Modifications to 2010 Camaro make it extreme muscle car

Glencoe businessman Alan Barnett has taken his hobby of collecting cars to a new level in the purchase of his newest muscle car, the 2010 Camaro, a much anticipated release by troubled auto giant Chevrolet.

If sales of the new Camaro are any indication, Chevrolet soon will be back on track as one of the top automobile manufacturers in the world. The new Camaro, shipped to dealers in recent months, is priced in the $28,000 range.

Purchased at Pierson Chevrolet in Gadsden, Barnett's Camaro is one of four sold by the local dealership, according to Business Manager Jay Davis. Because of the popularity of the vehicle and limited production, dealers nationwide are unable to meet demand.
"When the new Camaro came in two months ago, we removed all the cars off the showroom floor and displayed the 2010 model along with some vintage Camaros," Davis said.

According to Davis, the new Camaro produced "a lot of excitement" with 300 to 400 people visiting the showroom.

"We are getting calls just about every day inquiring about the Camaro," he said.

Barnett had his Camaro shipped to Texas, where the car was modified by Hennessey Performance Engineering. The car still is street legal even with performance modifications.

Barnett, owner of Glencoe Jewelry and Pawn, received his finished 2010 Camaro last week. It is one of only 50 being modified by HPE

Hennessey takes an ordinary Camaro — not that the Camaro is just any car, because it isn't — and turns it into an extreme performance muscle car.

The Camaro, already an icon in the world of American sports cars, first was released in 1966 and remained popular for many years. Because of slowing sales, the Camaro was taken out of production in 2002.

The 2010 is the new, improved Camaro, and Chevrolet dealers are expecting it to be one of the more popular cars in years to come. Chevrolet plans other models, including convertibles and the popular Z28.

According to Barnett and Davis, plans for a display of the HPE Camaro are in the works. Barnett, who put in his order with Hennessey many months ago, displayed his new masterpiece of 562hp muscle at the recent Goodyear Car Show. The Inferno Orange Camaro, serialized as No. 1, was one of the hits of the show, with hundreds of people stopping to look.

Among his other vehicles displayed at the show were his 2007 Dodge Super Bee and his 2002 Berger Camaro. Barnett, known locally for his Camaro collection, has No. 2 and No. 82 in the Berger Camaro. No. 82 was on display at the Goodyear Show. Among the other Camaros in his collection is a 1985 IROC and a 1980 Z28.

He started his collection 10 years ago and has owned many vehicles since.

"I collect mostly Chevrolets," he said, "but I do have other brands in my collection."

While he doesn't usually sell his cars, "I would sell them at the right price. But, I'd just turn around and use that money to upgrade my collection with something I wanted more," he said.

Asked about his new No. 1 Camaro, Barnett said, "I couldn't get No. 1 again, but for the right price, I probably would let it go. I'd probably use the money to buy me another Hennessey."

The car, being No. 1, was the test vehicle for the limited edition model put out by HPE. The HPE550 Camaro has been on the cover of several automobile enthusiast magazines, including Road & Track Magazine.

The HPE550 started out as an SS model and has been engineered with a new Magnuson supercharger and a Corsa exhaust, according to information from Hennessey. The company claims a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds, down from 5 seconds on the standard model.

After the Goodyear Show, Barnett put his new Camaro on the road in a trip to Atlanta.

"The car rides real good, a lot better than some of the older models," he said.

As for garnering attention, "Yeah, it got a lot attention. I'd have people pull up beside me and look it over real good, give me the thumbs-up sign," he said.