Letters

Playing In Chevy's Toy Box
Your article on the 725-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 ("Inside Chevy's Secret Toy Box," Aug. '96) brought me to tears. This car has what all true American car lovers want: mean, street-possessing style and more than enough raw power to back it up. It would be lethal on the street, which is probably why it will never be out there. Chevy has to be defying some laws of nature with this car.

God bless them.Joe FialaFrankfort, N.Y.

I loved your article "Inside Chevy's Secret Toy Box," but I was disappointed to read that Chevrolet wasn't going to sell most of the vehicles featured. In my opinion, Chevy would make money with some of the models like the ZL-1 Camaro, which would compete very closely with the Dodge Viper, especially since the performance is nearly identical and the Chevy has more horsepower. Also, the Coolside pickup isn't very far behind the Viper. If I were in the market, I would definitely think about buying the truck. I also like the design changes that Chevrolet made to the S-Series Hugger. If only Ford would build a mega-horsepower engine for its Mustang-now that would make me very happy.
Peter LaPointeCharlo, New Brunswick, Canadavia the Internet

Check out Ford's latest "secret" project on page 38 and prepare to be very, very happy. -Ed.

Boy, Jon Moss has an even better job than Bill Gates. Man, those cars were the best. Alex Trotman [Ford's chief exec] must have wet himself after the "Chevy Toy Box" issue.
Jonathan GrabowskiHanover, Mass.

I hold you all directly responsible for my being $48K in the hole: I had been planning for awhile to trade in my '92 Accord EX for something with more oomph. I had chosen the '96 LT4 Vette to provide that particular oomph, and then along comes your article on the Collector's Edition (May '96). Sigh. So I started hunting for a better price. Didn't find one. On the other hand, I found a black LT4 with all the gadgets of a Collector's Edition for $48,000. Given the essence of your article, I thought "Why not?"

Now, I owe, I owe, and off to work I go...and then in comes your article about Chevrolet's toy box!
Guy ParrotVaudreuil, Quebec, Canadavia Motor Trend Online

I'm wondering how long the "Secret Toy Box" cars would survive out in public. With all the lead-footed Americans out on the road, we'd probably be seeing lots of blown engines. How much does each of these engines cost? Probably quite a bit. But it doesn't stop there. Who's going to want to buy new tires every two months? I'm sure you know how much that would cost. Without going any further, these cars are totally impractical.
Gianluigi FornariArlington, Texas

As a child you probably wrote to Walt Disney to inform him that mice do not talk. -Ed.

I really enjoyed your articles on the mega-horsepower ZL-1 Camaro and the '98 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (July '96). I have a '93 Z28, and I would like to do some modifications to increase the horsepower. I plan to sell it soon, of course, to buy the 330-horsepower '98 Camaro Z28. What would be the most economical ways to modify my Z28 so I can enjoy it more before I sell it?
Chih-Ming LuCayohoga, Ohiovia the Internet

Hundreds of components are available for late-model GM F-body cars. Our Performance Trends section regularly features parts and complete packages, such as the Varde Hurricane Camaro highlighted in the August issue. Visit Motor Trend Online's Off Ramp section for links to aftermarket companies such as Lingenfelter, L.G. Motorsports, and Vortech Engineering for package recommendations. -Ed.

Honda CR-V Backtalk
Do the guys at Honda really think the world needs another underpowered, overpriced SUV (Aug. '96)? If a company is going to introduce a new all-wheel-drive SUV, it had better be able to tackle some serious off-road experiences. I really doubt that anyone who buys a CR-V could take it off-road and into the underbrush with a measly 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine.