2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car unveiled, first unit to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car unveiled, first unit to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Pictures

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car unveiled, first unit to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Wallpapers

The Chevrolet Camaro has a lot of history with the Indy 500 dating all the way back to 1967. General Motors today unveiled a special-edition Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, which will serve as the official pace car for the 2011 Indianapolis 500. The announcement was made at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale classic auto auction, where a bidder will have the chance to bid on the first of 50 ndianapolis 500 Festival Committee cars to be made.

Full proceeds from the auction will be donated to the David Foster Foundation, a charity devoted to supporting families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible.

The Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible Indianapolis 500 Pace Car features a Summit White exterior accented in orange stripes and door graphics. The interior is also trimmed in orange leather with Indy 500 logo embossed in the headrests. The color combo is similar to the one used on the 1969 Camaro Indy pace car, which itself has become among the most popular Camaros in the world of collectors.

Refresher: The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible is available in two trim levels including LT and SS. The 2011 Camaro Convertible LT is powered by a 3.6L direct-injection V6 engine that produces 312-hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. The Camaro Convertible SS models is offered with two 6.2L V8 powertrain choices including the L99 on automatic-equipped vehicles and the LS3 on manual-equipped models The L99 engine produces 400-hp and a maximum torque of 410 lb-ft while the LS3 makes 426-hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Prices for the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible start at $29,150 for the 1LT and $36,650 for the 1SS.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car unveiled, first unit to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Photos

Press Release:

Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible to Pace Indianapolis 500

New Camaro SS convertible in white with orange stripes and orange leather-trimmed interior evokes classic 1969 Camaro pace car model

One of the 50 Festival Committee cars will be auctioned for charity at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction on Jan. 22

2011 is the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500

DETROIT – A special-edition Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will serve as the official pace car of the 2011 Indianapolis 500. Chevrolet and Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials made the announcement at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale classic auto auction, where a bidder will have the opportunity to purchase the first of 50 Indianapolis 500 Festival Committee cars.

The 2011 Camaro Convertible is the 22nd Chevrolet chosen to pace “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing®” and the seventh Camaro. Adding to the rich heritage is the fact that 2011 will mark the 100th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500, as well as the centennial year of Chevrolet.

Chevrolet will donate full proceeds of the auction to the David Foster Foundation, a charity devoted to supporting families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. David Foster, the 15-time Grammy-winning music producer and songwriter, founded the organization in his native Canada.

The pace car, along with the matching festival cars, features a Summit White exterior accented with orange stripes and door graphics. The interior is trimmed in orange leather, including front seat headrests embossed with the Indy 500 logo, along with white door panels and instrument panel trim. The instrument panel trim features extensions of the orange exterior stripes.

The color combination is similar to the design used on the 1969 Camaro Indy pace car – replicas of which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.

“It’s an honor for Chevrolet to pace the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, especially during this landmark year,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “This is also a great opportunity for us to build on Camaro’s strong momentum, while supporting an important charity.”

The auction for the commemorative edition pace car takes place Saturday evening, Jan. 22, during SPEED’s live coverage of the Barrett-Jackson event. The vehicle carries lot number 1284 and bids can be submitted at the auction in person or online by clicking this link for a 2011 absentee bidder registration packet:

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Chevrolet name have long been associated with one another beginning with Arthur, Louis and Gaston Chevrolet’s participation as competitors in the Indianapolis 500,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and CEO Jeff Belskus. “It is fitting in this 100th year for both brands that we reinforce that relationship through this year’s Camaro pace car, which resembles what many argue is the most famous pace car in IMS history, the 1969 Camaro. We are looking forward to seeing this car on track, pacing the greatest 33 drivers in the world on May 29.”

Pace car details

Equipped with a 400-horsepower (298 kW) V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, the actual pace car for the race requires no performance modifications to perform its duty in front of the racing field.

All 50 of the Festival Committees cars will be SS convertible models fitted with the 2SS equipment package, offering the following standard features:

Four-wheel disc brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers and hydraulic assist

StabiliTrak electronic stability control

Competitive/sport mode that enhances on-track performance

Performance Launch Control (with the manual transmission) that optimizes hard-acceleration launches for quicker, more consistent performance

Twenty-inch polished aluminum wheels and performance tires

Head-up instrument display

Center console with auxiliary gauge package.

Along with the 2SS equipment, the cars feature the RS package, which includes HID headlamps and unique tail lamps.

Convertible refinement

The Camaro Convertible delivers coupe-like driving dynamics, with the unmatched fun of open air driving. The Convertible model contains an enhanced structure designed to eliminate the traditional compromises of open cars, such as cowl or steering wheel shake. The goal is a convertible that drives like the coupe. All the powertrain and suspension elements of the existing Camaro Coupe carry over unchanged in the convertible. The top has a smooth, tailored fit, with acoustical foam in the headliner that helps deliver a quiet ride with the top up.

Four strategic reinforcements enhance the already-stiff body structure to eliminate common convertible maladies of cowl and steering wheel shake. They include:

A tower-to-tower brace under the hood

A transmission support reinforcement brace

Underbody tunnel brace

Front and rear underbody “V” braces.

The power-folding top retracts in about 20 seconds. It is built in partnership with the same manufacturer as the Corvette convertible top, and operates in a similar manner. That means it folds in a simple “Z” pattern and latches with a single, convenient handle located at the center of the windshield header. Other convertible models in this segment still offer convertible tops with dual latches, forcing drivers into two-hand operations reaching across the car.

The regular-production versions of the 2011 Camaro Convertible will begin arriving in Chevrolet dealerships in February, opening a new chapter in the Camaro’s ongoing 21st century rebirth. Even before the introduction of a convertible model, Camaro ended 2010 as the sales leader in its class in the United States for the first time since 1985.

Chevrolet’s pace car heritage

Louis Chevrolet, who founded the brand with William “Billy” Durant in 1911, was a racer, mechanic and pioneering engineer. He raced in the early years of the Indianapolis 500, which also started in 1911, and served a luminary of the event in the years after he retired his racing helmet. That included driving the official Indianapolis pace car, which was developed by Indy 500 founder Carl Fisher, who believed a rolling start was safer than a standing start. The first Indianapolis 500 featured a pace car driven by Fisher.

The first Chevrolet selected as the Indianapolis 500 pace car was the 1948 Fleetmaster Six. The brand would go on to lead the racing pack more than any other manufacturer. The list of Chevy pace cars includes:

1948 Fleetmaster Six

1955 Bel Air

1967 Camaro

1969 Camaro

1978 Corvette

1982 Camaro

1986 Corvette

1990 Beretta

1993 Camaro

1995 Corvette

1998 Corvette

1999 Monte Carlo

2002 Corvette

2003 SSR

2004 Corvette

2005 Corvette

2006 Corvette

2007 Corvette

2008 Corvette

2009 Camaro

2010 Camaro

2011 Camaro