A while back, my young son and daughter joined me to see the original Transformers movie in our local multiplex. A Camaro concept nicknamed the “Bumblebee” was the featured character in the hit of that time. Fast-forward many years to 2009. The kids are through college, have married, and settled down, and are now having families of their own. Low and behold, Chevrolet has, in what seems like the longest automobile launch in history, finally released the production model of the reborn 2010 Camaro.
So it hasn’t been quite that long, but it sure does feel like it.
Was the Camaro, probably the highest-profile new-car launch of 2009, finally worth the wait? Leftlane takes a look.
What is it?
The re-creation of a legend, the Camaro is a totally new-from-the-ground-up premium muscle car that has taken many of the design cues that made it so popular in the past and combined them with the technology from today for a “best of both worlds” specimen. In the eyes of GM North America’s President, Troy Clarke, it is the re-introduction of the classic American sports car. Ironically, the customers this Camaro is seeking are the ones who were were probably just getting their drivers licenses when the Camaro was finally fazed out in 2002.
It’s still a four-seater – but the two rear seat occupants might have to be kids – so the Camaro is aimed at young drivers, empty-nesters and that third, currently unused, parking spot in your garage.
Chevrolet believes it is launching the 21st century sports car, a fast, yet efficient and refined one that will attract today’s smarter, well-educated consumers to the brand, and in the process, help to dust up GM overall.
What’s it up against?
In addition to the obvious choice of the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, GM says that the Nissan 370Z, BMW 3-Series, Audi A5, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Infiniti G37 coupe and Mazda RX-8 are the Camaro’s targets.
While some competitors are obvious, others appear to be a bit of a stretch to us. We figure most shoppers have made up their minds before they even enter the showroom, but those who are undecided will probably cross-shop Ford and Dodge first.
Any breakthroughs?
The overall plethora of contemporary automotive goodies leaves the sum greater than its parts – it’s what really makes the Camaro worth a look. With the base price of admission for the V6 model just $22,995, including transportation, you really have a product that should walk itself out the showroom door – if it drives well. Read on.
How does it look?
The neo-Camaro is like a 1969 model with a chopped top, bulging fenders, big wheels and other contemporary design cues. Based on a modified version of the Australian-built Holden Commodore platform, it reclaims the long hood/short trunk platform that characterized the first couple of generations, but became watered down as the years rolled by.
A pair of single lens headlights nestled in the grille opening flank a large shark-like mouth that has become a Camaro trademark, at least as far as the 1960s era models are concerned. Making a re-appearance are the gills that are on the leading edge of the rear wheel wells, as well as the broad shoulders that when seen in the side view mirrors, reminds us of a Corvette.
If you’re reading this far, you’ve undoubtedly made up your mind. To us, the Camaro is fresher than the revised 2010 Mustang without being quite as retro as the Dodge Challenger. Color us impressed.
And inside?
The interior is where the Camaro seems to have gone soft.
Don’t get us wrong, the seats are great and very supportive. But the dash and gauge binnacles, while having intriguing shapes, don’t have the bling that would be expected in a so-called halo-car. A large expanse of black dashboard greets the front seat passenger when the car is equipped with the black leather-seating package. A nice accent of aluminum or carbon fiber would go far breaking up this monotony of monochrome.
A speedo and tachometer with fuel gauge occupy the two main gauge housings while the center stack is home to the Boston Acoustics audio system that, for once, is not shared with any other GM product (yet). Below the stereo and below the rotary knob climate controls, you’ll find a series of four gauges for voltage, oil pressure, oil temperature and transmission temps – one of few retro touches inside.
The controls for audio and climate are the weakest links in the interior – they possess the neither tactile quality nor the design character we’d expect to see out of a car this important for General Motors.
If headroom is a big thing for you, be sure to opt out of a sunroof-equipped model: You’ll gain more than an inch of extra clearance between the top of your keppy and the headliner.
The road sound is well-deadened for a car that is known for its athletic audio track from the equipment under the hood. While both the V6 and V8 package sound spectacular, we prefer the lower growl from the V8 to the higher pitch from the V6. Perhaps that’s a sound the acoustic engineers can program a few points downward – a big change from the ’60s when cars, regardless of make, sounded, well, authentic.
