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So, what do you do when you’ve got one heck of a cool
mold set of a ’69 Camaro – a Trans-Am one, at that – and
you’re looking to push the tin? Well, if you’re GMP, you get
a little creative, maybe bring in a customizer or two, and then grab a
big name aftermarket manufacturer – like Billet Specialties, for
example – to round out a new take on a neat package. |
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In the case of GMP’s “Street Fighter” Camaro,
that recipe has resulted in a slick, beautifully built model with a ton
of retro-modern flavor and a taste of modern bling. The Camaro’s
basic shape – augmented by widened rear fender wells, a tall trunk
spoiler, and a cowl-induction hood – has been hit with a bucket of
basic badass black offset with a red stripe and not-so-discreet “572” badges
at the prow. Rolling on Billet Specialties’ SLC85s (as per the GMP
web site) the build and polish of the thing are awesome (even more so,
once it’s been waxed and buffed a bit) and the shut lines of the
doors, trunk, and lift-off hood are dead-on even. Like the hood on the ’68 “Drag
Camaro” we saw a couple months ago, that hood’s been deco’d
with faux Dzus fasteners all around its edge. |
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The overall look of the car echoes the work being done by
Chip Foose, Will Castro and other artists who balance modern motive themes
with old-school muscle. I’m not a fan of bling, but the combination – even
for a guy like me – looks pretty danged tough, given the model’s
slammed stance, wide haunches, and to-die-for paint job. |
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Motor wise, it’s that hellacious GMP-favorite crate
572 pushing up the ponies. Wired and piped to a good, if not utterly
complete, degree, the red and silver of the engine proper, and the anodized/plated/metallized
go-fast hardware hanging all around, set the tone for this tourer’s
mountainous amount of twist. My favorite bit is the photoetch radiator
face; at the right angle, it reflects back the engine’s front.
The assembly is top shelf, and even though the spark plug leads run below
the headers, I think the model actually looks better with the hood off
than on while on display.
The cabin features a billet tiller from the aforementioned aftermarket
supplier, as well as cast and painted custom race seats with red fabric
safety harnesses installed. The back bench has been tossed, and a bottle
of squeeze bolted to the hump joins the fire can strapped to the rear
bulkhead. Aside from that, two-tined gray and black door panels are the
only decoration. Caged, gauged, and stripped of any creature comforts,
this cabin’s all about the thrills, not the frills.
It took a minute or two, but this one has grown on me. Like I said,
bangin’ bling rims aren’t my thing. But when a model car
makes a statement – as this one certainly does – I have to
admire the effort. I’d be kicking back with a grin if I had a monster
like this in my garage; I’m knocked out by the brakes on display
behind the open architecture of the wheels, the two-into-one-into-two
exhaust system slung beneath, and that black and red paint scheme. The
fact that it’s a high-end, high-quality piece only adds to the
model’s visual heft and its desirability. |
