The Chevrolet Camaro is a common sight beside drag strip “Christmas trees.” The Camaro Turbo AutoX concept that Chevy unveiled at this year’s SEMA show was designed to look at home between the orange cones of an autocross course.
Given that it’s a concept vehicle, the Turbo AutoX was also designed to look different from regular Camaros. Chevy coated it in eye-catching Shock Yellow, Pearl Nickel hood stripes, and satin Carbon Flash Metallic accents. Then they threw on a Camaro SS hood and parts from a Chevrolet Accessories ground effects kit. Goodyear 285/35R20 performance tires surround concept Chevrolet Accessories 20-inch wheels. Behind the two front wheels are six-piston calipers and 370-mm, two-piece slotted rotors from Chevrolet Performance. Other exterior tweaks include export side markers and an all-new rear spoiler.
Engineers upgraded the turbo 2.0-liter four under the vented hood by adding a concept cold-air intake system to it and making some software changes. It breathes through the four-inch outlets of a Chevrolet Performance exhaust, which reduces backpressure by roughly 14 percent.
In autocross, power is nothing without the handling to control and focus it. Chevy didn’t overlook that fact. Its engineers bolted in a Chevrolet Performance suspension lowering kit and its stiffer springs and specially tuned dampers. They also threw in larger stabilizer bars and stiffer suspension links. They topped the whole package off with a concept strut tower brace. All of that wrench-turning adds up to improved roll stiffness and sharper turn-in.
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.