But does it go?
Two powertrain choices will be available initially in the Camaro.
The base V6 is the 3.6-liter direct injection engine as utilized in other GM products like the Cadillac CTS. With a freshly certified EPA rating of 18 mpg city / 29 mpg highway, it is available with an Aisin six-speed manual transmission or a GM-built six-speed automatic transmission. It boasts 304-horsepower, and 273 lb-ft. of torque, with a 3:27 final drive gear which you’ll find in all but the top level V8/manual combination, where GM installed a unique 3:45 final drive.
Officials at the General are quick to point out that with a 0-60 mph time of 6.1-seconds, the V6 is nearly as potent and peppy as the Ford Mustang GT’s 315-horsepower V8.
The six-speed automatic includes a sport mode that remaps the shift points, as well as a pair of paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
V8s with manual transmissions include the LS3 6.2-liter engine derived from the Corvette. It’s bolted to a sweet Tremec 6060 6-speed manual transmission, which we found to be slick in its own right, but it will offer a Hurst short-throw stick option later on down the line. Output is a formidable 426-horsepower, with 420 lb-ft. of torque if you opt for the stick, and 400-horsepower with 410 lb-ft. of torque for the automatic, which is bolted to an L99 version of the V8.
Expect 16 mpg city / 25 mpg highway for the 4.7 second, 0-60 mph V8 machine. Chevy chalks up the reduced power of the automatic to Active Fuel Management and cam phasing to get into 4-cylinder mode to achieve 24 mpg on the highway.
Just to reiterate: The exhaust note of the Camaro SS is absolutely intoxicating, but power is impressive throughout the range with either motor. The V8 naturally earns extra points for its grunt, but neither will embarrass.
Chevrolet chose a fully independent suspension for the Camaro to put an emphasis on handling. Two levels of suspension, FE2 for V6s and FE3 for V8s, are available. The V8 sits a tad lower than the V6 car, a byproduct of its revised suspension tuning.
The engineers traveled to Germany’s famed Nurburgring race track to dial-in the suspension and, in our brief drives as part of the media launch, we’d say they outdid themselves by managing to keep the ride from beating up passengers on Michigan’s pockmarked back country roads, yet giving the Camaro formidable moves in the twisties. Though we experienced plenty of ka-chung, ka-chung from repaired highway expansion joints, the jarring never reached the cabin. A particularly rough winter wreaked havoc on Michigan’s rough roads, so we’ll wait to fully evaluate the ride-and-handling when we get more opportunity to sample the new Camaro on decent pavement.
Still, as we’ve already reported, an “80 percent” prototype turned a decent 8:19 lap around the ‘ring – and we’d expect that number to improve with a production car. Variable-ratio rack and pinion steering (thankfully not electrically assisted) showed the Camaro was willing to go to extremes before the Pirelli P-Zeros protested. The Camaro corners flatly, almost feeling like it was sucking down on the road while cornering at speed. For those watching their weight, the Camaro dials in at 3719 pounds for the V6 LT with automatic, to 3902 pounds for the automatic-equipped V8 SS.
For stopping power, single-pot calipers grab the rotors on the V6-equipped car, while four-pot Brembos do the same job, just better, on the V8. Wheel options include 18 and 19-inch sets for the V6, with a 20-inch setup for the RS V6 model, while the V8 is only equipped with 20-inchers. The tires are staggered with 245s on the front and 275s out back. Limited slip differentials are on all cars except for the V6-equipped automatic.
Why you would buy it?
The Bumblebee movie character had you at hello – or you missed the Camaro on its first go-around.
Why you wouldn’t?
You bleed blue-oval blue or, uh, Dodge SRT-red.
Leftlane’s bottom line:
General Motors, while in the news lately for a lot of the wrong reasons, has truly shown they can still build a car that the American public wants – high-mpg Malibus and Cobalts notwithstanding (sure, that’s what you really want. Right.). The new halo car will undoubtedly succeed at bringing shoppers into Chevrolet dealerships and, GM hopes, it’ll sell more than just Camaros.
It’s a lofty ambition, to be certain, but whether you choose the six or the eight-cylinder Camaro, you will wind up with a neo-retro sports car that rewards your senses on almost every level.
