Just so you don't think we've switched formats on you (or maybe started covering politics), let me assure that the blowing and stroking going on herein is of the purely mechanical sort. And while George Baxter's '97 Z28 convertible does indeed possess the power to bring the competition to its, um, knees, we're pretty sure a 725-horsepower street car is the type of dirty fun that even a Pecksniffian special prosecutor would approve of.

Understand that the concept of big power tends to get a bit nebulous here at GMHTP, what with us covering 300-, 400- and even 500-horse drivers on a bi-monthly basis. But Baxter's car is a standout even among this rarefied group, one that serves as a tire-spinning testament to the extraordinary performance potential of an optimized LT1.

Although George maintains that his original plans for the Z were somewhat less ambitious, evidence of his megalomaniacal proclivities could be seen early on.

"I ordered the car in July of '97, and by the time it arrived in November, I had a cam, heads, headers and more waiting for it," says Baxter. "I started modifying it as soon as it rolled off the truck."

Eschewing the path of incremental improvement, Baxter adopted a "kitchen sink" approach that would come to utilize the parts and services of some of the most respected names in the performance business. Second Street Speed in Perkasie, Pa., handled the 383 conversion, which employs heavily worked stock heads, a forged Callies crank, Oliver rods, and 9.1:1 J&E pistons and Lingenfelter CNC-ported heads to belt out well over 400 horsepower in an eminently streetable package.

Impressive, yes, but hardly enough to satisfy our Mr. Baxter. To achieve the epochal performance he desired, he had only one option. He would have to get blown.

Supercharged, that is. For the centerpiece of this particular exercise in artificial aspiration, George selected a Vortech T-trim compressor and Aftercooler set up to run 11 lbs. of boost on 93-octane pump gas; 64-lb. injectors were pressed into duty to keep up with the Z's radically altered fueling needs. A Motec engine management system programmed by Second Street Speed and featuring eight individually mounted coils, guarantees precise distribution of spark.

Arizona Speed and Marine headers spew effluvia into a pair of Random Technologies catalytic converters, where they are properly sanitized before exiting at the rear via a 4-inch Mufflex system. The arrangement works so well that it has even enabled the Z to pass New Jersey's notoriously draconian emissions regs without so much as breaking a sweat.

The rest of the drivetrain is similarly beefed, boasting such impressive hardware as a Williams chrome-moly driveshaft and Strange 12-bolt rear. Believe it or not, the stock 6-speed remains, and George reports that the T56 has thus far handled the extra output with surprising stoicism. Kudos are due Borg-Warner here, which obviously has done its homework on this piece.

A set of MAC subframe connectors work in concert with a custom strut tower brace to counter the topless Z's inherently flaccid chassis, and a GSS torque arm facilitates the transmittal of power to the pavement.

On the outside, the car looks deceptively stock, with only a pair of fat BFG Drag radials hinting at the performance in store. Since our photo shoot, George has added a roll bar, which not only makes the car track-legal (up to a point), but helps to offset the potentially coif-mangling effects of a high-speed rollover.

Vehicles with this kind of power tend to gourmandize mechanicals with infuriating frequency, and the Camaro has proven to be no exception. The car fractured a steel LPE driveshaft on one run and detonated its first 12-bolt posi unit on another. Even with the wounded differential channeling all 700+ ponies through a single radial, the Z managed to hobble through the 1320 in 11.2 seconds at a mind-boggling 131 mph, giving it a legitimate claim to the title of America's fastest street-driven 4th-gen F-body. It should also be noted that the blower has since been upgraded to a Vortech Y-trim unit, adding what George reckons to be "another 100 horsepower or so." He thinks the car is now good for an easy 10-second pass on a set of M&H street slicks, and we tend to agree.

When the Z isn't shattering horsepower records and drivetrain parts, it manages to accumulate around 7,000 miles a year, quite an impressive figure for a car with such lofty performance stats. And since George spends a goodly amount of time behind the wheel, few concessions have been made in the area of driver accommodation. The car sports a full factory interior (white leather, no less), augmented only by a 5-point harness and the additional gauges required to keep tabs on all that hardware.

If power indeed corrupts, then George Baxter's Camaro can be regarded as a rolling paean to pure dissolution. Come to think of it, maybe we shouldn't tell Judge Starr.

Lusting after more info on George's Z? Point your Web browser to http://home.att.net/~ss-camaro/george.html for specs, dyno sheets, and more. And be sure to tell 'em GMHTP sent you.