FIRST DRIVE – CHEVROLET CAMARO
It’s Back!
Story and Photos by Gerry Frechette
The Camaro is back. Of course, we all knew it was on its way after having seen the concept car a few years ago, but it has been a long wait for the Chevy faithful who have been wanting to buy the latest version of their fave pony car. It is here now, and some 23,000 people in the U.S. and Canada have paid in advance to order one. The Oshawa plant is working flat out to build them, and it is one of the bright spots for GM right now. Rumours of a recession, or the death of the muscle car, are just that….
Most of the initial advance orders are for the V8, so those are thin on the ground at the moment, and the model we drove was the LT V6 with automatic and RS package, expected to be the volume leader once the initial V8 demand is satisfied.
One shouldn’t think that the V6 is not worthy, as it is the 3.6L direct injection unit with 304 hp, lots more ponies than the V6s in Mustang and Challenger. We’d love to try it with the manual transmission, as the 6-speed autobox with TAPshift buttons on the steering wheel was responsive and entertaining in enthusiastic driving. Indeed, GM claims 0-to-96 km/h in 6.1 seconds – and 6.9L/100 on the highway. But it doesn’t rumble and roar like the V8…
There is no doubt about which early Camaro the new one is based on – the ‘69. Most of the styling cues are there, although the grille is not as gaping as the original. The RS option is faithful to the original’s concept, a dress-up package that includes HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, a rear spoiler, specific taillamps, and 20-inch wheels with Midnight Silver finish. It is that last item, the wheels and tires, which go a long way to giving some V8 attitude to the V6 cars; the casual observer couldn’t tell the difference. Plus the fact that the car handles better than with the 18s or 19s otherwise available, and you can upgrade to the FE2 sport suspension, too.
Our tester was well-optioned, including six-way powered leather seats that allowed a low driving position to clear the slammed roof line and space-robbing sunroof, plus connectivity for personal infotainment devices. Ergonomics and space up front were excellent, but the back seat is as all Camaros have ever been, and the feeling inside is a bit bunker-like, with the high hood and belt line making the windows look like slits. And we are not sure what GM designers were thinking when they laid out the dashboard. It may be a bit retro, but at the cost of looking, let’s say, like something more suitable for an economy car. Its design may have something to do with there being no navigation system available; there’d be nowhere to put the screen where it could be seen.
Interior design quibbles aside, the Camaro was worth the wait, and now each of the Detroit Three has a pony car just like 40 years ago. But it is more than just that for GM, as it will certainly get looks from those who usually shop imported sport coupes. The V6 starts at $26,995, but the bigger bargain is the SS with 426-hp V8, six-speed stick, Brembo brakes and Launch Control at only $36,995.
The gloves are off now, and Chevy fans are in heaven.
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