We were front row for the unveiling of the all-new 2013 Camaro Z28, a car that erased all memory and mistakes from GM’s past as far as we’re concerned. Street legal only by the thinnest of margins and bolstered by technologies developed specifically for the track, we all knew it was only a matter of time before the General revealed a strictly track-only version of the Z28 to support its motorsports efforts, and about six months later the Camaro Z28.R made its world debut.

Building on the reputation of the original 1967/68 Camaro Z28 from the paint-swapping action of early Trans AM racing, the new Z28.R contains the kind of racing technologies the pioneers of motorsports could never have imagined. Speed Academy took a a break from wrenching on their own cars to visit the shop of Mantella Autosports, a Toronto-based racing team owned by Anthony Mantella that races a pair of Z28.Rs in the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

The Z28.Rs actually replaced a pair of Aston Martins that Mantella had been racing, because as he tells it, “when you’re passionate about racing, and racing money is coming out of your pocket, you gotta have a car that’s competitive.” That’s a diplomatic way of saying that the Astons couldn’t keep up, and that the Camaros are better. Tell us something we don’t already know, why don’t you?

While the Z28.R uses the same 505 horsepower 7.0 liter V8 as the street-going version, IMSA limits the RPM redline to just 6,400, rather than the 7,200 the engine is capable of from the factory. The strut towers have also been reinforced, additional cooling systems added, and a new airbox was homologated by IMSA for all Z28.R racers. But other than the roll cage and race-specific bodywork, which includes a ground-scraping front splitter, larger rear spoiler, and a hood heat extractor the body work is easily recognizable as street going Z28.

There’s a lot more to this race car than just performance components and ground effects though, as Mantella walks through all the cool features that enthusiasts might not appreciate at first glance. We won’t spoil it for you, but if you’re the kind of racing enthusiast who dines on details, stick around for the whole video.