Hot, moody Camaro steals SEMA show

A Ford F-Series 350 was the 'hottest truck'. Photo / Supplied

The Australian-built Chevrolet Camaro has picked up the "hottest car" award at the SEMA trade show in Las Vegas.

The prize goes to the exhibitor who uses a vehicle to highlight its most accessory-friendly new models.

General Motors helped dress up two Camaro-based concepts - the Red Flash and track-focused SSX - to show off potential future official Chevrolet accessories.

Former Holden managing director Alan Batey picked up the award. "The Camaro won by a mile and I think it says a lot when these exhibitors are obviously showing their goods and have picked our vehicle to show them on," said Batey, now the Chevrolet vice-president of sales and service.

The headline act was the Camaro Red Flash, a street machine based on the 6.2-litre SS model. It showed what could be customised, using "Red Jewel" paint on the bodywork and engine cover, a bodykit including large rear wing and 21-inch alloy wheels filling the wheelarches.

A moody interior theme of black leather with titanium stitching and red accents, Volkswagen GTi-style flat-bottomed steering wheel, racing pedals and red LED interior lighting was complemented by a special air intake and exhaust system to provide occupants and bystanders with an amplified V8 rumble from the LS3 V8 under the bonnet.

The SSX features weight-saving carbon-fibre bodywork in the bonnet, wings, doors and bootlid with yet more carbon used for aerodynamic aids such as the front splitter and adjustable rear wing.

Along with the requisite air intake and exhaust upgrades, the 6.2-litre LS3 V8 has been warmed up with a hot camshaft, performance cylinder heads and a dry sump lubrication system to maintain oil pressure during hard cornering. Power is fed through the standard six-speed manual transmission but aided by a twin-disc clutch from the Corvette ZR1.

The standard suspension has been modified for track purposes and behind the 20-inch racing wheels wrapped in racing rubber are drilled and slotted brake rotors squeezed by callipers with six pistons at the front and four pistons at the rear.

Inside, more weight-saving comes with the removal of carpeting, sound insulation and the rear seat, while race-spec additions include a rollcage with video camera system and window net, fire extinguishers, a racing seat with five-point harness, racing pedals and a race-spec fuel tank.

Chevrolet's show stand also featured two Corvette concepts, one being a black "Jake" special-edition, inspired by and featuring the Corvette Racing team's skull mascot and a Z06X track car concept in a similar vein to its Camaro SSX sibling.

A Ford F-Series 350 received the award for the "hottest truck" and the Jeep Wrangler was named "hottest 4x4".