For all of you, who live in Australia – GM’s decision a few days ago will not affect Performax’s plans to import, modify and sell Camaros.

According to Performax, about 250 hours of work per Camaro are needed for the left-hand drive to right-hand conversion. All these modifications inolve changes to steering, emissions equipment, lighting, air-conditioning and ventilation and body – all parts used by Performax are ISO-accredited.

“Performax International was first in Australia with the Camaro and we have achieved factory-standard engineering and finish quality in producing right-hand drive versions. Whatever any other importer decides to do or not do, Performax is proud to have the first and best RHD Camaros and we expect plenty will be finding their way to owners around Australia”, said Performax International General Manager Glenn Soper.

Countries such as Japan, UK and Australia won’t get the Camaro -  at least, not now. It seems that the plans for a right-hand drive version of the Camaro have been put on hold due to a change of priorities within GM. This is what Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman, said in an interview with journalists at the
2010 Geneva Auto Show. Maybe there are intentions to accent on hybrids and electric vehicles.

According to Motor Trend, Lutz said “It’s been pushed back, perhaps indefinitely. No matter which car company you work for, there’s never enough engineering money, talent and capital to do everything you want to do,” said Lutz. “So when we looked at the hybrids that we have to do, and the plug-ins that we have to do, we just had to priority rank it and I couldn’t argue with the priorities.”

“Unfortunately all of the markets came in with relatively low volume estimates. The UK was low, and…frankly I think Australia could have stepped up to the plate with some more. But when we finally looked at it there weren’t enough units to justify after all what is a fairly large investment,” he said.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

NEW SVT PERFORMANCE PACKAGE READIES
2011 FORD SHELBY GT500 FOR THE TRACK

• An optional SVT Performance Package highlights the new 2011 Ford Shelby GT500®, available on both coupe and convertible models, making it racetrack ready

• The optional package features the all-new next-generation Goodyear Eagle® F1 SuperCar G: 2 tires only available on the 2011 Shelby GT500, offering incredible dry traction and
precise handling, complete with a race-inspired ultra-high-performance tread compound

• All-new lightweight 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels in the front complement all-new tires, with new 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels at the rear

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

2011 FORD SHELBY GT500 GOES LIGHTWEIGHT WITH ALUMINUM ENGINE, OFFERS ULTIMATE IN HANDLING

• With 550 horsepower and 510 ft.-lb. of torque, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) delivers the new Shelby GT500® with a 10 horsepower increase; an all-new 5.4-liter all-aluminum engine is 102 pounds lighter than the previous cast-iron engine and uses Ford-patented plasma-coating technology

• For 2011, Shelby GT500 offers EPA-projected improved fuel economy in city and highway from 2010, eliminating the gas guzzler tax

• The addition of Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), a new optional SVT Performance Package, enhanced convertible rigidity and a lowered ride height contribute to improved driving dynamics and handling

On Monday Ford will announce details of the 2011 Shelby GT500 . The car’s official debut is scheduled at the Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday, but Ford’s webcast site has already “leaked” the car on a short video clip which is no longer available. However some screen captures of the video are available and they are revealing the 2011 SVT Performance Package Mustang.

In addition to this, an order guide of this spectacular muscle car was published online. Some new items of the 2011 Shelby GT500 are a completely aluminum block for the 5.4-liter V8, a glass roof, 19×9.5-inch front and 20×10-inch rear forged aluminum wheels, as well as 3:73 rear end (instead of the car’s standard 3:55). An extra 10 “horses” will be added to the GT500 and the total power will be 550-hp.

Musclevehicles.com – The Ultimate Blog for American Muscle Cars and Muscle Vehicles

Ford chose the Detroit Auto Show as the first time to show the new 2011 Mustang GT Coupe and Convertible. With the majority of the news on the 2011 Mustang GT already available, this is actually the first time the convertible model has been shown at all.

Producing 412-hp at 6500 rpm and 390 ft-lbs of torque at 4250 rpm, the convertible is powered by Ford’s impressive new 5.0-liter V8.