2010 Camaro Upgrade - 2010 Camaro: The First Push
We Baseline A New F-Body, Then Break Out The Tools-Both Metallic And Electronic-In The Pursuit Of The 11s.
From the October, 2009 issue of Super Chevy
By Mike Ficacci
Photography by Mike Ficacci
We were a little late to the game with this '10 Camaro, owned by Tune Time Performance (Toms River, NJ), but have hit the ground running with an awesome first day and educational week. Which magazine went fastest? Who actually had a stock car when they did their baseline testing? I guess we can never be 100 percent sure of what anyone else does besides ourselves, and I for one am pleased with our baseline testing and first set of modifications.

We hit Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey on June 17, 2009, and made four passes in this automatic-equipped Camaro. One hit was made completely stock and two were made with a custom tune complements of Tune Time Performance.

We brought a handheld weather station with us, which read about 1,000 feet above sea level upon our arrival and dropped to 250 feet as the barometer rose and the dew point fell. Our first pass was promising for our 6L80E-equipped SS with a 13.252 at 106.42 mph. We expected as much based on the numbers we had on file from a Pontiac G8 GT the year prior.

Matt Hauffe, owner of Tune Time Performance, was at the wheel and had this to say. "Getting the '10 Camaro to leave the line is just about as simple as it comes. The stock program limits power and all you have to do is put your foot down and hope for the best."

Matt then loaded his file and made back-to-back hits, the first of which was a 13.031 at 107.71 mph. The second was slightly faster, but 10 times more satisfying as we were able to get the Camaro into the 12s simple by breaking out the computer tuner. The result was a 12.947 elapsed time at 108.39 mph.

Of course, running high 12s is only enjoyable for a short period of time. For our next trick, we called the people at Mast Motorsports, who are truly at the forefront of variable valve timing technology like that in the 400hp L99 engine. We got our hands on its VVT camshaft package and also bolted on a set of SLP Performance 1 3/4-inch headers and 3-inch exhaust.

Variable valve timing is actually quite simple once understood. In conventional engines, you choose a camshaft grind and install it advanced, straight up, or retarded based on manufacturer recommendations and what purpose the engine is for. Variable valve timing allows you to change camshaft timing while the engine is in operation, ultimately making more peak torque down low via an advanced camshaft and more peak horsepower up top via a retarded camshaft.

Ultimately, we squeezed a whopping 406 wheel horsepower out of this 6.2-liter L99. Follow along as we install the Mast Motorsports VVT camshaft and SLP headers and exhaust.

Once that's out of the way, we can remove the factory camshaft. The stock camshaft specs out at 0.500-inch intake/0.492-inch exhaust lift, 195-degrees of duration intake and 201-degrees of duration on the exhaust. Our Mast Motorsports camshaft is going to increase lift on both the intake and exhaust side. Its kit provides a stronger valve springs capable of handling the added lift an duration.

The Mast Motorsports camshaft comes in much larger than factory in both lift and duration at 0.573I/0.588E with durations of 220-degress intake and 234-degrees exhaust, with a lobe separation angle of 116-degrees. The unique design of Masts camshafts ensure driveability, yet also make power through the entire power band. As you can see, the valve springs are larger off the cylinder head, which results in a tighter coil when installed. Not installing proper valve springs when using a larger camshaft can result in valve float, which kills horsepower and can do serious damage to an engine.
We then headed over to the dyno and made an impressive 406 rear-wheel horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 378 lb-ft of torque at 4,600. The L99 made over 400 hp from 5,800-6,500 rpm.

We then hit the track and let this baby rip. What was the result? Low e.t. was 12.278 at 114.54 mph and we were still on the stock 20-inch Pirelli radials. Our corrected altitude was now 3,000 ft above sea-level, serving notice that there are 11-second e.t.'s waiting to be unleashed by this F-body.