 forged steel crankshaft, Oliver billet rods, JE forged aluminum pistons—that bump output to a healthy 650hp. Attention to detail is typical Lingenfelter excellent, and I think the body work—we saw some great Trans Am-styled examples this year—looks great. But the rub for me is the electric blue interior.

Before I wrote about cars for a living, I had a real job working in a warehouse which handled furniture and mattresses. Because I didn’t work there in the ’70s, there wasn’t much demand for waterbeds. When we handled those swinging bachelor pad staples, they were a giant pain in the ass—and I can tell you the color of this interior is the precise color of the tubes inside those beds. So I have an aversion to it.

Make this car white on red, black on white, blue on white, I think I’d love it. But not now. And my buddy Brian from Bangshift said it wouldn’t age well. What do you think? Check out a video of the reveal, my pics and then vote below!