Chevrolet Camaro with right-hand drive launched by Performax International
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Performax
14th February, 2010
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 Chevrolet 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 callipers, 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 surprising 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 Australia 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 engineering performed independently
by Performax International.
The Chevy Camaro was launched in September 1966 as a 1967 model to do sales battle in American showrooms
with the Ford Mustang and Plymouth Barracuda. 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 performance package. The car's
performance potential was recognised by Australian racing drivers including Kevin Bartlett.
"KB" put his 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 driver
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.
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Right-hand drive: The Performax Difference
Performax 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
(utilities) 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 utes.
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 per cent 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.
NOTE: All prices exclude the traditional add-ons, such as options, statutory charges and dealer
delivery fees.
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