I wanta drive `it
Driving Impression: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

By Mike Monticello
March 2009

Slideshow: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS >>
Slideshow: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS development >>
Video: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro >>
Although we're thrilled to have finally driven the 2010 Camaro SS with its throbbing 426-bhp V-8 (we'd previously only driven the V-6 version), we're positive the gobs of attention the car received during our photo shoot in San Diego, California, means that Chevy got this "modern interpretation of a classic car" thing just right — people were thrilled to be seeing the new Camaro; it didn't seem to matter if it was an SS V-8 or a V-6. Everyone seems to know this is the new Camaro the second they lay eyes on it, yet it's not merely a carbon-copy of the 1969 Camaro upon which designer Sang Yup Lee took his inspiration. And with the Camaro's purposeful hood power bulge, slightly shrouded headlights, menacing grille and foglights-as-DRLs, few cars on the road display a more aggressive face.
Slideshow >>

But let's get back to the Camaro SS and its V-8. Two 6.2-liters are available: Order the 6-speed automatic (which comes with shift buttons on the back of the steering wheel for manual control,) and you get the L99, which features Active Fuel Management (switching from 8 to 4 cylinders when driven at light throttle loads to save fuel) but lower power ratings of 400 bhp and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. Automatic-blip downshifts add a manly feel to this gearbox.
Order the Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual and you get to feel the power of Chevy's LS3 V-8 with 426 bhp at 5900 rpm along with 420 lb.-ft. of torque at 4600 rpm. Although the Camaro was designed/built with a price point in mind, Chevrolet didn't skimp on the necessities. All V-8 Camaros, plus V-6s with manual transmissions, come with limited-slip differentials — a must for good burnouts, power slides and true performance driving.
With 426 bhp and a 3860-lb. curb weight, the car hits 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13.0 at 111.1 mph. Those numbers basically equal the Dodge Challenger SRT8 we previously tested with an automatic transmission, while they're significantly quicker than Ford's less powerful Mustang GT. Of note, the last Camaro Z28 we tested, in our November 2001 issue, hit 60 mph in 5.5 sec. and ran the quarter mile in 13.9, powered by a 310-bhp 5.7-liter V-8.
An interesting aspect of the new Camaro is Chevy's Launch Control, which functions when the stability system is set to its Competitive Driving mode. Launch Control manages wheelspin in 1st gear, as you keep the throttle pinned. Of note, we achieved quicker acceleration times managing wheelspin ourselves.
It's no secret that the new Camaro is a joint Australian/U.S. project. It's also no secret the Camaro rides on what is basically a shortened platform of Pontiac's G8. But unlike the G8, which is built in Australia, the Camaro is built at GM's Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, plant (production started March 16th). The G8's rear-drive platform means that for the first time in the Camaro's history, it has an independent multilink rear suspension, to go along with its MacPherson-strut front setup. Camaro SS models come with slightly stiffer spring rates, thicker anti-roll bars and a 0.5-in. lower ride height than V-6 versions.
Slideshow >>

Fitted with 245/45ZR-20 front and 275/40ZR-20 rear Pirelli PZero tires, our test car garnered 0.87g around the skidpad and 66.8 mph through the slalom. For comparison purposes, those are slightly better numbers than the Challenger SRT8 (0.85g and 65.0 slalom) but a far cry from the Track Pack-equipped Mustang GT (0.93g and 69.3 mph). Chevy currently doesn't have plans for a factory "track package" for the Camaro.
Out on the road, what the Camaro gives up in precision, it makes up in pure ride quality. This car is downright comfortable! And due to its independent rear suspension, bumps don't make the Camaro SS "hopping" mad. Sure, push the Camaro SS hard and you'll encounter a fair amount of understeer — there's no escaping the car's plentiful 3860-lb. curb weight. Luckily, the 14.0-in. 4-piston Brembo front brakes (14.4 at the rear) are up to the task of getting the Camaro SS slowed down quickly.
In lower speed corners, you can use the massive amounts of V-8 power to steer the Camaro SS with the throttle. Which is just plain good fun! The 6-speed manual, although not the quickest shifting ever, is easy to use and has positive gates, while pedals are placed close enough for reasonable heel-and-toeing. The front seats are clearly made for wide Americans, but despite this they offer good lateral support and comfort aplenty. Limited rear head room defines the Camaro as a 2 + 2.
The EPA rates the Camaro V-6 with the 6-speed manual at 17 mpg city/ 29 mpg highway. The manual SS is rated at 16/24, (with the automatic a tad better at 16/25). At $22,995 for the LS V-6, and $30,995 for the SS, we rate the new Camaro as great news for Americans. Chevy says the first Camaros will hit dealers at the beginning of April.

