Ken Block can keep his all-wheel drive hatchback, we will run this sweet 454 Camaro instead.
Rallycross stars like Ken Block, Sébastien Loeb and Tanner Foust are generally seen racing compact hatchbacks with all-wheel drive and turbocharged four-cylinder engines. There have been plenty of famous rear-wheel drive rally cars in the past, but the Chevrolet Camaro has never been one of them. This video from the 2x J YouTube channel shows that with some work, the 80s muscle car is a great rallycross car.
Rallycrossing in a Third Gen
If you think that a third generation Camaro serving as a rallycross car sounds crazy, you are right. However, this isn’t your average Chevy muscle car from the late 80s or early 90s. The details are short, but we know that this car is powered by a 454 cubic-inch LSX V8. This isn’t your cousin’s stock 305 TPI third-gen, that’s for sure.
We can also see in the videos that the body of this Camaro has been modified for race use. Based on the stance, we would guess that there have been some suspension changes made to help this car get around the track so well.
Rallycross Third Gen in Action
We have included two videos here of the third generation Camaro rallycross car. The video at the top shows a test run of some sort, with the Chevy tearing up a horse racing track in Norway.
The car starts in the foreground, launching on the muddy track and racing off into the distance. While it is further down the track, we can occasionally catch a glimpse of the car whips around the turns. When it comes closer, the driver hoons it up in a parking lot on the other side of the track before running back to the mud and sprinting across the finish line.
The second video (below) shows the rallycross Camaro in a race against a handful of compact cars. During the four-lap race, the Camaro spends the entire race battling with what appears to be a Peugeot rally car. While the Chevy does fall behind for a lap, it leads the rest of the race.
In a motorsport where compact cars dominate, it is great to watch an LSX-powered third gen Camaro kicking ass and taking names.
"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.