2010 Camaro V6 base price, $22,900.
2010 Camaro V8 base price, $30,000.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
03/20, 6:16 PM
posted by:
JakeK66
Nice to FINALLY see pics of the real production interior. I’d like to see the interior in more colors than just the black, but at least I know what it really looks like. Thanks LLN.
Right now, this is going to be my next car. I don’t mess around when I say that either – I buy cars alot.
03/20, 6:28 PM
posted by:
Car_Fanatic
Finally! Looks good. It better not have a single recall/problem or GM can shove it.
03/20, 6:40 PM
posted by:
Fromes
sounds really good….I was actually holding out on getting one of these when I heard the specs over the summer, that was until a car dealership near my house got there hands on a super low milage C5 Z06 vette…I couldnt say no, same power has the camaro with about 900 less pounds to lug around…I want to say I have no regrets…but damn the new camaro does look awesome
03/20, 7:13 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
“Modern cars – they all look like electric shavers.”
Maybe so, but I’ve never seen an electric shaver do 0-60 in 4.7. By the way, nice review and photography Mark. I don’t suppose you can put one on a hoist and let us see what she looks like underneath? Nothing beats a nice set of dual exhaust. OK, maybe there is one thing and strangely enough they also come in pairs.
03/20, 7:17 PM
posted by:
Borat
Johnny you mean to chicks on a hoist without panties?
03/20, 7:21 PM
posted by:
cocojoe53
It looks good…It looked good 5 years ago..2011 Mustang Base Econo Boost V6 377 hp…GT 5.0 425 HP
03/20, 7:24 PM
posted by:
andy
the plant in oshawa has hundreds sitting out side… i hoped the fence etched my name in the hood of a red one, but then decided to go with black.
well i guess i gotta grow a mullet long and dirty and find a nasty swamp donkey before i dare step foot on a bow tie lot to buy mine.
unfortunately i have to go V6, college is draining the funds, as would the V8 at the pumps (though mpg is impressive) and rear tires.
03/20, 7:40 PM
posted by:
DrFill
Interior design is not the best, shows it’s in the same class as Mustang
And could lay off the butter (weight)
But other than that, a home run
Nice work, GM
DrFill
03/20, 7:41 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Borat, if you’re going to fiddle with the taps it’s always a good idea to check the plumbing while you’re at it.
03/20, 7:58 PM
posted by:
05Z88Path
“Let’s see what’s under the hood”….”Oh, plastic!”
I’ll never understand the need to cover up everything in the engine bay with plastic. What can I say, they don’t make cars like they used too. *sigh*
03/20, 8:12 PM
posted by:
Spingood Tanoya
I don’t suppose they intend for a driver to actually try to read any of those secondary gauges while driving?
03/20, 9:26 PM
posted by:
Mutant@DCX
Let the muscle war begin. This is good news indeed. No 8 hr charging time required.
03/20, 9:52 PM
posted by:
The Tuga
i must say those mpgs are somewhat impressive.
still,i dont like the way it looks. it tries to hard to be modern.
and that rear end…sure,looks good from the side, but that trunk and those taillights are as ugly as they come.
sure, i’d buy the v6 rather then the v8 mustang, but for me the challenger is lightyears away when it comes to looks
that 0-60 time is quite impressive on a car that’s almost 2 tons
03/20, 10:57 PM
posted by:
kingston
It looks awesome. I would still prefer a Mustang.
03/20, 11:04 PM
posted by:
Ring-Taxi
Will it hang around long enough to get spanked by the next Mustang?
03/20, 11:43 PM
posted by:
buytheredcar
The rear end is disappointing. Theres some budget cuts within the car here and there.
The retro layout of the interior just isnt working. Theres so much wasted space on top. The podlike IP is dated. The jukebox-like center stack is embarrassing.
Better luck next time GM.
03/21, 12:14 AM
posted by:
cyclops
in Australia, the LS3 V8 motor pumps out appx 500hp (on the HSV GTS – which also shares the same Zeta platform as the Camaro)
Another thing… why is the Camaro considered the Halo car of Chevy? Shouldnt that title go to the ZR1?
