Supercharged 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Driven and Reviewed
Camaro SS powered by Vortec given breath of life, and 500 horsepower.
Like every other performance car built in the last 60 years, the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro has seen owners set to work immediately on making them faster. Aftermarket companies had speed parts ready for the sixth-gen when it launched so it’s no surprise to see modified Camaros. However, this 500-horsepower supercharged Camaro SS became the first tuned sixth-gen on The Smoking Tire. Let’s see what host Matt Farah thinks in this One Take review.
The Camaro SS belongs to Kyle, who bought the car in Canada before moving to Southern California. The Canadian-market distinction makes as little as no difference. The only major change comes from a speedometer in kilometers per hour.
Where this Camaro differs, however, comes from the Vortec centrifugal supercharger under the hood. As designed, the Vortec blower adds some serious horsepower, bumping up the LT1 V8 to more than 500 ponies at the wheels. That includes a tune to accommodate the higher fuel-flow needed to match 6.5 pounds of boost.
As Farah notes, unless you really listen for it, the blower changes the car in a subtle way. The blower doesn’t whine and the car largely feels stock, which is to say “good” with the improved chassis. You don’t really notice the big power gain until high RPM and then the speed accumulates quickly. A ballsy MagnaFlow exhaust helps to belt out a complementary roar from the now-supercharged LT1.
The Camaro SS comes across at an affordable price point, which means you get what you pay for inside the car. The occasional rattle, off panel gap, and chintzy materials come with the territory. The seats also fail to impress. But if you’re after cheap speed, today represents a golden era for pony cars. This Camaro SS with the supercharger clock in considerably less than you’d spend on “refined” sports cars. We bet it would give most a run for the money, too.
Check out more on Kyle’s supercharged 2016 Camaro SS on his WheelWell page.