(More Driving Impressions)
Related Links:

`Ted
Thanks for posting/sharing your `link.
It's a super great comparision article
Great Contribution...4-Sure


I want one, but it's still a `dream : )

LOL `Ted,
You already own a `DreamRide Don't get greedy
Many of my dreams are unrealistic, but I keep work'in on them.
Hope your dream `Viper comes true 4 U.

Ok, it's a `Space DayDream

Hi Member's, I finished paying all the bills 4 today, and I still have
3 hr & 30 min's left b-4 I can leave work , so I dayDream,
and work on my `life's Plan Also, take a break & post
some more crazy/weird stuff from `Space

Quote:

god i love this car. i cant wait to drive one good post space

Thanks `Adam...Great 2 read that zome of my posts R `good : )

First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

From Base V-6 to Mega-Adrenaline SS, All the Numbers -- At Last! -- On the Pony-Car Icon Many Thought We'd Never See Again.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0903_2010_chevrolet_camaro_test/index.html

Click above link & do a burn`out

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Full Test and Video



Speed Read

Vehicle Tested:
2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 6M)
Price It!!

What Works:
Outruns its rivals in a straight line and beats them all on any road that matters.
What Needs Work:
Some interior materials remain questionable, steering wheel is too big and overstyled.
Bottom Line:
A performance car bargain and a righteous pony car.


Featured Specs

• 426 horsepower (400 with automatic)
• 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds
• 3,857-pound curb weight
• 16/24 mpg EPA fuel economy
• Super `Smok'in Super 4-Sure

More

Times Have Changed...but Not That Much



By Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, & MCF KidSpace
Date posted: 03-27-2009


