CAR SHOWS

SEALY, Texas — Hennessey Performance Engineering has performed the first private quarter-mile test of a production 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, posting a 13.6-second run at 107.9 mph. The company performed the test the day after it took delivery of the 426-horsepower V8 muscle car.

The quarter-mile sprint was made with a modest 2.3-second 60-foot time. Observers believed a better launch could easily motivate the car into low-13-second range. Chevrolet says the manual-equipped Camaro SS is capable of a 12.9-second and 111 mph quarter-mile. When paired with the six-speed manual, the top-of-the-line Camaro SS makes 426 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

On the Hennessey blog, owner John Hennessey says he’s already found an extra 20 hp in the Camaro through minor modifications. The company plans to launch a full tuning program of the Camaro and will document the progress on its blog. Hennessey also says he has strapped the Camaro SS to a chassis dyno but hasn’t yet released any results from that test.

Inside Line says: Expect Hennessey’s Camaro to be running faster quarter-miles very soon. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent 

The V8-powered Camaro SS ran the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds. (Photo courtesy of Hennessey Performance Engineering)

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS gets 426 hp from the V8. (Photo courtesy of Hennessey Performance Engineering)

Chevy says the Camaro SS is capable of doing even better, posting a quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds for the manual-transmission SS. (Photo courtesy of Hennessey Performance Engineering)

Hennessey is plotting a full tuning program for the ’10 Camaro. (Photo courtesy of Hennessey Performance Engineering)

Owner John Hennessey says he’ll blog about his work on the new-generation muscle car. (Photo courtesy of Hennessey Performance Engineering)

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