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Aug 29, 2023

Video: Camaro ZL1 Gearbox Explodes on Dyno, Catches Fire, Sets Off Airbag

The tuner in the car at the time of the incident somehow walked away relatively unharmed. The owner of a tuning shop in Pennsylvania was lucky to walk away with minor injuries after the gearbox of a

The tuner in the car at the time of the incident somehow walked away relatively unharmed.

The owner of a tuning shop in Pennsylvania was lucky to walk away with minor injuries after the gearbox of a Chevy Camaro ZL1 he was tuning exploded, causing the airbags to deploy and the bottom of the car to catch fire.

Video from West Chester-based Complete Street Performance published to YouTube on Thursday shows the 800-hp-plus Camaro, nicknamed "TreeL1," doing a pull on the shop's dyno. At the end of the pull we can see sparks flying from underneath the car before a loud thump is heard, at the same time the side airbags deploying. Less than a second later, the bottom of the car is engulfed in flames.

The video cuts to the aftermath, which shows a pool of transmission fluid and a collection of metal shards on the floor. Somehow the tuner manning the driver's seat walked away with just a minor injury to his shoulder thanks to the airbag deployment.

It's not all bad news. The car was able to lay down an impressive 829 hp to the wheels before its unfortunate gearbox incident, 18 more horses than its previous record. And after reviewing the car from underneath, it seems most of the underbody equipment (save for the transmission, of course) can be saved or reused.

Brian Silvestro is Hearst Autos' Lead Deputy Editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine, and still contributes regularly with car reviews, industry interviews, and more. He also has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.

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