The Mongoose was also a limited production sports car using a Chevy engine in the late 60s/early70s to compete with the Shelby Cobra sports car (not to be confused with the Shelby Mustang). The Mongoose was only made for a short while and very few were produced, it was a completely private enterprise that used Chevy crate motors.
Clyde

 

Uh... I think you're confused on the name Clyde. Are you thinking about the Cheetah?

http://www.cheetahracecars.org/

 

If you don't think a turbo 6 can pump out more torque than a NA V-8 than I think this argument is pointless. The 3.8 turbo was pumping out more torque 20 years ago than an LS1 F body did 5 years ago. This is using a very old design, add in a new high tech DOHC V6 plus a turbo and it will make more torque than any LS3 and probably closer to LS7. Hell V6 engines are making over 300 horses NA right now, 20 years ago the NA GM 3.8 probably didn't even make 150 hp.

 

The LC2 3.8L turbo V6 was a pushrod engine.

I know it would be nice to have fantasy engines in a car. A high-tech DOHC turbo V6 would be pretty cool. However:

1. It'd be more expensive than the bread-and-butter V8.

2. It doesn't fit into the car's character too well.

3. It'd be more expensive than the bread-and-butter V8.

I don't think they could justify an entirely new engine for one special edition Camaro.

 

The problem with the LC2 TTA was that it cost more than an 89 Vette!
If GM did it again I'd hope they learn and keep the cars price in line with a V8 model.
Pontiac made a supercharged 3800 Ram Air TA concept, that thing was bad *** (but having owned 4 Turbo trans AM's I'm biased)

 

Yeah I know the engine was a pushrod, I never said it wasn't, and the Trans Am in 89 and the Buick Regal had V8 engines as options as well as the turbo 3.8 but which one is more in demand today, the V8 models or the turbo 6's? Add to the fact it's relatively easy and cheap to get more hp the turbo 6 wins. If only GM could manage to build a turbo DOHC big bore V6 with AFM it would be pretty impressive. Honda has cylinder deactivation on the high end Odysey(sp) minivans. I saw the window sticker for an 87 GN a few months back and could have sworn it was rated at 27 hwy, more power, better mileage, than the V8 options of the day.

 

The TTA's and Grand Nationals are in demand today because they were unique and very few of them were made. In case you didn't notice, they were also more expensive than the V8 models in their respective lineups.

As for "easy and cheap", it doesn't get much cheaper to modify than a GM V8. Except for a Ford V8, but that's besides the point. And as for demand, I don't hear too many people calling for a turbo V6 in their Camaro. The V8 is FAR more popular.

Like I said before, it would be cool to have a high-horsepower turbo V6. I just don't think it's right for the Camaro, nor would it be particularly cost effective.

 

1. They are in demand because they were faster than anything else being made at the time, they are true musclecars in an era where the V8 alternative could barely break into the high 14's. No duh they were more expensive. Who would pay more for a slower V8?
2. I guess 12's for under $500 isn't cheap? Show me the same year Regal or TA with a V8 that could do that? GN's only needed a downpipe and chip to do that.
3. The title of the thread is what special edition Camaro would you like to see built, not what everyone else would like to see built. How many special edition vehicles aren't expensive by the way?
4. A turbo V6 could easliy make as much hp and even more tq than the new LS3 and still get better MPG. As for "easy and cheap", if you want more power all you have to do is turn up the boost for an easy 50 hp, how much money and time would it take to get an extra 50hp out of a NA motor?

 

Not thinking of the Cheetah and not confused at all, as I said it was extremely limited production, I think there were less than a dozen or two produced around 1970. I'll have to look through some old archives (magazines, etc.) to see if I can find the info.
Clyde

 

I found what you were referring to. It was basically an AC Ace with a 327 Corvette motor instead of a Ford V8. (Same car as the Cobra.) I think it mas much earlier than 1970 though. Thanks. I hadn't heard of it before now.

 

All of the feedback on here is excellent. Many good ideas.

The one thing I would like to see is a limited production run of the special edition camaro's gm decides to produce.

As far as options go, I am very fond of the Buick Turbo Cars (circa 86/87). I do not necessarily think the same motor would be ideal now 20 years later but the concept was great in my opinion. A fuel efficient turbo V6 that blows away the competition and still blows cold A/C. Nice thing on those cars was that with limited modifications (ie. sub 3k) the car can safely be in the low 12 second range on street tires.

Frankly, I like the idea of turbos in general!

Thanks for listening....

 

Thanks for having an open mind, for the money a turbo can't be beat power wise or mileage.

 

Hmm, horse, glue....

Camaro: Elmer's edition. With special Elmer's badging

 

There were a bunch of things done in the 60s through the early 70s, an interesting little production sports car (though a non Chevy engine) was the Sunbeam Tiger with a Ford small block V-8, quick little mothers! If I dig far enough back in my magazine archive I'm sure I'll "remember" a few more, the 60s were an interesting time for high performance cars. To keep this on topic within this thread, I'd like to see any of several "editions" mentioned in this thread, certainly Smokey Yunick could be remembered, a Sunoco Z/28 would also be interesting (though I probably wouldn't buy it as I don't want number/word decals like the pace car editions). I do hope they keep a Z/28 model true to the original idea, high performance motor with superb handling.
Clyde

 

I think the turbo Buicks and T/A's are more in demand because of their low production numbers and uniqueness, as opposed to just outright speed.

Just because you could get a Grand National into the 12's or 11's for a relatively low amount of money, doesn't mean that the same will be true for a theoretical turbo V6 Camaro. The engines wouldn't even be remotely the same, nor would the engine management systems.

You're generalizing a lot of things with regard to this theoretical engine's power and ease of modification, as if you could just flip a light switch and it suddenly makes more power and torque. On top of that, your other "points" are being based off of a 20+ year-old car with an engine that would share nothing with this theoretical turbo V6. My point is that GM would not just develop this theoretical engine solely for use in a special-edition Camaro. This engine would have to be shared with at least a couple other cars. And even then, it would still be more expensive than an LS3, for not much more power. It just wouldn't make sense.