2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

By Nick Yost, Examiner.com

Until a few weeks ago, the last time I was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro was sometime around the turn of the century.

As I recall, the coupe was a rather garish orange with white stripes on the outside, complemented by black-and-white checkered upholstery inside. More importantly it had a 5.7-liter, Corvette-derived V-8 engine and a six-speed manual transmission.

My wife and I took it across the Mojave Desert en route from Phoenix to Malibu and back again. It was a magnificent traveling companion; its 310-horsepower burbling contentedly and never breaking a sweat as we zipped along lightly traveled U.S. Route 10 at about 15 miles per hour above the posted 75-mph speed limit.

That Camaro was pretty much the master of anything we encountered on that journey and I reveled in the abundant power under foot.

But, with its pinched rear seat and a tail too light to properly contain the tremendous power transmitted to the rear wheels in bad weather, it was hardly the car for all reasons or all seasons. The buying public had already begun to lose interest and production ended after the 2002 model year.

On that particular trip, though, the seasons and reasons were in near-perfect alignment and I could think of few cars that I would have rather been in.

The memories of that trip came flooding back recently as I tooled around New York and northern New Jersey in the recently resurrected 2010 Camaro SS, a masterful blend of the old and the new featuring a significantly more powerful 6.2-liter, 426-horsepower Corvette-derived engine and a six-speed manual transmission.

The explosive acceleration resulting from 420 pound-feet of torque, the powerful rumble of the lusty V-8, the exciting lines of its long-hood, short-deck configuration -- how nice it would have been to be back in the desert again.

Instead, I had to settle for discreet bursts of acceleration during rare stretches of empty highway, but they were enough to tell me that the sound and fury are not just back, they’re better in every way.

Unlike its old and new competitors, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, the Camaro is not a near carbon copy of its predecessor. It’s an unmistakable update of the original, but it is bigger, more muscular looking and, to me, a more handsome automobile.

Now that it is back on the road, the Camaro has reignited an argument that has remained unsettled for 40 years: Which is the best of the three pony cars? It’s an argument unlikely ever to be fully settled, but one that the three American automakers hope will draw partisans into the showrooms just as it did in the glory years of 1970 and 1971.

I have not spent enough time in the new Ford or Dodge to form my own opinion, so for now we’ll simply concentrate on what the Camaro has to offer.

Chevrolet may be as American as apple pie, but the new Camaro isn’t. Like the recently axed Pontiac G8 sedan, it was designed and built in partnership with Holden, General Motors’ Australian division, on a platform shared with the Holden Commodore.

The collaboration worked well, resulting in a car that is not only handsome, sturdy and powerful, but one that handles well and provides a comfortable ride, even when equipped with the performance-oriented independent suspension.

The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering keeps the driver well informed about what’s going on where the rubber meets the road, and the huge Brembo disc brakes can bring the nearly two-ton Camaro to a stop from 60 mph in 105 feet if fun should suddenly turn to fear.

Except for the dreaded first to fourth gear lockout when the Camaro is crawling away from a stop light, the six-speed manual transmission works smoothly, allowing quick shifts without only a bit of notchiness.

Looking to impress the guy next to you at a stoplight? Take advantage of the standard launch control. Get the engine revving to 4,000 rpm, slide foot off the clutch and let the computer take it from there.

Do everything just just right and, according to figures supplied by Chevrolet, the Camaro will catapult to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Do it too often, and there’s no chance the Camaro will live up to its EPA fuel mileage rating of 16 mpg city/24 highway. Even driving with reasonable care on busy metropolitan-area roads I averaged only between 15 and 22 mpg. The good news is that all Camaros will runhappily on regular gasoline.

Inside, the Camaro’s leather-covered bucket seats were comfortable and supportive. Design of the instruments and switchgear, particularly a four-gauge cluster on the center console, pays homage to the Camaro’s heritage without looking old-fashioned.

Like any car that puts a premium on styling, the Camaro comes with its particular set of compromises.

As was the case with all Camaros that came before, the back seat is a bear to get into and out of, and six-footers will find the space cramped. The trunk is shallow and its opening is narrow. There is no room for a spare tire, so Camaro drivers must make do with tire sealant and an inflator kit.

The doors are huge and heavy. They need to be opened with extreme care in a mall parking lot or they can put an ugly gash in an adjoining vehicle. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t. But I will admit I came close to whacking a nearby station wagon.

Finally, the high belt line means that the passengers sit low in the cabin. The driver’s seat came with a six-way power adjuster, so I was able to find a comfortable position with good visibility. The passenger’s bucket was manually operated, with no way to adjust for height. My diminutive passenger could hardly see over the dashboard. Otherwise, the Camaro SS is a satisfying package, with a long list of safety equipment, a premium sound system, driver information center, Bluetooth capability, 20-inch wheels and more.

The price: $33,430, not including the $750 delivery charge.

That’s a surprisingly low price compared to what you’d have to pay for comparable performance in a lot of other cars, but you can get Camaros that offer an invigorating driving experience for a lot less money.

The Camaro LS and LT are powered by 3.6-liter V-6 engines that pump out 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Available with sixspeed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions, these Camaros return a respectable 17 to 29 miles per gallon of fuel and can run from a stop to 60 mph in 6 seconds. Prices start at $22,245.

In addition, a 6.2-liter V-8 engine which generates 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque is available on SS models equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. This Camaro, according to Chevrolet statistics, will run from a stop to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, tying the manual-transmission SS. With active fuel management that allows it to run on four cylinders under light loads, it is EPA-rated at 16 mpg city/25 highway. Base price is $30,995.

The Camaro has never been the car for everyone, nor has it pretended to be. But, for those who value performance over practicality, its combination of good looks and old-fashioned muscle make it a very enticing package.