03/21, 1:11 AM
posted by:
Kanucko
“A while back, my young son and daughter joined me to see the original Transformers movie in our local multiplex. A Camaro concept nicknamed the “Bumblebee” was the featured character in the hit of that time.”
Maybe he means Bumble bee was a VW Bug. Not a Camaro ! I hope Mitsubishi buys the rights to the third transformers movie so he can be an EVO.
03/21, 1:16 AM
posted by:
davebo
I take exception to the article referring to it as the “original” Transformers movie. Bumblebee was a VW bug in the original : P
03/21, 1:16 AM
posted by:
PerformanceGuy
Seems to be a pretty good car. Should do well against the Mustang and Challenger!
03/21, 1:41 AM
posted by:
Deadmeat99
It doesn’t look too bad on the outside, but that interior is hideous. I can’t believe there’s anyone under the age of 50 who approves of those gauge clusters. Horrible!
03/21, 2:14 AM
posted by:
BuyUSA
The Tuga: still,i dont like the way it looks. it tries to hard to be modern.
and that rear end…sure,looks good from the side, but that trunk and those taillights are as ugly as they come.
sure, i’d buy the v6 rather then the v8 mustang, but for me the challenger is lightyears away when it comes to looks
that 0-60 time is quite impressive on a car that’s almost 2 tons
That’s some pretty credible advice, coming from an ANTI-AMERICAN European SNOB that comes on this board and trashes America EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Do the whole world a favor and buy a 45, put it in your mouth, then pull the trigger.
03/21, 3:05 AM
posted by:
sprockkets
The people who like the way the instruments look probably are old enough to have driven the Camaro this wants to be.
Whether of course this is good timing at all, remains to be seen. It still of course is sad that it took Ford with the retro Mustang to get GM to put any money at all in the Camaro.
03/21, 3:08 AM
posted by:
ninetysixvert
Yessss muscle cars! Interior needs a overhaul like the Mustang just got, and the Mustang needs a sick engine like the Camaro has. And Chevy, please at least angle those center console gauges towards the driver, thanks.
Can’t wait for the 6.2L SS and square off with the 5.0L GT…..I leave out the Challenger since due to its weight it’s not really what it’s name implies (….a challenger, to clarify). Just lose 200lbs of the Challenger R/T and give it a small power bump and it’s go time.
Then comes the Z28 – GT500 – SRT8 battle
03/21, 3:11 AM
posted by:
Mad About Cars
I like it, I think it has classic and modern design cues more so than the Challenger and Mustang… However, where the Challenger seems to be a grower, looks-wise, the Camaro seems easy to get bored of.
03/21, 3:26 AM
posted by:
sprockkets
Oh yeah, looking at the pre production models, I actually thought Chevy was going to put projector HIDs in the car, or at least projector headlamps.
Silly old me for hoping. What was I thinking, this is Chevy.
In the good old days as well, when my brother owned a 1995 Camaro Z28, he always mentioned how the Mustangs were known as “pigs” at the track, because they were slower.
Amazing how a 280hp 5.7l V8 could through you back against the seat, and now a “lowly” V6 whoops it.
03/21, 3:28 AM
posted by:
sprockkets
“Based on a modified version of the Australian-built Holden Commodore platform…”
Oh yeah, can’t forget that turd. Nice to know how “American” this car really is.
03/21, 4:01 AM
posted by:
j-dubb
Chevy wheres the push-btton start, the HID headlights, the in-dash navi, standard bluetooth?? you know all the high tech features that people expect to buy in any modern car today retro or not. and GM is wondering why they cant sell a car out here in California these are high tech junkies out here. If GM plans to be competitive they need to step their game waay up..even a Camry have most of the things I named and you can’t get it in a 2010 Camaro??I test drove the new Malibu and found it could probably sell a lil better if they invested just a lil more pennies in HIDS or navi or sumthing High tech. when will GM marketing and develpment step out of the 80’s..
03/21, 5:05 AM
posted by:
melias
J-dubb
The HIDs are available and can be seen in the closeup photo of the blue front end. The particular cars that we drove and photographed only had the regular lighting package.
