Don't count on the Chevrolet Volt to rescue General Motors. The extended-range electric car is a fascinating science project and great for wowing policy makers, but few car enthusiasts are that committed to saving the planet. What most of us want is a sexy-hot ride that doesn't cost a fortune. Enter the reborn Chevy Camaro - the ultimate red-blooded, blue-collar fashion statement and GM's best hope of driving itself out of the ditch.
The Camaro's six-year absence really did make hearts yearn for a Ford Mustang foil. Dodge's Challenger revival eased some of that ache, but true Chevy fans would sooner pine for the old days than defect. After GM announced that the Camaro concept wasn't a tease, 14,000 believers affirmed their faith by placing orders.
Now that GM's Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant is cranking out cars, we've test-driven V-6 and V-8 versions of the fifth-generation Camaro. Our first revelation: Chevy has mounted a classic Trojan horse offense. Under its 1969-esque cover, the Camaro is armed with such 2009 weapons as direct injection (V-6 only), an independent rear suspension, and six speeds in every transmission. Chevy's strategy is to reward the faithful and to lure fresh recruits away from imports.
The irony is that true import flavor is part of the Camaro's recipe. Four years ago, Bob Lutz and GM design chief Ed Welburn cooked up this car as a buzz builder and Chevy brand resuscitator. After their 2006 Detroit auto show concept rocked the car world, the business case supporting a production model gained momentum. GM's Holden division in Australia offered two vital resources: a can-do attitude and a global rear-wheel-drive chassis code-named Zeta that arrived here last year beneath the Pontiac G8.
To deliver a Camaro that held true to the Lutz-Welburn inspiration, GM engineers in Michigan and Melbourne hewed a tight coupe out of the large G8 sedan by moving the Zeta rear axle forward six inches. To clear the room needed for twenty-inch wheels and tires, the front suspension was moved forward, track widths were increased, and the windshield was shifted rearward and given a more upright stance. After revised suspension geometries, larger brakes, and other changes were added, the Camaro's Zeta Two underpinnings shared little with the G8's Zeta One blueprints other than common engineering.
Concurrently, the V-8-powered concept was expanded into a full range of meek-to-mean Camaros. The menu includes LS, LT, and SS series with two trim levels, three engines, four transmissions, and two suspensions, plus an RS package consisting of twenty-inch wheels and tires, HID headlamps, and a rear spoiler. Prices run from $22,995 for the stripped LS V-6 to more than $37,000 for a well-equipped SS V-8..
Last year, after driving a Camaro LT powered by the direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6, we concluded that 304 hp serves as an excellent starting point. Now we can report that the six-speed-stick LT squirts to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds - matching Hyundai's hottest Genesis coupe - on its way to a 14.8-second, 98-mph quarter-mile dash. The refined howl under the hood is the entry-level Camaro speaking softly while wielding a decent performance stick, including 17/26 EPA city/highway gas mileage. Equipped with a six-speed automatic, the LS and LT Camaros score an even better 18/29 mpg rating in EPA tests.
The Camaro's cockpit has a bunker vibe inflicted by the high-rise beltline, tall hood, and a roof that curves over your ears. The bucket seats are squishy soft and lacking in both lateral and lumbar support. Releasing one lever allows tilting and telescoping of the dished steering wheel, but a clunky adjuster mechanism takes a bite out of knee room. The uplevel trim is cloth-accented and carefully fitted but not especially luxurious. The few metallic hints are paint or chrome over molded plastic.
Entering the Camaro's rear seats is a chore because of high doorsills and the absence of quick-slide front-bucket releases. There's adequate legroom if front riders are willing to compromise, but curls are sure to be squashed. Rear passengers view the world through tiny triangular portholes.
Access to the 11.3-cubic-foot trunk is through one of the highest, smallest apertures we've ever encountered. A rear-seat pass-through is provided to accommodate poles, pipes, and spears.
The Camaro's instrument panel is a peculiar mix of retro and modern. Square-cornered tach and speedometer dials juxtapose with electronic fuel-level and trip-info displays. Four secondary gauges mounted at the forward end of the console also hark back to 1969; in forty years, nothing has changed to make that location viable. Providing engine and transmission lubricant temperatures is a nice touch, but no driver in the heat of battle is inclined to search for this information.
OnStar is the only form of navigation offered. In compensation, the list of standard or optional infotainment goodies includes CD and MP3 play capability, Bluetooth, a 245-watt sound system with nine speakers, XM reception, an audio input jack, a USB port, and a wireless interface for portable media players.
The best music source is the Camaro SS's 6.2-liter V-8. Rumble and reverb are entertaining at start-up but appropriately subdued underway. The Tremec six-speed manual's shifter is reasonably light to the touch unless you're in street-race mode, when a heavy hand is required to extract peak performance. So hammered, the 426-hp Camaro SS hustles to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and logs a 13.3-second, 111-mph quarter mile, neatly eclipsing both the Mustang GT and the Challenger SRT8. The thrill peters out at 157 mph when the speed limiter kicks...
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