The Callaway Camaro SC652.

As you may have guessed, SC652 is an indication of both the new supercharger fitted to the Z/28's 7.0-liter V8 and its increased output, which is up from 505 horsepower to 652 ponies. Torque, meanwhile, has jumped from 481 pound-feet to 620. These new figures allow the Callaway-tuned Z/28 to scamper to 60 in just 3.7 seconds and get through the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds.

The extra oomph was achieved thanks to a number of engine modes, not least of which is the Eaton TVS2300 supercharger. A liquid-to-air intercooler, new fuel injectors, a freer-flowing intake and a better-breathing exhaust also contribute to the Z/28's new sense of speed.

Outside of the engine work, though, Callaway knew what to leave well enough alone - the suspension, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and (shockingly) the aerodynamics remain identical to the standard Z/28.

As the most performance-focused model of the Camaro range, the Z/28 features extensive modifications compared to the 1LE model, itself a capable sports car. Car&Driver magazine invited GM program engineering manager Mark Stielow to present the aerodynamic upgrades of the Z/28 compared to the 1LE package.

They are quite a few, as you will discover by watching the video, as engineers tried to get as much downforce as possible from the Camaro Z/28, which has been shaped in the General Motors Aerodynamics Laboratory.

All these aerodynamic upgrades have helped the Z/28 lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:37.47, an impressive feat for an American pony car.

In the video, Stielow not only lists the aerodynamic upgrades present on the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, he also explains why these were necessary, which makes the video even an interesting watch.

Recently retired racing driver Dario Franchitti, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IndyCar champion, will be pacing this year’s ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ from behind the wheel of a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Franchitti’s appearance at the Indy 500 signals a new start after his career-ending crash last year, with the British driver set to embark on a driver development role with Chip Ganassi Racing.

As for the Camaro, this will be the eighth time the popular muscle car has served as the official pace car of the Indy 500, starting in 1967. It will also be the 25th time that a Chevy has paced the race (a Corvette Stingray was used last year).

With 505 horsepower available in the Camaro Z/28, Franchitti should have little trouble keeping up with the field. It also doesn’t hurt that the car he’ll be driving has been developed specifically for running quick laps, with the Camaro Z/28’s grip levels, braking hardware and lightweight construction all optimized for the track.

“It is a tremendous honor for me to be asked to drive the pace car for the Indianapolis 500, Franchitti said in a statement. “As a historian of motorsport and as a three-time winner of this great race, I will appreciate every minute of getting to pace the field in the new 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.”

The 2014 Indy 500, the 98th running of the event, will take place on May 25. Franchitti was declared victor at the race in 2007, 2010 and 2012. Top honors last year went to Tony Kanaan, who drove the number 11 KV Racing Technology Chevrolet.

At least in North America, the Ford Mustang's 50th anniversary is an important milestone for the auto industry, something that the Blue Oval's chief rival, General Motors, acknowledges. If it weren't for the original pony car's success, perhaps GM's own Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird models may have never existed.

As a token of appreciation, GM issued a happy birthday card featuring the new Camaro Z/28 dressed up in chocolate icing and candles with the caption, "Here's to another 50 years of rivalry. Your friend, Camaro", together with an animated picture (GIF) containing some of the magazine covers featuring the two cars over the years.

The General says it firmly believes that the "healthy" competition between the two brands has "become a driving force for constant improvement".

“For five decades, the Camaro and the Mustang have been battling it out in every possible setting,” said Mark Reuss, executive vice president of GM Global Product Development. “These two cars have been striving to beat each other on the track, on the drag strip and on the streets. That competition is a big part of why both cars are so amazing, and so popular, today.”

The General says it firmly believes that the "healthy" competition between the two brands has "become a driving force for constant improvement".

The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 has received very positive reviews so far, but we had no idea of how successful the car is from a sales perspective. Well, it appears that all 2014 model year Camaro Z/28s are already spoken for.

GM plans to build 500 units a year of the Z/28, which is priced from $75,000. However, this year’s planned production has already been sold, according to an Auto Guide report citing Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser. Don’t despair though: he said Chevrolet won’t constrain production and will produce to demand.

Since demand is high, Oppenheiser said the company targets a production of 2,500 Z/28s for the 2015 model year, although more will be made if there are customers for them. GM will open order books for the next production run in the next four to six weeks.

According to Oppenheiser, the Camaro Z/28 targets cars like the Porsche 911 and Nissan GT-R and its track-focused nature means it is not meant to be a daily driver. GM stripped as much content as possible to save weight, with air conditioning being an optional feature and the car featuring a single standard speaker to comply with safety regulations that require the turn signal tick to play over an audio system.

Don’t despair though: he said Chevrolet won’t constrain production and will produce to demand.

More than sixty grand is a lot of money for a used car, even more so for an aftermarket build that pays tribute to a dead brand and vehicle range – in this instance, the fire-breathing Pontiac Trans Am Bandit, based on a 2012 Camaro Convertible 2SS V8, which you can jump into brand new for $43,250.

In fact, if you have $61,550 lying around, you can own the new 580hp supercharged 2014 Camaro ZL1 Convertible.

To be completely fair, though, whereas Camaros are a dime a dozen on the roads here in the States these days, the Pontiac Trans Am Bandit is a rare piece.

The car is listed for sale on eBay with a 'Buy it Now' price of $65,000, where the seller states:

"2012 Trans Am conversion. Started as a 2012 2SS Camaro Convertible. Professionally converted to a Trans Am. Black with black leather interior. at. 2700 miles. Has the console guages. Heads up display. Heated seats. Shaker hood scoop. 426 hp. 20" wheels. Remainder of factory warranty."

Yay or Nay for $65k 2012 Camaro-Based Pontiac Trans Am Bandit?

Boost, more boost, and a whole lotta car. That's the Hennessey Performance Engineering take on the Camaro ZL1 shown here testing its new twin-turbo setup in some quarter-mile testing.

The ZL1 gets forced induction from the factory, of course, but it's supplied by a supercharger, just like the new Corvette Z06, though rated at 580 horsepower instead of the new Z06's "at least 625 horsepower" figure. But Hennessey didn't think that was good enough.

So instead they've gone and twin-turbocharged it. With the twin exhaust-driven turbines cramming air into the engine instead of the Eaton belt-driver, the ZL1 should have considerably more top end available. Add in Hennessey's usual magic (and mechanical know-how) and you've got what is sure to be a massively impressive car.

The sticker on the fender says this is the 1,000-horspeower HPE1000 Camaro ZL1, but considering the 10.6574 quarter-mile ET at a trap speed of 135.38 shown on the video, it might just be running with the boost turned down a bit. And it's still a monster.

It's easy to love the ZL1, and not just because of the power it makes, but because of the way it handles--those third-generation magneto-rheological dampers can do some magic when tuned properly as they are on the ZL1.