Fifth-Gen Camaro Aero Kit - Body Sculpting

The first batch of production fifth-generation Camaros hadn't even left the Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, assembly plant before aftermarket companies were offering exterior enhancement parts. And since the cars hit the showroom floor, new hoods, spoilers and ground effects packages have popped up seemingly every few weeks. Styling is always subjective, but the construction, fit, and finish of these body parts is definitely qualitative. Wavy panels, uneven gaps, and poor alignment are common results of improperly designed and manufactured components. They can make an otherwise detailed car look shabby and cheap, sort of like wearing worn-out flip-flops with your wedding tux. So we listened with journalistic skepticism when told about a fifth-gen body kit that was built to and had the appearance of production parts. We'd heard it a million times about other exterior parts, but then we learned the kit was from Michigan-based Innovative Vehicle Solutions (IVS)-a company with roots in building preproduction and concept vehicles for the OEMs. It was a strong reputation to build on, so we decided to check out the parts in person.

IVS calls its Camaro kit "HAVOC" and it does a great job at accenting the Camaro's silhouette without drastically altering its character. Like we said, styling is subjective, but the kit's rocker moldings, chin spoiler, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser give the car an appropriately more muscular look in an artfully integrated manner. For example, the diffuser extends the rear fascia enough to cover the mufflers that are exposed with the stock fascia. It looks as if the package could have been a factory option. Better still, it visually lowered the car, which vastly improved the stance. Also supporting the OEM appearance was the smooth finish and tight tolerances of the parts. IVS manufactures the parts in reaction injection molding (RIM) material, which is the urethane material used by most manufacturers for similar parts, as well as fascias, and the like. The parts attach with OEM-type fasteners (including reused fasteners from the car), which enhances the overall quality of the kit in our eyes.

The complete HAVOC kit includes front chin spoiler, side rocker moldings, two-piece diffuser, tall rear spoiler, and set of 20-inch wheels. The diffuser insert is offered in black or with carbon-fiber-look finish, while the wheels are designed as direct replacements for the stock 20-inch wheels, so the cost of new tires is cut out of the equation. The list price for the full kit with wheels is $3,275 (with the carbon-fiber-look diffuser), but you could probably grind on your local dealer for a better price. Our project also added a tasteful stripe kit that added about $200 to the bottom line. All of the parts are sold individually, too, and the kit is available without the wheels for only $2,175. We arranged to visit IVS' headquarters to follow a complete HAVOC kit installation on customer Jerry Hubbuch's '10 Camaro SS. Kits are retailed through a number of dealers around the country, who also typically handle the installations. But being the do-it-yourself types, we were interested in learning whether it was a project the average enthusiast could handle at home. The answer is a qualified yes. Special tools and skills are not required, but an eye for detail and a modicum of experience working on cars is necessary. A lift makes the job much easier, too, but the job could easily be done with a set of jackstands.