MORE: I did some checking, and found that Bluetooth is standard on the 2LT and 2SS models. Although no screen-based navigation is available (at least at this moment) OnStar turn-by-turn service can also be had.
03/21, 8:19 AM
posted by:
save saab
It does appear to have lived up to its hype although I’m not buying one.
03/21, 8:21 AM
posted by:
F50
I like this car but I liked the original Challenger more than the original Camaro so I’ll go for the Challenger, but this isn’t bad at all.
03/21, 11:13 AM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
coughILOVETHISCARcoughcough
03/21, 11:19 AM
posted by:
Rover3500
[Edited by Leftlane staff: Rover3500, watch your creative spelling of otherwise blocked words. This is your first and only warning. Thanks!]
Can’t you see what the **** you are getting for $23k? This is AMAZING value for the kind of car that it is and how it looks. ****ing spoiled yanks make me sick sometimes. That would not evn buy you a ****box hatchback in Europe. Count yourselves lucky you ungratefull ****ers and give GM kudos where its due. Seriously, miserable begrudging bastards.
03/21, 12:06 PM
posted by:
ninetysixvert
@ Rover3500 – Woah there, chill. Who was the even directed at? Silly adolescents and their mood swings….
Again, sick car, but I’m still a Mustang guy. I’d take my ‘10 GT (Premium) w/ Track Pack over the SS and spend about the same and still keep up with the manual SS. I agree the SS is overall more performance built than the ‘Stang, but Ford made a good move offering the Track Pack which bumps the GT’s 0-60 down to 4.9s, the 1/4mi. in 13.5 @ 104mph, and pulls .95 on the skidpad (all according to MT). The manual SS runs 0-60 in 4.8s (according to C&D) which isn’t as much of a Mustang-killer as I thought 426bhp would be.
03/21, 12:13 PM
posted by:
Impulsive
The Challenger looks an order of magnitude better than this lump.
03/21, 12:50 PM
posted by:
A.J.
I’ll take a V6 in that awesome blue color with a tan inside please. I think having a tan inside would really make it look less drab.
I think GM’s got a winner here – hopefully the sales of the Camaro will keep GM alive a little longer (maybe a DAY longer or so…).
03/21, 12:54 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Like the exterior styling, but the Camaro is like kids that come over to visit…I am glad they go home with someone else after the visit is over. With the health of GM these days, I would not purchase one.
03/21, 12:58 PM
posted by:
A4
i got weak in the knees when i saw it in transformers… 2 years ago
03/21, 1:57 PM
posted by:
winnipegjets
this will indeed save GM. me, a person who would never have even dreamed of owning an american car is starting to take a liking to the new quality and designs coming out of detroit. however, i live in a plaec where we are covered in snow for about 6 months of the year, 3 of the rest of those months its raining, and the final 3 months is construction season. plus im not getting a new car for at least 4 years. so possibly by then this car will have proved itself in reliability and quality and i may see myself in one (as a weekend cruiser of course).
also, i think the interior is very nice. its simple yet classy retro and elegant all at the same time. aside from the gauge clusters it looks like a bmw interior w/o nav.
03/21, 3:33 PM
posted by:
MiniMan
FINAL-GNIKCUF-LY!!!!! it feels like i’ve been waiting since 1981 for this to roll out. i think it wouldn’t have been as bad a wait if every aspect of it’s anticipated production and arrival hadn’t been report (Camaro interior, Camaro wheels, Camaro paint, Camaro floor mats, Camaro mudflaps, CAMARO, CAMARO CAMARO). well now i just can’t wait to hit the showrrom to see one in person. Now, what color should I choose?
03/21, 3:43 PM
posted by:
krautninja
Had this come out 2 years ago i would have been much more ecstatic and impressed, but , years and years of waiting killed the hype. Though i will say the performance is very impressive considering this is a GM product…looks wise… the challenger owns in the looks between the muscle cars. And to the guy 8itching about the camaro not having nav and all the tech goodies….most people lookin for a muscle car couldnt care less for all that junk, they want speed and grunt. Long story short, nice car , but much too late to save GM
03/21, 3:58 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
I’m past the camaro-buying age, and I’ve decided on a GT-R for my mid-life crisis.
“premium muscle car.”
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah!
