You can't miss Chevy's Camaro Turbo AutoX and you can probably guess what it's meant for

8 years ago - 3 November 2016, Autoblog
Chevrolet Camaro Turbo AutoX
Chevrolet Camaro Turbo AutoX
For this year's SEMA show, Chevrolet has given some love to the slowest, cheapest Camaro on the market, and only some of that love comes in the form of a paint job to alert the world to its presence.

Painted in "Shock Yellow," the Camaro Turbo AutoX concept is impossible to miss, but that's not a bad thing, since it showcases the potential of the entry-level Camaro and some parts that we hope become available down the road. And yes, it was designed to attack autocrosses.

Chevy started with stuff already available through the Chevrolet Performance catalog. The Turbo AutoX uses a suspension kit that drops the car 0.75 inch thanks to shorter, firmer springs and matched shocks. It also gets a front brake upgrade in the form of larger, 370-mm, two-piece, slotted rotors with six-piston Brembo calipers. For a bit more sound – and reduced back pressure – the company then added its performance exhaust with a four-inch exhaust outlet.

To take this Camaro a step further, Chevrolet proceeded to develop and install some concept parts. Adding to its cornering capability is a front strut-tower bar and thicker anti-roll bars, plus wide, 285-mm tires on 20-inch wheels. On the power side, the company provided this Camaro with a cold-air intake and ECU tune, which adds an unspecified amount of power.

Quite obviously, Chevrolet didn't skimp on making this Camaro look interesting either. The tennis-ball-yellow paint job is accented with silver and black striping. The rear bumper and side skirts are from a Chevrolet Accessories ground effects kit, while the front spoiler and hood are nicked from a Camaro SS. There's also a tow hook and a GoPro camera mount, which are staples of the autocross and track-day set. The inside gets some attention, too, by way of a bolt-in harness bar, a carbon-fiber instrument panel insert, and a suede-covered steering wheel, shift knob, and boot.

What we'd love to see is Chevrolet start producing some of these concept parts. Partly because we can't say no to more performance options, but also because we like to see companies make their base models attractive, too. Not everyone has Camaro SS money, but that doesn't mean the people in the cheap seats shouldn't have any fun.