Montreal designer stars with Camaro at SEMA

Las Vegas–This year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) meet, an enormous trade show where buyers and sellers determine what will be on the shelves of your local auto supply store, has a Canadian twist.

Not only was the Oshawa-built Chevrolet Camaro the feature car, but a special one in GM's booth had ties to a homegrown designer.

The Hendrick Motorsports 25th Anniversary Camaro by Callaway, a limited edition model commemorating a quarter-century of the racing team's domination in NASCAR, owed several of its design features to Paul Deutschman of Montreal, who was on hand for its official unveiling.

"My degree is mechanical engineering with a vehicle design specialty," Deutschman says. "That's what I am professionally, but design is what I'm all about. I'm a car buff."

Deutschman Design Inc. has worked on the Bombardier NEV low-speed electric vehicle, designed ambulances and helped design and then name the Quebec-based T-Rex three-wheeled motorcycle.

One of his projects, a concept car called the Porsche Spexter, made the covers of Motor Trend and Sports Car Illustrated. That's where it caught the eye of famed sports car modifier Reeves Callaway.

"I got a phone call out of the blue," Deutschman says. "He (Callaway) asked if I could design bodywork for the world's fastest street car. He was aiming to go 250 mph (402 km/h). You get a phone call like that, you first ask if it's for real.

"I agreed to do some early sketches, and two weeks later, he flew his helicopter up to Montreal and we did our first design review. It was a great first encounter, and we succeeded," Deutschman recalls.

The car, a 1988 Corvette with twin turbochargers, hit 254.76 mph and was known as the Callaway Corvette Sledgehammer.

It was the beginning of a series of projects Deutschman did for the Connecticut- and California-based company.

When the Camaro came up, "I was on the coattails of Callaway," Deutschman says. "Callaway made this deal with Hendrick, and when it came to doing the body panels, I guess I was the natural person to call."

Deutschman designed the car's exterior carbon fibre panel system – comprising the front splitter, side rockers, rear spoiler and rear diffuser – plus the tempered glass window in the hood that displays the 582 hp supercharged engine.

His engineering background gives Deutschman an edge: he also worked on the car's aerodynamics, balancing the designs of other stylists with the technical aspects needed to make it viable.

"The big story for me is how we managed to get this done in such a short time. The carbon fibre parts are made in Germany at Callaway's shop there. I'd send off the computer design for the splitter, and they'd start making the mould almost instantly," he says.

"Within two weeks of me completing and emailing the design, the finished part arrives back in California from Germany." The 2009 SEMA exhibition was only three-quarters its usual size, a victim of the U.S. economic meltdown.

But there's still money floating around: the 25 Camaros will be sold through four select American dealers for about $76,000 (U.S.) each.

The Hendrick edition was also one of several hundred Camaros scattered throughout the event. They showed off myriad aftermarket wheels, body kits, grilles, performance parts and interior items.

Some hardcore fans were surprised – and a few disappointed – to learn their favourite American muscle car is technically an import in the U.S., since it's built exclusively at GM's Oshawa facilities.

Deutschman would also like to see more automotive design done in Canada.

But no matter where it comes from, the important part is that it all comes together.

"It's a very intimate piece of work," he says. "When I push that `send' button releasing the design, I just hold my breath and go, `Oh my God, I hope people like this.'

"When someone comes up and says, `I love the design,' that is so important.

"You've got to feel that the right people react to your product in the right way. If it works out, there's a big sigh of relief, and then it's on to the next project."