Click here to watch the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Track Video
The last thing General Motors needs right now is to appear as if it's stuck in the past, creating gas-guzzling cars that are out of step with what the federal government thinks is the future.
So even when Chevrolet steps into the way-back machine to unveil the 426-horsepower retro-inflected 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, it's careful to mention that this muscle/pony car is the "sports car for the 21st century" and emphasizes the Camaro's fuel economy ratings more than its 0-60-mph performance.
So we did what had to be done. We dropped an asphalt-melting burnout in the parking lot of a former seminary that was of such destructive length that the guys hired by Chevy to prep and clean the Camaros had time to wander over and say, "Stop. You're done."
Had a Dairy Queen been available we would have laid a patch in front of that, too. Look, man. We've been waiting for years for the arrival of this car; there will be time to talk about balance and the quality of the interior materials later.
No Smoking
That rite of Camaro passage accomplished, we strapped on our Racelogic VBOX III GPS-based testing equipment to get the measure of the new Camaro's less juvenile performance characteristics.
Our test vehicle is the hottest available setup for the 2010 Chevy Camaro, an SS manual. When you choose the Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual as your gearbox of choice you get an LS3 6.2-liter V8 in the deal. That's the same motor that powers the base Corvette.
In the Camaro it makes 426 hp at 5,900 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm. Order the six-speed automatic and Chevy will fill your engine bay with a 400-hp, lower-revving, lower-compression L99 6.2-liter V8 that comes with cylinder deactivation. It'll deliver 25 mpg on the highway. But the manual will do 24 mpg highway and costs $995 less than the automatic model, so we'll take the extra power, thank you very much.
The SS manual also comes with a 3.45 rear end (compared to the 3.27 in all other Camaros). The combination is good for drama-free 0-60-mph sprints of 5 seconds (or 4.7 seconds with a 1-foot rollout like on a drag strip). Easy. Get the 275/40ZR20 Pirelli P Zero summer tires slipping a little at launch, modulate the throttle, and off the Camaro goes, pouring its bass-heavy exhaust note down the road. It reaches the quarter-mile mark in 13 seconds at 110.9 mph.
Predictably, one of the Camaro's obvious rivals, the big-'n-brawny Dodge Challenger R/T can't keep pace. It takes 5.5 seconds for the Mopar to reach 60 mph (5.3 with 1 foot of rollout) and 13.9 seconds to reach the quarter-mile, at which point it's steaming along at 103.2 mph. In fact, the Camaro SS is slightly quicker in both measures than the similarly powered Challenger SRT8. The 2010 Mustang makes up for much of its 111-hp power deficit with about a 500-pound weight advantage on the hefty Camaro. The Mustang with a Track Pack will do zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds (4.9 with rollout) and get through the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 102.9 mph. The Camaro is quicker through the quarter by half-a-second than the Nissan 370Z, which Chevy also considers a Camaro competitor.
The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS manual is the one Camaro that comes with a launch control system. It's foolproof and easy to initiate (punch Competition mode on the traction/stability control system, mat the accelerator and sidestep the clutch) but we found that we were quicker just shutting off all traction and stability control systems and doing it ourselves.
21st-Century Brute
For all the company's insistence that the Camaro is a fully modern sport coupe, the Camaro SS feels remarkably like, well, a Camaro. This isn't some Honda S2000 hardtop, pal.
Mash the throttle and the Camaro's peaked nose rises and the exhaust goes full-volume WAAAAUUUGH simultaneously in a way any muscle/pony car fan will recognize. To call it punchy is an understatement. The Tremec transmission (a version of which is bolted into virtually every rear-wheel-drive American performance car) doesn't respond to wrist flicks. Hell no. You employ a full-power yank or shove that requires the use of your entire right arm.
The only thing tempering the hell-raising fun is the Camaro's weight, both perceived and actual. The car feels dense and a little larger than it is. This is, in part, because of the car's styling. Short side glass, a small, high-mounted backlight and a steeply raked windshield give the Camaro the chunk-of-badass look from the outside. Sitting inside the thing, though, is like walking around with your shoulders shrugged and a baseball cap slammed down low on your head. This has the effect of diminishing the sensation of speed, even as it climbs quickly to extralegal levels.
That Other 21st-Century Stuff
Possibly you expected that a V8 Camaro would accelerate hard. Thanks to a shortened and reworked version of the Pontiac G8's Australian-bed platform and independent rear suspension, the 2010 Camaro can also go around turns.
First, some numbers. The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS rides on summer performance tires measuring 245/45ZR20 up front and 275/40ZR20 out back. Live where it snows? Factor a set of winter tires into your budget. And all SS versions come with what Chevy calls the FE3 suspension tuning, which has stiffer springs and fatter antiroll bars than the FE2 setup of the V6 Camaros.
