This is Big Red. Well, actually this is Big Red 2. The first 1969 Chevrolet Camaro reworked by RJ Gottlieb and his father was severely crashed during a road race many years ago. RJ survived that 150 mph off-track excursion but the car was cooked. So Big Red 2 was born in its place. Today, this 1969 Chevy Camaro is prepped for insane speeds and blows out wicked power, and RJ and his car have swung by the Hoonigan Donut Garage in Long Beach to talk all about it.
The numbers are wild. You have upwards of 2,000 horsepower, depending on which of the three available engines is being used. A top speed run of 251 miles per hour is far faster than most exotic hyper car owners can hope for. There are piles of trophies, records, and more.
This is Pro Touring at its most wild form. You start with a first or second generation muscle or pony car and turn it into a road-going race car. With Big Red, the Gottliebs kept on pushing. One of its most memorable runs occurred during the second Silver State Classic Challenger. RJ managed to complete the 94-mile road course in just 27 minutes and 54 seconds.
That works out to an average speed of a tick under 198 mph. His fastest speed during the run was 222 mph. He nearly averaged 200 mph over the course of 94 miles.
