2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS RHD

2010 Camaro: Born Again

THE exciting new-generation Chevrolet Camaro 2SS has hit the road in Australia with"world-first" right-hand drive and full Australian Design Rule certification.

The Camaro, initially available in the range-topping 2SS variant with General Motors'LS3 6.2-litre V8 producing 318 kiloWatts, is being imported, re-engineered and sold by Performax International.

Performax International, based in Gympie, Queensland, is Australia's leading independent importer of American passenger vehicles.

Its benchmark CAD-CAD design and 3D component prototyping technology have resulted in factory-quality engineering and finish for what is understood to be the first fully-approved Camaro in a right-hand drive market.


The Camaro 2SS, with six-speed manual transmission and a comprehensive luxury package, is priced at $135,000 at current exchange rates, excluding government and on-road charges.

Performax International General Manager Glenn Soper said the Camaro is the best RHD product in the company's 20-year history and buyer interest already is strong.

"Performax International's goal with the Chevy Camaro 2SS has been not only to build it to ADR requirements, but also to provide buyers with the no-compromise driving and ownership experience they expect from a factory-new car," Mr Soper said.

"After RHD-engineering thousands of American vehicles over 20 years, we are most proud of the Camaro.

"The fit and finish quality of new components such as the the fascia, door panels, centre console, ventilation ducts, wiper cowl are outstanding.

"The coupe styling is a stunning, modern re-creation of the iconic Sixties Camaro Coke-bottle shape. It will be a standout on Australian roads."

The Camaro 2SS package includes the LS3 alloy V8 engine, matched to Tremec six-speed manual transmission, StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control, high-performance Brembo brakes with four-piston aluminium calipers, leather heated seats with driver's six-way power adjustment, cruise control, Bluetooth, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, Boston Acoustic 245 Watt stereo system with nine speakers and auxiliary/USB input jacks, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and front, side and head-curtain airbags.

A six-speed automatic transmission version with an LS3-based L99 299 kW engine equipped with fuel-saving Active Fuel Management is also available.


Camaro: The Evolution of Muscle

THE 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS is a heritage-inspired sports car for the 21st century, combining great looks and performance, advanced technology and sur- prising efficiency.

It is a product of GM's global development process, having been conceived in the United States; engineered by the global rear-wheel drive team at Holden in Aus- tralia and tested on roads around the world. It is assembled GM's Oshawa plant in Ontario, Canada.

And the process has returned to Australia for the unique right-hand drive engi- neering performed independently by Performax International.

The Chevy Camaro was launched in September 1966 with a 1967 model de- signed to do sales battle with the Ford Mustang. It helped start the unforgettable muscle car era.

Cars quickly found their way on to the race track, drivers such as Mark Donohue and Sam Posey recording successes that established the Camaro as a true sports machine.


The second generation, built from 1970 to 1981, featured the iconic Z28 perfor- mance package. The car's performance potential was recognised by Australian racing drivers including Kevin Bartlett.

"KB" put his thundering Channel 9 Camaro on the Bathurst 1000 pole position in 1980 and 1981, but its most celebrated performance was a spectacular rollover on top of the mountain during the 1982 event.

(Today, Bartlett is a big fan of the 2010 Performax International Camaro."It's a great piece of gear and the right-hand drive conversion has been done absolutely without compromise," the retired touring car legend commented after a recent test drive.)

The third-generation Camaro was built between 1982 and 1992. Generation four lasted until 2002, when slowing sales and other factors at GM saw the iconic nameplate shelved.

The Camaro's revival with a fifth generation launched last March in the United States has again stimulated a sale and performance race with the Ford Mustang, a model also imported by Performax International.


Right-hand drive: The Performax DifferencePERFORMAX International is Australia's largest and most experienced independent importer of American motor vehicles, providing owners with unparalleled quality and confidence.

Established in 1989 as Corvette Queensland, it has delivered thousands of right- hand drive cars, pick-ups and off-road vehicles from its factory at Gympie on the northern Sunshine Coast of Queensland.

It has established a strong relationship not only with customers seeking a distinctive performance or special-purpose vehicle, but also with Federal and State authorities to which it has demonstrated consistent, quality solutions to Australian Design Rules compliance.

After securing a contract to supply the Victorian ambulance service, the company soon diverged into supplying Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierra pick-ups.

These vehicles, with 4.5-tonne towing capacity, continue to be a significant part of the Performax International product line-up.

With the introduction of a Government-regulated industry, Performax International began to acquire accreditation for a wide range of vehicle types such as the Chevy Corvette, Camaro Suburban, Denali and Tahoe, GMC Sierra and Yukon, Hummer H2, Ford Mustang and Plymouth Prowler.

The company also moved into the RV market with the introduction of the Indiana- built CrossRoads 5th-wheel vans to the Australian market.


