I admire any person or company that has a vision and the work ethic to make that vision into a reality, especially when it comes to something as labor-intensive as a custom car. SEMA is full of them, but let’s face it – some of them are downright hideous despite the hours of knuckle-busting and Red Bull swilling that went into them.
The 2015 SLP Performance Cars Yenko/SC 427 Camaro does not fall into that category. SLP starts with the attractive lines of the ZL1, adds some tasteful Yenko stripes, and throws on a set of low-key five-spoke gunmetal wheels. In the process of converting the Chevy into a modern Yenko, the tuner rips out the ZL1’s supercharged 6.2-liter V8 and replaces it with an LS7…and a blower.
David Hamburger of SLP Specialty Vehicles says the 7-liter power plant has a forged crank and forged rods and pistons, as well as a cold air intake and a “functional composite hood that acts as a heat extractor.”
If you want a new Yenko, you’d better be as fast as the 700-horsepower bad ass. SLP’s only making 50 of them for the 2015 model year. Fortunately, you can get one in either coupe or convertible form with an automatic or manual transmission. Just visit your local Chevy dealer so it can contact SLP and start making your vision of a Hellcat-skinning Camaro into a reality.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