At the track, all that hardware translates to a maximum 68.6-mph speed through our slalom and 0.88g on the skid pad. Here the lack of visibility was a hindrance through the slalom as well. It's difficult to see where the corners of this car are while you're driving. For most sane people, this sensation makes one overestimate the size of the car in order to ensure a safe distance from other cars or objects.
The Challenger isn't much through the slalom. That broad-of-beam brute feels composed through the cones but can muster only 64.7 mph (standard all-season tires hurt the Dodge here). The lighter and narrower Mustang is in a virtual dead heat with the Camaro at 68.4 mph and offers more outright grip on the skid pad at 0.91g. The small, nimble 370Z whoops all comers with a 72-mph run through the cones.
Thanks to the SS-standard summer-only Pirellis and 14-inch brake discs grabbed by four-piston Brembo calipers, the Camaro halts from 60 mph in 109 feet, nearly matching the impressive performance of the 2010 Mustang GT of 107 feet and embarrassing the Challenger R/T (128 feet). The Nissan 370Z splits the difference between the Mustang and Camaro at 108 feet.
Squirt, Halt and Flow
The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS has forced us to modify our driving technique on back roads. It used to be that we'd employ the ol' squirt-and-halt method with muscle cars. You know, punch the throttle at the exit of a turn, slam a couple of gears and then slow way down for an upcoming turn and wait through the turn until we could lay on the power again.
Now, we still do the squirt portion just because it feels so righteous. But despite its weight, the Camaro SS can be made to flow smoothly from one corner to the next in the manner of a proper sports car.
It takes some faith, though. The steering wheel, which is so overly styled as to be terribly uncomfortable, is a little bigger than we'd like — another attribute that makes the Camaro seem larger than it is. And the heftiness of the package gave us pause entering corners with any real speed. But trust in the force, young man, and you'll discover that the steering, with a quick 16:1 ratio and 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, is a hell of a lot trustier than the big, dumb wheel would suggest.
And — will wonders never cease? — the front end takes one helluva bite into the pavement. The Camaro tracks faithfully through without the squirreliness (yes, we made that up) of the stick-axle Mustang or the floppiness of the Challenger. All SS Camaros come standard with a limited-slip differential that helps at the corner's exit when you inevitably unleash the torque again.
The combination of short-sidewall 20-inch tires and stiff damping can make for a busy ride on Michigan's lumpy, undulating roads. It's not harsh, but the Camaro can get to bobbling over choppy pavement.
You can go ahead and forget about heel-toe downshifting, though. The brake and throttle pedals are way too far apart for that.
Inside the Turret
The pedal spacing is one of a few ergonomic missteps inside the car. The other truly bothersome one is that the dead pedal, which should be mounted on the same plane as the gas pedal, is set way too far forward.
We'd probably swap out the shift ****, too, which is in the shape of a fat Star Brite mint set on its edge. Swapping out the gauges would be a little more difficult. We like the look of the retro-style squared binnacles, but the gauge faces are crowded with candy-colored numbers, making them difficult to read at a quick glance. Other quibbles? Sure, we've got some. Like sun visors that are so small as to be utterly useless at blocking the sun. And the fabric dash trim that looks exactly like the material used on countless office cubicle walls and pushpin boards.
Maybe the "Driving Enthusiasts" that Chevy says it's targeting with the SS don't obsess over interior material quality or that the opening for the trunk is laughably small. "Driving Enthusiast" is Chevy-speak for traditional Camaro guys. But the so-called "Life Enthusiasts" (?) that Chevy wants to check out the V6 models might be a bit more finicky. But then, scads of people bought Mustangs even when that car's interior was made of synthetic cheese, so....
Value
From a performance-for-the-dollar perspective, the Camaro SS rates right up there with the best. It starts at $30,995 for the 1SS version that has cloth seats. Add the RS package with its dark-finish wheels and HID headlamps for $1,200 and you're still sitting at just $32,195. Add a sunroof (but only if you're of average height or less) and the Boston Acoustics upgraded stereo and you're still at only $33,590.
We might forgo the leather-covered heated seats that came with our 2SS test car. Step up to the 2SS model, which starts at $34,180, and you also get other upgrades such as a four-pack of console-mounted auxiliary gauges (which are cool), a USB port for the audio system, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity and OnStar with turn-by-turn navigation. That's in line with the 2010 Mustang GT we tested most recently. Loaded up with comfort and convenience items as well as the Track Pack performance package, the Mustang totaled $34,775. Well-equipped Challenger R/Ts and 370Zs will cost closer to $40,000.
The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS might be a throwback. It might not be the future of GM or the automotive landscape in general. But this thoroughly updated and relatively efficient Camaro will be in our short-term future. We're going to buy one just as soon as we can find one with the right specifications at a local dealer.
Then we will blaze the tires with total impunity.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
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