Texas Theft Ring Steals $1M in Camaros & Corvettes, 29 Cars Recovered

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20 hours ago

The 'C8,' or eighth-generation, Corvette brought the most dramatic transformation in the history of 'America's sports car.' But Chevrolet today revealed a pair of new concept vehicles that suggest equally dramatic changes are in the works.
A brazen theft ring in Texas managed to steal more than $1.1 million worth of Chevrolet Camaros and Corvettes in just two months, according to the Plano Police Department. Their preferred targets were parked in apartment complexes and gym lots — prime hunting grounds for crews exploiting weaknesses in keyless entry systems.
Once in, the thieves didn't immediately ship the cars off or dismantle them. Instead, they often took them for joyrides, posted videos online, and then sold them on for as little as $5,000 each. Dashcam footage from one Camaro SS even captured the break-in, helping investigators locate a storage unit containing 29 stolen vehicles.
From Social Media Fame to Arrests
Fortunately, it was the groups arrogance that was the demise that did them in. Police tracked the suspects through Instagram posts showing them doing donuts, revving engines, and boasting about their 'finds'. Within weeks, authorities had recovered all of the 29 vehicles and arrested the five individuals responsible for the crimes.
The cars in question weren't random — the Camaro, in particular, is already the most-stolen vehicle in America, largely because of its high-performance hardware and the black-market demand for its LT engines. Corvettes, with their similarly potent drivetrains, offer the same appeal for illegal street racers and parts resellers.
Source: General Motors
Why These Cars Are Targets
Beyond the obvious horsepower, both models share mechanical platforms that make engine swaps relatively straightforward. Add in a thriving underground market for body panels, wheels, and interiors, and it's easy to see why these Chevrolets are on every thief's shopping list.
While U.S. car theft rates fell by 17% in 2024, thanks to better vehicle security and law enforcement crackdowns, certain high-powered models remain disproportionately at risk. Push-button start systems and easily accessible OBD ports continue to be exploited, sometimes in under two minutes by the right thieves who are familiar with such systems.
Source: Exotic Car Trader
Protecting What's Yours
For owners of Camaros, Corvettes, and other high-performance vehicles, multi-layered security is the best defense. OBD port locks, hidden kill-switches, and GPS tracking systems can make theft far harder and recovery far more likely. Simple changes like parking nose-in against a wall or inside a locked garage can also deter thieves.
Law enforcement officials stress that while national trends may show an overall drop, the market for stolen performance cars is still thriving — especially when they can be acquired cheaply and resold quickly. For now, it's a dangerous time to be driving America's most desirable muscle cars without added protection.
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