Trans Am Worldwide has never been content to let the muscle car era fade into nostalgia. Based in Tallahassee, Florida, the outfit made its name resurrecting icons like the Firebird and Trans Am, injecting them with modern engineering while keeping the attitude of Detroit’s golden age intact. Now, under founder Tod Warmack, the same crew has turned its sights on another heavyweight from the annals of American performance—the Chevrolet Chevelle SS. The result is a brutal, beautiful piece of retro Americana called the Chevelle 70/SS, and it might just be the most audacious restomod in the country.
From Camaro Bones to Chevelle Soul
At its core, the Chevelle 70/SS starts life as a sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. But to call it a Camaro in disguise would be an insult. Almost every visible trace of the donor car has been exorcised, replaced with custom carbon-fiber body panels that echo the broad shoulders and squared-off aggression of the 1970 Chevelle SS. Up front, the transformation is most striking—a newly designed chrome bumper, round headlights set deep within a bespoke grille, and the kind of stance that looks ready to pick a fight. Out back, the lines are pure ’70s muscle, from the squared rear quarters to the ducktail lip spoiler.
This particular example, finished in Autumn Gold with black racing stripes, isn’t just a tribute—it’s personal. The car was commissioned by Earl Newman, who owns the original 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle “Pilot Car,” the earliest-documented LS6-powered Chevelle in existence. After paying $220,000 for that piece of history, Newman wanted a modern counterpart. Trans Am Worldwide delivered exactly that—and then some.
Power Beyond Reason
Buyers can spec their Chevelle 70/SS in one of three trims: Base, 396 Heritage, and the range-topping 454 LS6X Limited Edition. Each can be ordered with increasingly unhinged levels of power.
The Base version packs a 5.7-liter LT1 V8, good for 425 horsepower in naturally aspirated form—or up to 800 hp when force-fed by a supercharger. Step up to the 396 Heritage, and the 6.6-liter (402 cubic inch) V8 offers between 800 and 900 hp, depending on your choice of supercharger or twin turbos.
But the real insanity begins with the 454 LS6X Limited Edition, of which only 20 examples will be built. This monster houses a 7.4-liter V8 that can be configured three ways: a 900-hp supercharged version, a 1,000-hp twin-turbo setup, or—if you’re truly deranged—a 1,500-horsepower twin-turbo build.
Newman chose door number three. The same man who owns the first LS6 Chevelle now has a modern one that makes more power than a Bugatti Chiron—1,479 hp for the French hypercar, 1,500 for the Floridian throwback. One can only imagine the sensory overload of stomping the throttle in a car that looks like 1970 but accelerates like 2070.
Old School Craft, New School Engineering
Every panel on the 70/SS is carbon fiber, shaped and assembled in-house by Trans Am Worldwide’s team. Despite the old-school lines, this isn’t a brute from the past—it’s a thoroughly modern piece of engineering. The chassis and suspension geometry from the Camaro platform remain, meaning the car benefits from modern handling, brakes, and safety systems. The company even engineered a removable hardtop and a functional soft top, making the 70/SS both a coupe and convertible at will.
Inside, the cabin pays homage to classic Chevelle cues but doesn’t skimp on comfort. Think retro-stitched leather, analog-inspired gauges, and enough modern tech to remind you this isn’t your uncle’s barn find.
The Price of Nostalgia
All this American excess comes at a price. The Chevelle 70/SS starts around $195,000, and Newman’s one-off 1,500-hp build easily doubles that. But you’re not just buying a car—you’re buying a conversation piece, a slice of reimagined history with the capability to outrun just about anything wearing a license plate.
Trans Am Worldwide’s Chevelle 70/SS isn’t subtle, and it’s not meant to be. It’s a love letter to one of the most iconic muscle cars ever built, rewritten for a world where the internal combustion engine is on borrowed time. With looks that stop traffic and performance that borders on science fiction, this machine proves that in Tallahassee, at least, the muscle car era isn’t dying quietly—it’s roaring louder than ever.
Source: Trans Am Worldwide via YouTube