Hertz and racing team Hendrick Motorsports are challenging the commonly accepted definition of a rental car with a limited-edition Chevrolet Camaro that’s been tastefully upgraded inside, outside, and under the hood. Select Hertz locations in the United States will begin offering two variants of the special Camaro halfway through October.
The first model is the one we’d seek out in a rental lot. Based on the ZL1 variant of Chevrolet’s heritage-laced coupe, it offers a 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers 750 horsepower thanks in part to a Callaway supercharger. That figure puts it on par with the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, and just a stone’s throw from the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye.
The second Camaro available through the program is a lot tamer. It’s an SS model, meaning it’s powered by a naturally-aspirated, 480-horsepower version of the 6.2-liter eight. Photos show both cars are equipped with an automatic transmission, and there’s no mention of a six-speed manual in Hendrick’s announcement.
Neither car will fly under the radar. Both are painted black with yellow stripes on the hood, the roof, and the trunk lid, as well as matching accents around the bottom part of the body. The black and yellow theme continues inside with edition-specific trim pieces. Special wheels, sill plates, and emblems add a finishing touch to the look.
224 examples of the Hendrick’s Camaro will be available to rent through some Hertz airport locations in America. That number includes 24 ZL1s and 200 SS models. The list of cities the cars will be available in includes Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. There’s no word yet on how much spending a day behind the wheel of a hot-rodded Camaro will cost, or what will happen to the cars when their time in Hertz’s fleet is up.
The concept of letting enthusiasts rent a hugely powerful muscle car isn’t new. In 1966, Ford and tuner Shelby joined forces with Hertz to promote the Mustang-based GT350. 1,001 cars painted in Hertz’s signature colors joined the renter’s fleet. Some were rented for a leisurely trip down the Pacific coast, while others were covertly taken to the track.
