By Steven Symes 
A custom fourth gen supercharged Camaro suffered a catastrophic engine fire as a dad was cruising along with his teenage daughter. Thankfully, the two were able to escape the muscle car without injury as the blaze attracted a crowd in Waynesville, North Carolina.
GM is investing big in future V8 engines.
The pricey build looks to have suffered catastrophic damage. Before the fire, the beautiful red Chevy Camaro was reportedly pushing 700-horsepower from the 6.0-liter V8 with a supercharger bolted up.
According to local paper The Mountaineer, the engine alone cost $35,000. When a reporter spoke with the owner, he said, “This is a lot for me to take.” We can only imagine.
When flames suddenly appeared from under the Chevrolet’s hood, he man had one thought: getting his 14-year-old daughter out of the front passenger seat. Because the muscle car is essentially a street legal drag racer, here are no three-point shoulder and lap seatbelts. That means the teen was strapped in with a five-point harness, which can be tough to manage in a panic situation.
Thankfully, she didn’t struggle even a big, scrambling out of the vehicle faster than her dad could. It’s amazing what a shot of adrenaline can do.
With some luck, the muscle car fire happened near town hall and the police station. Authorities sprinted over to help and a fire engine arrived within a minute. As you can see, the fire damage was pretty much contained to the engine compartment, hood, and windshield. It could have been much worse.
Despite the fire’s devastation, the man isn’t giving up on the Camaro. While some would say the destroyed engine is enough reason to sell what’s left and move on, he’s determined to rebuild the American muscle car. However, the man knows realistically while the vehicle can be rebuilt, doing so will require considerable financial resources.
Images via The Mountaineer