They say that every generation has its own hot rod, and Today’s young people seem to have developed a taste for Detroit late-model muscle cars like the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger.

One of the new mighty muscle young guns is Michael Betts from Anaheim, California. Michael has enjoyed fast cars since he was a kid, and he’s always been a Camaro guy. He’s owned a ’94 Camaro Z28, ’99 Z28 and a 2000 SS, and his latest creation is this serious fifth gen ’10 Camaro SS/RS. His inspiration for building the ’10 came while watching the 3D version of Transformers, when he saw Autobot Bumblebee morph from a fifth gen concept Camaro—Michael was hooked.

“For a more aggressive exterior appearance, carbon fiber panels, hood, roof, trunk lid and spoiler were added.”

To get his project started, Michael contacted Vlado Jancev, owner of V’s Performance in Orange, California, where Vlado’s crew took the stock ’10 Camaro SS/RS to the next level. They began with the suspension, installing BC coil-over shocks and Brembo GT 15-inch cross-drilled vented rotors with Brembo GT six-piston front calipers and Brembo GT four-piston calipers in the rear. A set of Modular H2 22 x 9.5 front and 22 x 11 rear brushed aluminum wheels are covered in Falken FK453 rubber 255/35R-22 front and Falken 295/30-22 rear.

Under the hood rests an LS3 6.2L V-8, which in factory trim produced 426 hp at 5,900 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm. Then Vlado’s crew installed a Vortech V-3 supercharger, 65# Bosch injectors, American Racing 1 7⁄8-inch headers collecting into a 2 ½-inch exhaust muffled by a pair of Motive Concept mufflers with Quad Titanium tips. To improve the engine’s power curve and overall performance, an HP tuner was installed by the team at Powertrain Dynamics in Huntington Beach, California. A Hurst short-throw shifter was mounted on top of the GM TR6060 six-speed manual transmission.

“Today michael can be seen blazing around socal in his ‘transformed’ camaro.”

For a more aggressive exterior appearance, carbon fiber panels, hood, roof, trunk lid and spoiler all from Carbon By Design in Oceanside, California, were installed. A custom one-off grille was also inserted along with a Camaro ZL1 front bumper/spoiler. A pair of AAC Halo Ring headlights flanks the grille opening. The interior was given a racy look and feel with a pair of ProCar/SCAT bucket seats. A P-Factor carbon-fiber steering wheel caps the steering column. The audio was stepped up with an Alpine INA-W900 head unit wired to a pair of Alpine Type-R 6.5-inch front speakers and Alpine Type-R 6 x 9-inch rear speakers.

Today Michael can be seen blazing around SoCal in his “Transformed” Camaro.

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SPECS

SUSPENSION: BC coil-over shocks front and rear

BRAKES: Brembo GT six-piston front, Brembo GT four-piston rear calipers with 14-inch rotors

WHEELS: Modulare H2 polished forged aluminum 22 x 9.5 front, 22×11 rear

TIRES: Falken 255/35R-22 front, 295/30R-22 rear

ENGINE: GM 6.2L LS3 Horsepower 581, torque 517 lb-ft at 7 psi

SUPERCHARGER: Vortech V-3 centrifugal style

INJECTORS: 65#

HEADERS: American Racing 17/8-inch diameter

EXHAUST: 2 ½-inch diameter with Motive Concept Quad Titanium

MUFFLERS: Motive Concept

TUNER: HP

TRANSMISSION: GM TR6060 six-speed manual with Hurst shifter

CARBON FIBER BODY PANELS: Carbon By Design, hood, roof, trunk lid and spoiler

HEADLIGHTS: ACC Halo Ring

SEATS: ProCar/SCAT racing buckets

AUDIO: Alpine INA-W900 head unit, Alpine Type-R 6.5 front speakers, Alpine Type-R 6 x 9 rear speakers

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A version of this article first appeared in the May-June 2014 print issue of Maximum Drive