With the passing of John Lingenfelter, the future of his company went through uncertain and challenging times. Now the company is back and is still in the family, now owned by Ken Lingenfelter. Through the many SEMA Camaros we previewed leading up to the show, the one we had our eye on was the LPE T/A Concept. We had a chance today to catch up with Ken at the Nitto booth to check out the Camaro.
I have to admit, I was a little hesitant on how this concept car was going to look as a finished piece. Inspecting the LPE T/A, I was overly impressed with the attention to detail on everything from the body panels to the interior trim; it looked like a production car.
“I was crushed when Pontiac said they weren’t going to make a Firebird”, says the life long Firebird enthusiast, Ken Lingenfelter. “I told my team that we have to make a modern day replication of the T/A.”
Ken is extremely personable, not what you would expect from an owner of a company of this caliber. He spent a great deal of time this week at SEMA talking to consumers on what they thought about the car, which have been overwhelmingly positive. Ken even hinted that there is a possibility that this T/A could turn into a limited production car that they will offer.
Starting the build concept in February, there were many ideas that came across the plate, but the essential statement from Ken was that he wanted this car to feature all the highlights of the classic T/A look, mixed with modern-day flare. The completely custom front end still retains the recessed Camaro headlights, though the rear end was extended over 5-inches to accommodate the redesigned rear end. The OEM side body lines were perfect for Lingenfelter’s taste, though the fender side scoops were a must. The other aesthetically nostalgic piece is the shaker hood scoop that was stamped LPE-455.
The scoop is purely for show, mounted on standoffs from the intake manifold. Though the 455 representation is real, through the LS-based engine. Not being able to stroke the stock LS3 that many cubic inches, Lingenfelter turned to RHS for their new LS engine block. The 4.155” bore by 4.200” stroke utilizes Diamond pistons help turn out the 11.5:1 ratio, which is supported by a Lunati forged crankshaft. The LPE CNCed LS7 heads are topped off with a FAST LSX-R intake manifold to help produce the 655 horsepower and 610 lb/ft of torque - naturally aspirated. When I asked Ken what his favorite part of the car was, he commented “The sound. I wish I could fire it up in here, it sounds very aggressive.”
Open the door and take a peak inside and you will find yourself inside one impressive looking interior job. The blue vinyl is an exact representation of the 70s-era version. Even the plastics have been dyed the same shade of blue and match perfectly. You can see the detail shots yourself, but inspecting it up close is even more satisfying; perfect stitches rivaling the finest Italian hand bags.
The future of the T/A from Lingenfelter is still uncertain, but the wheels are definitely turning. Ken would like to see this color flopped with blue paint and white stripes. We look forward to bringing you future news on this fantastic concept car.
More info can be found at
www.lingenfelter.com
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