Jay Leno Breaks in a 400-Mile 1989 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
If you’ve paid attention to the collector car market, you’ve probably noticed that people are willing to throw money at certain low-mileage cars. Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is one of those buyers. He previously showed up to Jay Leno’s garage with a sub-1,000-mile 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS; this time, he brought a 400-mile 1989 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z.
Named after the International Race of Champions, which pitted drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1, and sports car racing against each other, the Camaro IROC-Z debuted in 1985 as “The Ultimate Z28.” The range-topping performance model came equipped with ground effects, hood louvers, special badges, modified MacPherson strut front suspension (with more caster for better steering response), Delco/Bilstein shocks, and a larger-diameter rear stabilizer bar.
Iglesias’ IROC-Z comes from late in the variant’s production run, which ended with the 1990 model year. The story goes that it was originally sold by a dealership in Ohio, purchased from a collector last year, then bought by Iglesias. Like many well-heeled enthusiasts, he has a thing for buying the cars he wanted when he was a kid—and thanks to his successful stand-up career, he also has the money to afford his nostalgic hobby.
Even though Iglesias pined for this angular beast, he wasn’t aware it came in this attractive color known as Dark Red Metallic. Unlike many IROC-Zs, his is a “stripe-delete” car that lacks the door graphics, which somewhat tones down this racing-inspired machine’s appearance.
Another thing this Camaro doesn’t have? Its original Goodyear Eagle tires, which would be dangerously old by now. That’s okay because Iglesias intends to drive the newest addition to his collection. But before he can add more miles to it, Leno takes it out for a spin and ends up breaking it in with his right foot, each deep push forcing out a throaty roar from the 230-horsepower, fuel-injected 5.7-liter V8.
There are two ways of looking at putting miles on a time-capsule car like this. One is that it’s sacrilege to drive it and ruin its pristine condition. The other is that cars are meant to be enjoyed as transportation, not stationary artifacts. The only person whose opinion truly matters when it comes to this third-gen Camaro is Iglesias—it’s his car and he’s decided he’s going to drive it. It’s hard to argue with that.
