The story behind Trans Am Worldwide’s 70/SS Chevelle tribute

Trans Am Worldwide’s 70/SS is a tribute to the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport with more than 1,500 hp, a manual transmission, and a design that drips in nostalgia.

The convertible muscle car was unveiled in 2022, but Trans Am Worldwide recently released a video that delves into more detail about the car’s genesis and specs.

Trans Am Worldwide is the sibling company of Trans Am Depot. It’s staffed by the same team that launched Pontiac Firebird Trans Am tributes, including a Burt Reynolds-endorsed Bandit Trans Am and a 455 Super Duty Trans Am, both of which used the Chevrolet Camaro as a starting point.

Like some of the previous projects, the 70/SS is based on the General Motors Alpha platform that underpins the current-generation Camaro. But replicating the 1970 Chevelle’s iconic look required some stretching. The 70/SS is 6.0 inches wider than a factory Alpha-platform car and 14.0 inches longer, with new body panels rendered in carbon fiber. Trans Am Worldwide also consulted original GM schematics for the hood stripes.

Styling was a major reason for doing a 1970 Chevelle tribute, but it was also personal for Trans Am Worldwide co-founder Tom Warmack, whose mom had a Chevelle when he was growing up. It “was part of our family,” Warmack says in the video, and it shuttled everyone around faithfully. That car was painted green, and so was the first 70/SS the company completed.

While still obviously based on the sixth-generation Camaro, efforts were made to backdate the interior as well. The digital instrument cluster uses the original 1970 Chevelle typeface, the seats were upholstered to look like 1970s items, and a classic Hurst shifter was installed. 

It wouldn’t be a true Chevelle SS without a V-8, and Trans Am Worldwide offers a few options for choose from. Base cars get GM’s LT-1 naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 with 450 hp sent to the rear wheels. While that’s already an upgrade from the roughly 300 hp the 1970 original made, the engine can also be supercharged to 650 hp. The mid-level option, dubbed 396, is also supercharged and bumps to displacement to 6.4 liters (396 cubic inches) for roughly 900 hp.

Top-spec cars, of which only 25 will be made, have Trans Am Worldwide’s LS6/X 454 twin-turbo engine, making 1,500 hp at the rear wheels using E85 fuel. A manual transmission is available, but buyers can choose an automatic as well.

Pricing starts at $165,000, but Trans Am Worldwide has indicated prices can far exceed that with customization and options. All cars will be convertibles, but the company is working on a removable hardtop option.

Check out the video above for more on this special tribute car.