“it is the re-introduction of the classic American sports car.”
So it’s a Corvette?
“that third, currently unused, parking spot in your garage.” Only if you’re rich and/or dumb enough to insure a teen in a Camaro.
Realistically, it’s only up against the Mustang and Challenger. There will be some cross shopping of the other vehicles, but the germans and the G37 are swimming in a different pool. The Z and RX-8 are elsewhere, and the Eclipse … blecch
Genesis Coupe is straddling the line between the American Muscle and Japanese tech-rockets.
$22,995 isn’t bad.
“the dash and gauge binnacles, while having intriguing shapes, don’t have the bling that would be expected in a so-called halo-car.”
This ain’t a halo car.
Car_Fanatic: “It better not have a single recall/problem or GM can shove it.”
Depends on what a “problem” is.
03/20, 6:40 PM
andy: whats a “swamp donkey?”
MiniMan: Don’t choose red or yellow
03/21, 4:42 PM
posted by:
sprockkets
Found it, it is an RS option available on each model. Now, is it projector lensed? Probably is. Kinda funny too how the V6 model isn’t as fast as a Mazdaspeed3 though LOL. Source: C&D.
03/21, 4:53 PM
posted by:
No More Oil For Toyota
…I dont see it. it looks like dated GM crap to me. Like the 4th gen crap was, which similarly, will eventually be canceled due to lack of funds. (Bankrupt) As ‘pretty’ as you guys may think it is, this thing WILL have recalls, and it wont sell nearly enough to keep the lights on at GM.
Your already paying for an invisible GM through tax dollars. Why risk more of your dollars.
Buy Hyundai Genesis or wait for the Toyota/Subaru project.
03/21, 5:16 PM
posted by:
carstuff
Halo def:
A halo vehicle is a marketing term used in the automotive industry for a vehicle designed and marketed to promote a brand[citation needed] — to create a halo effect around the vehicle and thereby create positive associations related to the brand.[citation needed]
In 2009, Joseph White, automotive editor for the Wall Street Journal, called Halo vehicles cars “designed and built for the sole purpose of calling attention to a company or a brand.”[1]
In a 2006 USA Today article, General Motors Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz called halo cars “shock therapy” for a brand.”[2]
03/21, 6:22 PM
posted by:
Rover3500
“Buy a Hyundai Genesis”
Anyone that says that needs to go take along walk over a very short cliff. Like I say, maybe it won’t be such a bad thing if GM abadons USA and purely operates in Latin America, China and Europe and leaves AMericans to their Camry’s.
I reiterate, this car is amazing value for what it looks like and what it can do, probably one of the most best value cars on sale today anywhere. Its achingly cool and obviously crafted with love and care. Anyone who cannot see that really just does not deserve to share highway space with one.
03/21, 6:26 PM
posted by:
DrFill
Motor Trend gets 4.6 seconds to 60 out of the SS
Car & Driver says 4.8 seconds
Both have it a quarter second faster than a ‘Stang
Plus well over .90 on the skidpad, with GREAT ride quality, and high EPA numbers as a bonus
Camaro is for Players
Mustang just got Played Out
DrFill
03/21, 7:15 PM
posted by:
DB9
Pony cars are not my thing, so I wasn’t going to comment, but after reading through… well… GM is to be commended for this Car – well done! Back in the 80’s Road and Track, Car and Driver etc., always lambasted the Camaro and Firebird for being unrefined, old tech… Now 25yrs later the Camaro returns with the latest in suspension design and engineering and what do we get here on this board… says it all – sad – then again most here are not this cars market. The Hyundai can’t touch this – period! The only thing that is going to hurt this car is the current economic environment. If you want to know whether HID’s and Bluetooth are available just go to Chevrolet’s website and see for yourself – they are. As far as Nav? Who cares? Oh I’m not going to buy a muscle car because Nav is not offered…this is not your car…a ricer is probably more your speed:-)))
DB9;-)
Ahhh…a country road; a drivers car and a few hours of…:-)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSfw-qWAJ4w&feature=channel
03/22, 12:49 AM
posted by:
Jas Is Evil
The interior is hideous, and the front end isn’t much to look at either. The rest of the car isn’t bad, though.
