Camaro overload at Belle Isle for generation-six reveal

Fans from across US enjoy Chevy heaven in Detroit

Ashen gray skies and periodic rain didn’t stop the Camaro faithful from appearing at Detroit’s Belle Isle on Saturday for the world debut of the generation-six 2016 Chevy Camaro. More than 1,000 fans showed up early, filling the Camaro Hall of Fame parking lot with more than 100 of Chevy’s ponycars from every era imaginable. The all-day affair featured hot laps in Camaro Z/28 testers, test drives in Chevy’s everyday cars like the Impala, Malibu and Spark, along with several parts and engine displays to keep owners coming back for more. Above is a mega gallery of the day’s early events, and below are comments from three special owners we talked to about their personal automotive love.

Car Life Gallery: Piper's 1999 Chevy Camaro SS

Jim Piper from Sterling Heights, Mich., has a 1999 Camaro SS with a custom Synergy green paint job. It stuck out because Piper and his family were detaching the antenna as we walked up, trying to fish the keys out of their locked up car. It was painted professionally by a friend at a dealership, taking about five months for the panels to be disassembled, coated and replaced. Piper said the green monster dyno’d at 342 hp, a hell of a lot of power for car that’s nearly two decades old. Piper coyly declined to reveal the Camaro’s top speed, instead talking about his other car, a supercharged Corvette, that he’s worked up to about 160 mph. Piper eventually got the keys out, with help from his Camaro brethren. The comaraderie is strong with these fans.

Car Life Gallery: 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28

Gary McClain from Davisburg, Mich., brought his beautiful bumblebee-colored 1969 Z/28 that he’s had for six years. The ’69 was advertised at 290 hp, but McClain says it’s more like 340 hp. McClain’s favorite generation is the first, and his second is the second, though he wouldn’t buy another old one. He rode along for a hot lap in the new Z/28, and said it would be on his short list for his next ponycar.

Car Life Gallery: Bow White's supercharged 2010 Chevy Camaro SS

Finally, there was Bow White, who traveled more than 700 miles (at 21 mpg, he adds) from Tuscaloosa, Ala. White has a fifth-gen Camaro with a supercharger, boosting output from the stock 426 hp to a healthy 682. White is a Camaro fan for life, picking this 2010 model from Ohio with the screw already installed. He bought it with about 20,000 miles; it now has about 70,000. White noted the fact that even with all that power, he’s still using the original clutch. His last road trip was down to Baytown, Texas, for the Camaro Five fest, and is planning another trip to Bowling Green. We’re not sure if he was the biggest Camaro fan on the island, but he has owned 12, including the ’78 Z/28 that was his first love.

Posted in: Belle, Camaro, generation-six, overload, reveal