--- title: "Watch an 800-HP Chevy Camaro Grenade Itself on the Dyno" description: "During a dyno test, Compete Street Performance's 800-horsepower Chevy Camaro ZL1 burst into flames and destroyed its transmission." date: "2023-07-31" modified: "2023-07-31" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-an-800-hp-chevy-camaro-grenade-itself-on-the-dyno" categories: - "Chevrolet News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Camaro" - "Chevrolet" - "sports car" --- # Watch an 800-HP Chevy Camaro Grenade Itself on the Dyno ![]() *via YouTube* Tuning cars can be a dangerous business. When you push the mechanical limits of what piston engines can do, things get dicey. The gang from [Complete Street Performance]() recently found out when a [Chevrolet]() Camaro ZL1 suffered an explosion while on the dyno. As the [video]() below shows, the car burst into flames, momentarily trapping CSP owner Andrew Zurick inside after the airbags deployed. CSP was prepping the [Camaro ZL1 ]()for Camarofest and wanted it to be as powerful as absolutely possible. As they were testing the "TreeL1" on the dyno, they were pushing 829 horsepower right before it grenaded itself. The transmission is technically what exploded, which is the bang you hear in the video right before a pretty big fire breaks out underneath the car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRpqTlFSJUs&t=626s Making matters worse, as soon as the fire broke out, the curtain airbags deployed. It's unclear why the airbags deployed—maybe a sensor tripped from the fire or maybe the [Camaro]() thought it had crashed from the jolt of the transmission exploding—delaying Zurick's exit from the car by a few vital seconds. The driver's side curtain airbag did give him a cut on his shoulder but he was mostly fine. Once the fire was put out, the car was inspected and the crew noticed the pool of automatic transmission fluid below it. It appears the transmission's tail shaft housing cracked, which is what caused the big bang. Zurick is right that this minor explosion was almost a good thing. Not because it happened but because it happened on the dyno and not on a race track or on the road. Since it was stationary and in a controlled environment, he was able to escape the car and the CSP team was able to put the fire out quickly. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()