03/22, 1:23 AM
posted by:
ninetysixvert
@ DrFill – MT tested a 4.6s 0-60mph in the auto, and 4.8s for the manual. .92 is not “well over” a .90 in the skidpad, nice try though. As stated, the ‘Stang GT with Track Pack sprints 0-60mph in 4.9s (keeping the current 315bhp rating), so 1 year from now when the 400bhp / 5.0L / 32V / DOHC “Coyote” modular engine is released. Camaro fans: enjoy your year at the top.
03/22, 9:33 AM
posted by:
A.J.
NMOFT and others who think that the Genesis coupe is a better value -
If you price up the options (Camaro 2LT RS w/6A vs. Genesis Coupe Grand Touring w/ 6A), the prices are about the same. Not to mention that the Hyundai has to use a larger V6 to get to 306hp. However, neither of them offer a navigation system (yet).
The Mustang, however, is a different story. The Camaro and Mustang are going to have a fight to the finish.
Oh, and I’m not saying that the Hyundai Genesis Coupe isn’t a GOOD car. It really is.
03/22, 10:19 AM
posted by:
jayjc08
The interior is actually one of my favorite parts of this car.
03/22, 7:31 PM
posted by:
desertdriver
Will there be model that has a version of the S/C V8 from the CTS-V/ZR-1?
03/22, 8:48 PM
posted by:
ads266
The electric mirror switch above the elctric window switch is the same one used in a 1996 Holden Commodore. Now that’s pathetic GM!
03/22, 8:58 PM
posted by:
bailout
This ain’t no American Camaro:
Modified Holden platform…
Mission from who knows where….
Assembled where? Canada…..
Parts from everywhere but the U.S.A. (within the boarders)…..
Talk it up but it won’t do much for the saving of jobs within the U.S. for G.M……
Wait till the direct injection gets fould with carbon deposits, god I hope they put more than 12k miles on it to confirm the prototype units…..
G.M., you would have been better off lowering the price on your imported G8…. would have saved allot of tooling costs on making a pseudo Camaro.
Thanks for nothing.
03/22, 10:49 PM
posted by:
melias
desertdriver,
I haven’t seen any mention of a Z-28 model–yet!
03/23, 8:50 AM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
“In addition to the obvious choice of the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, GM says that the Nissan 370Z, BMW 3-Series, Audi A5, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Infiniti G37 coupe and Mazda RX-8 are the Camaro’s targets.”
An this easily trounces all of them in quality, reliability, dependibility and desirability. The Camaro is easily the hottest, most respected and desired car of the decade. There are millions of people who have this car on their dream list and GM won;t be able to build enough of these hot sportscars. Values and desirability of those other pieces of sh1t just dropped to the point of extinctions because everyone would rather drive a sports car from GM and now they get to.
BUy American. Buy GM. It is your patriotic duty
03/23, 9:12 AM
posted by:
fan
whys everything NMOFGM says sound like “got change?” to me?
03/23, 9:31 AM
posted by:
zfenderguy
V8 0-60 of 4.7 sec. 370Z does that with a V6 and pulls 1.01g as tested by Motor Trend. Camaro is nice, but don’t give me any crap about it running circles around the Z. With that said, the Camaro is still a smoking hot car.
03/23, 9:31 AM
posted by:
SERSteve
I want to like this, but it’s actually kind of boring… Dull interior, dull body, I guess when it’s fast it doesn’t have to look good.
03/23, 9:45 AM
posted by:
SERSteve
It does seem to have the chops in it’s segment, and if it lives up to those mileage figures, and the dealers don’t try to rape the first few buyers, It does seem like a good value. Pony cars seem like they are a little out of step with the times – but there always seems to be a market for these things. Old guys will probably love it, The V6 seems to have too much power for the girls who normally buy the V6 pony cars.
03/23, 9:50 AM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
as much as i like this car, all it will be is a dream. I would never pay for it.i only wish it was as good as a 370Z. gm wont build enough of these because they dont have money, not because they are selling like hot cakes NMOFGM…what an idiot. I bet you were thrown at an oncoming car head first while you were a baby!
