Small front-wheel-drive street racers are all the rage in California. But they're mostly import-nameplate cars like Honda Civics, Mazda Protegés and VW Golfs. Chevy Specialty Vehicles thinks this Cavalier Z24 Technic concept car–dubbed the California Cavalier–is really going to get teenage tuners salivating. If horsepower is what they're after, they should be lining up to get a look under the hood.
Therein lies no ordinary 2.4-liter Twin Cam 4-cylinder. This one has been massaged to the tune of 258 horsepower at 6000 rpm (108 hp more than stock) and a whopping 250 ft.-lb. of torque at 4500 rpm, all driving through the front wheels. That's accomplished mostly by a Roots-type supercharger, but the stock engine mechanicals were also beefed up to produce more power and to handle the extra stresses placed upon them. The 4-banger has a high-output crankshaft and connecting rods, special dished pistons, high-flow fuel injectors, high-lift camshafts and stronger valve springs.
A New Venture Gear 5-speed manual transaxle handles the gear ratio changes via a stock shifter and cable system. The shift lever was shortened by 1". Because front-wheel-drive clutches are typically very small, it takes a beefy one to transfer this much power from the engine to the transmission. The dual-disc assembly has had its pressure plate clamping force increased to 200 pounds! That, of course, requires hydraulic actuation, or you'd need a left leg the size of a tree stump to depress the clutch pedal. Racing-style 4-wheel-disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors bring the sleek Cavalier to a halt, and a stiff, lowered suspension with 18-in. wheels permits the cornering forces necessary to keep the car glued to the road.
Backing up all the go-fast pieces is a racy red paint job with special silver paint on the functional hood scoop and rear spoiler that make them appear to be made of aluminum. They also boast exposed rivets, as any proper race car does. Inside there's a black-and-red color scheme with contrasting Chevy Bowtie emblems on the front seatbacks. The instrument cluster is trimmed in silver as is the shift lever. Polished aluminum pedals by Momo add a racing flavor to the cockpit, while reducing weight at the same time.
Vehicle Highlights
Transmission
Wheelbase
Track
Weight
Suspension front
Suspension rear
Brakes-front
Wheels and tires
Performance (mph/sec)
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