In addition to the new Chevy Camaro, Performax International also currently imports new from the US, engineers to RHD and sells –

•Corvette C6, (from $150,000), Z06 (from $220,000), ZR1 (from $350,000)
•Hummer H2 (from $170,000)
•Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, fitted with 6.6-litre Duramax 895 Nm torque turbodiesel V8 (from $105,000)
•Mustang GT (from $119,000), Mustang Shelby GT500 (from $150,000)
•CrossRoads Cruiser 5th-wheel vans (from $119,990)

It also undertakes customer-ordered conversions on Chevy Camaro, Corvette C5, Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Plymouth Prowler.

Current new projects under way are the first examples of the sensational Chevy Corvette ZR1 and the 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

Performax International has pioneered use of the latest technology in its industry in Australia, ensuring OEM-comparable right-hand drive vehicles of unmatched quality.


"That's what we call The Performax Difference," company General Manager Glenn Soper said.

"Our components are CAD-drawn or scanned using our laser scanner, reverse- engineered, then reproduced in a three-dimensional article and tested for fit and finish.

"When the article is complete, a mould is then made and the item can then be ‘shot' with our plastic-injection moulding machine, producing factory-comparable components that clip or bolt in as per the original article.

"All components are a bolt-in part, part-numbered and 100 percent consistent. Nothing is hand-made and no component is made as a one-off."

All vehicles carry full Australian Design Rule compliance, with work performed in- house to certified ISO Quality Assurance standards.

Performax International currently employs 40 people with a variety of specialist skills. They include engineers with CAD-CAM ability, who design new components required for RHD engineering and supervise the ADR compliance process.


Vehicles are converted mostly under the Commonwealth-administered Regulated Accredited Workshop Scheme (RAWS), which allows up to 100 vehicles per category.

Performax International also is able to operate under the Low Volume New Vehicle importation scheme.

V8 Star Lee Holdsworth gets the keysV8 SUPERCAR rising star Lee Holdsworth will be attracting attention for not only his on-track performances this season. He'll also have a road car the envy of his racing rivals, a new Chevrolet Camaro SS from Performax International.

Lee, 27, accepted the keys to his 2010 Camaro SS during a test session at Lakeside Park circuit, north of Brisbane, today.

He'll use the car as his daily driver at home in Melbourne, where he's based with the Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden team, and to attend various events.

At October's Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panoramax, the Camaro will be joined in the competitors' paddock by a Performax International Chevrolet Silverado sports truck and CrossRoads Cruiser 5th-wheel van, which will provide a luxurious refuge from the stresses of Lee's biggest weekend of the year.


Performax International, based at Gympie on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, is Australia's leading independent importer and converter of United States-built passenger vehicles.

It has launched what is said to be the world's first right-hand drive version of the new-generation Camaro, fully-engineered in-house and certified under Australian Design Rules.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be driving the Camaro and can't wait to have it in my driveway," Lee said.

"It's not only a great-looking muscle car, but also a seriously good drive as I discovered at Lakeside.

"The handling is excellent and that Chevy LS3 alloy V8 really punches it out of the corners. It's a traditional muscle car that is also a real sports car.

"And the right-hand drive conversion is a first-class job of design, engineering and finish by Performax International. It's factory-quality."

Performax International General Manager Glenn Soper handed the Camaro's keys to Lee.


"Lee is a fine young race driver with a strong public following and he'll be an outstanding asset in showcasing the Chevy Camaro SS and the capabilities of Performax International," Mr Soper said.

"We wish him great success in his new season with Garry Rogers Motorsport and many enjoyable kilometres at the wheel of his Camaro."

Lee Holdsworth joined Garry Rogers Motorsport in season 2006 and recently extended his contract until the end of 2011.

He has posted some impressive results, including a maiden V8 Supercar win in 2007 and his first pole position at the inaugural Townsville 400 last year. He finished third at Bathurst last October, paired with Michael Caruso.

Glenn Soper appointed General Manager of Performax InternationalPERFORMAX International, Australia's leading importer and converter of new US- built motor vehicles, has appointed Glenn Soper as its new General Manager.

Mr Soper joined the Gympie-based company in early February.

He brings more than 25 years' motor industry experience in management, sales, aftersales and dealer development, during which he acquired a wealth of knowledge in dealer operations, process development, training and fixed operations.

Mr Soper has worked in markets including Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific and South Pacific regions.

Most recently he was New South Wales Regional Manager for Renault Australia and previously worked with Holden, Ford sales and service in Thailand, Bentley, global automotive consulting group MXSI, Papua New Guinea Toyota distributor Toyota Tsusho and Pentana Solutions (formerly Reynolds & Reynolds).

Mr Soper succeeds former General Manager Nicholas Vandenberg, who has resigned to start his own business.

Performax International Managing Directors Greg Waters and Brian Learoyd welcomed Mr Soper and paid tribute to the achievements of Mr Vandenberg. "Glenn's wide mainstream motor industry experience will be invaluable as Performax International faces the most exciting opportunities in its 20-year history," Mr Waters said.

"These opportunities will be the result of having developed our design, engineering and production capabilities to be the best in the conversion industry during Nick Vandenberg's time as General Manager."
Photos: carscoop