03/23, 10:52 AM
posted by:
TornadoGTI
This is the only other american car (G8) that I would remotely consider. I really like it and it should do well. The Mustang and Challenger can’t touch this, for the time being. The 6-cyl should be hot. I hate 6-cyl in “american muscle cars” but this one will be nice. I always thought they were for the girls or people who couldnt afford the v8. I would buy a v6 in this car.
Well done GM.
One thing I do question is the competition that GM says this car is up against. The Stang and Challenger are it. No A5, 3-series, or G37 (way too nice/fast/expensive). The Eclipse GT and Genesis Coupe are modest at best (sucky to me) and the RX’8 and 370Z are a bit too “sporty” for this car. The 370z and RX8 R3 would tear even the V8 model apart on the track.
03/23, 4:54 PM
posted by:
melias
Oooooops! Scratch that idea about the Z-28. Convertible too! (for the time being, anyway)
03/23, 5:06 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
I’ll admit it looks nice, and both models have admirable performance numbers… but come on. The 400hp RWD SS model was only a handful of seconds faster than the Cobalt SS around the ‘ring. That should tell you plenty about how the car really behaves right there. It may win in a straight line… but leave the twisties to smaller, lighter, more nimble machines.
03/23, 6:19 PM
posted by:
MHW
What that tells you RainMan is just how good the Cobalt SS handles. The only Camaro test numbers we have from the ring are from a pre-production model, the actual production model will improve on those numbers.
03/24, 4:31 AM
posted by:
fan
rubbish. the ring should not be taken measure for the typical american-muscle-pony-car… just like noone would ever track test a car like the elise on a quartermile… the camaro may compete rather well on the ring, and the elise will do the job on the quartermile, but the elise will outrun the camaro on the ring as well as the camaro will outrun the elise on the quartermile…
03/28, 10:08 PM
posted by:
Voiture1
I like the car, but I wish Chevy had seen fit to make it look like the Camaros that were most successful and popular in terms of sales, and that would be the second and third generation cars. I owned 4 Camaros, (An ‘80, ‘81, ‘85 & ‘87), and to me a Camaro should be long, low, and sleek, not short, high, and stubby like this car. Anyway, the performance is right and I hope it is a success.
03/28, 10:22 PM
posted by:
Voiture1
Oh, and I will be buying one. At the end of the day I am a Chevy man after all.
04/02, 11:50 PM
posted by:
thepack469
I cant wait to finally buy one. Lets last a couple more years GM so I can afford and then buy one of your gorgeous camaros. GM all the way!
04/03, 10:33 PM
posted by:
CB2L
I love my 05 ’stang GT, and I own Ford stock, but i’m seriously considering trading in for an SS Camaro with the RS package. the pictures here don’t do it justice – check out a black one
some of my favorite features:
),
.
the taillights (obviously they were going for something as distinctive as the mustang, and they hit it),
sunroof (none on Ford
HID’s,
factory-installed Brembos,
and of course, 422
i actually like the little quad gauge-cluster in the center. my only real problem with the camaro is the rest of the interior – i think Ford did a better job giving their pony car a distinctive, good-looking inside. apart from the main gauges, the interior of the chevy could be just about anything.
but damn it looks good outside…
04/14, 2:55 PM
posted by:
chevyalltheway
is it true that they are going to be fornt wheel drive
04/14, 2:59 PM
posted by:
chevyalltheway
if so that is f**ked up
04/15, 12:13 AM
posted by:
bobby1234
for a chevy fan you really need to just look it up. Actually scratch that….you should already know the answer to that. Unless your really late on an april fools joke lol.
05/03, 1:57 PM
posted by:
oag113
Another American piece of junk! The ‘69 Camaro still looks better!
After working for GM as a Product Engineer for for 5 years in Michigan I realized how close-minded GM management is… from the moment people told me I shouldn’t park my BMW in the front rows of the employee parking lot because the close-minded mid-western GM workers (including educated engineers)may scratch my car since it was an “import crap”… I said.. this people are going down! …anybody reluctant to change and oblivious to better engineering and improving competition are destined to fail…I guess they are getting what they deserve… good thing I quit back in 2001!!!!!
06/08, 7:58 AM
posted by:
mattyman3105
michal bay made a good choice putting this in his movie