Toyota TRD Pro lineup coming next week

A mysterious Toyota commercial recently popped up on YouTube teasing a new TRD Pro lineup for the Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner, and now we're getting our first official word straight from the automaker on the matter. Courtesy of its Facebook page, Toyota is promising that the TRD Pro models will be introduced on February 6th, ready to "conquer the great outdoors."

This date just so happens to mark the first day of the always-truck-friendly Chicago Auto Show, so while Toyota isn't saying as much, we're almost certain the trucks will show up next week in the Windy City. It's not clear what sort of upgrades TRD Pro brings, but it definitely includes black wheels and a tweaked front end featuring a thick, single-bar grille and bold lettering in place of the stylized Toyota logo (shown above on the Tundra).

Chevrolet Auctions Milestone 2014 Camaros for Causes

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Chevrolet will auction the rights to purchase the first   retail-production 2014 Camaro Z/28 and the first limited-production 2014 COPO Camaro this week at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction with proceeds going to education and veteran empowerment groups.

The COPO Camaro will cross the block first, on Friday evening, Jan. 17, and Fox Business News will air the auction live. Carrying serial No.1 for 2014, the race car features a new, LS-based supercharged 350-cubic-inch engine and a one-off COPO Ice Blue Metallic satin paint scheme. Proceeds will benefit the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans.

The Camaro Z/28 – with the vehicle identification number ending in 0001 – is being sold on Saturday evening, Jan. 18, to benefit Detroit’s Cornerstone Schools. The National Geographic Channel will broadcast the auction.

Bids for both cars can be submitted in person at the auction or online at barrett-jackson.com.
“Chevrolet is excited to offer these two milestone cars for the Barrett-Jackson bidders, with all the proceeds going to help a pair of very worthy groups,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.

The Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans is dedicated to helping wounded veterans participate in marathons and share their success within a supportive community and their families. The Cornerstone Schools, lauded as a model in urban education, have a 95-percent graduation rate and 91 percent of graduates pursue higher learning. 

In addition to the sales of the Z/28 and COPO Camaro, a Chevrolet display at the event showcases the cars, along with performance-enhancing parts that can be added to regular-production Camaros. They include COPO Camaro drag-racing components and street- and track-level components for Camaro V-6 and SS models, including 1LE suspension and ZL1 brake upgrades.
The parts are available through the Chevrolet Performance catalog, available from Chevrolet dealers or downloadable for free at chevrolet.com/performance.

Also on display are concept suspension, induction and exhaust parts derived from the new Z/28, which are being evaluated for possible future release.

2014 Camaro Z/28
The 2014 Camaro Z/28 is the fastest production Camaro ever on a track, with unique exterior elements designed like a race car to produce downforce, pressing the tires against the track for greater grip – up to 1.08 g in cornering acceleration – and faster lap times.

The aerodynamically optimized design helped the Camaro Z/28 log a 7:37.40 lap on Germany’s Nürburgring road course. The Z/28’s lap is four seconds faster than the Camaro ZL1, and it beats published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.
Power comes from the 7.0L LS7 engine, with dry-sump oiling, rated at an SAE-certified 505 horsepower (376 kW) and 481 lb-ft of torque (652 Nm). It is built by hand at the new Performance Build Center within GM’s Bowling Green, Ky. assembly plant.

A close-ratio six-speed manual transmission is the only transmission offered and power is distributed to the rear wheels via a Torsen limited-slip differential featuring a helical gear set, rather than traditional clutch packs, to make the most of traction. The Camaro Z/28 is also one of the first production cars fitted with race-proven, spool-valve dampers, which allow four-way damping control, enabling engineers to precisely tune bump-and-rebound settings for high- and low-speed wheel motions.

It arrives in dealerships in spring.

COPO Camaro Program
Chevrolet Performance’s COPO Camaro program returns for 2014 with another limited run of 69 factory-produced race cars and a pair of new racing engine choices – including an all-new supercharged 350-cubic-inch engine – using a 2.9L Whipple screw-type supercharger – and a revised version of the naturally aspirated 427.
It is the third year for the COPO Camaro program, which builds race cars for NHRA Stock Eliminator competition. They will carry the distinctive, updated styling of the 2014 Camaro lineup, including new front and rear fascias. The 2014 COPO Camaro also includes new racing seats, updated graphics and a new, available wheel design.

Along with the supercharged 350 and updated 427, COPO customers can also select from naturally aspirated 350 and 396 engines. The naturally aspirated engines are available with a manual transmission. A Turbo 400 three-speed automatic, built for racing by ATI Performance Products, is offered for all engines.  

Potential customers must sign up for the COPO Camaro mailing list at chevroletperformance.com for the possible opportunity to purchase one of the exclusive factory-built race cars.