Florida High Performance hasn’t been around for very long, but its founder and owner, Erik Bentley, has been among the top if his field for a very long time. Having owned other LS-based tuning shops in the past, his latest venture has a solid foundation in all-things LS, LT and late-model Hemi.
If you’ve been following along for the last year or so, we’ve been showcasing some of the builds that Florida High Performance has been cranking out; from 6th-gen Camaros, to C7 and C8 Corvettes. Maybe even a Hemi build or two.
However, It’s not often where you hear about the customers of some shops, but Erik is giving his current customers an opportunity to publicly share their experience with him, and the rest of the world. So, Florida High Performance has decided to give the floor to the customer, and reflect on their experience and to share their story. He’s calling the series, The Driver Seat.
First up, is Carlo Pietro, a 57 year-old living in Coral Springs, Florida. Being an Italian-American adrenaline junkie addicted to fast cars, a Corvette Z06 is a natural choice. Initially impressed with the car’s 750hp, it wasn’t long until Carlo wanted more from his car’s supercharged LT4. First, were a series of bolt-ons that bumped the pony count output an additional 100hp.
But after not feeling the vibe from the previous shop, Carlo turned to Erik when it came time to take things to the next level with his Corvette. having been out of tune with the current car builders in his area, a chance meeting at a local cars and coffee meet-up with Erik gave him hope. Learning more about Erik and his background, he became sold on the idea of having Florida High Performance work on his car.
With his current upgrades, Carlo’s Corvette is cranking out nearly 900hp and uses it as his daily driver. The car sounds and looks great, and as Carlo says, when the time comes for more power or a new task, he’ll be coming back to Erik at Florida High Performance.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
