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First Test: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Synergy Special Edition
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...est/index.html

Yes, It's Very Green
July 28, 2010
By Benson Kong
Photography by Toviah Hirschberg

"Wow. Look at that color. Not that the pride and joy of Chevrolet's lineup not called the Corvette needs support within the enthusiast community, but building rapport with the general public begins with a vehicle's exterior. And if there was ever desire for an ostentatious display of Camaro certitude, you're looking at it. Its name is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Synergy Special Edition, and here is its story.

Invoking the spirit of a similarly hued, first-generation Camaro from the late 1960s and drawing upon a 2009 SEMA project known as the Camaro Synergy Concept, the Synergy Special Edition was available specifically for the 1LT trim, meaning it's only paired with the base-level, direct-injected 3.6-liter V-6 with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Power output is 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque although, per Chevy's official statement, the engine has been re-certified to make 312 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque for the next model year, in response to Ford's announced ratings for its new V-6.

On top of the cost of a 1LT-spec Camaro, the Synergy Special Edition package adds $2060. The Synergy Green paintjob is the most obvious alteration, and the two grand and change also nets Cyber Gray rally stripes running along the hood and trunk, unique door inserts with LED lighting to give off its own Incredible Hulk shade, distinctive stitching on the seats and steering wheel, a rear wing, and 19-inch painted aluminum wheels. An included Convenience and Connectivity package adds some real, synergistic creature comforts. Amenities such as Bluetooth, steering-wheel-mounted sound system controls, a USB port, and Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist remind vintage Camaro owners they aren't in the 1960s anymore.

Even though the weight is well-distributed at 3796 pounds, this Camaro is a porker for sure, with visual heft amplified by the attractive and broad-shouldered sheetmetal. Despite this perceived limitation, the Chevy still goes from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and completes the quarter mile in 14.2 seconds at 99.2 mph, times that are more spritely than what we've experienced with other six-cylinder Camaros. V-8 owners won't be cowering in the corner, but this V-6 certainly isn't a laughingstock in the performance scene.

On the handling front, the Pirelli PZero Nero all-season tires bound to the 19-inch alloys folded quickly under pressure. Around our figure-eight, the Camaro Synergy Special Edition needed 26.6 seconds to loop around the pylons at an average of 0.67 g. Of all the fifth-generation, V-6-powered Camaros we have tested to date, this figure-eight time is tied for last with an even heavier, automatic-equipped Camaro with the RS package and accompanying summer tires. Noticeable differences in lateral acceleration and braking distances are even more telling of the all-season performance. Synergy managed 0.85 g on the skid pad, but four separate Camaro V-6s with grippier tires pulled close to or over 0.90 g. In 60-0-mph braking, our brightly colored tester took a leisurely 123 feet to stop while the others scrubbed all forward motion in less than 110 feet. Such is the tale of the non-dedicated rubber.

Inside, the interior trimmings are as simple as we last explored. The clutch remains easy to engage and the shifter can be clunky at times, particularly in the taller gears. In an age when center stacks and consoles can be outrageously perplexing, however, the Camaro reminds us that, sometimes, locating and pressing just one clearly labeled button can lead to a clear, desired outcome.

Simplicity doesn't free the steering wheel from criticism. Awkwardly styled and designed, it is vexing to grasp naturally at both the customary ten-and-two and nine-and-three positions. We understand the windshield is steeply raked for sporty intentions, but the thin sun visors are essentially useless, mere novelties in the uncluttered cabin. And while all-around visibility is hampered by the low seating position, long nose, and generally obscured view, adjusting and feeling out the dimensions never proved to be exceedingly difficult.

Then there's the sound. The engineers did their homework when it came to extracting pleasurable aural sensations for the driver. Out at the track, with the pedal pinned and exhaust bellowing into an overcast morning, it's obvious the vee-shaped eight-cylinder synonymous with the muscle car does not reside below the bulged, Synergy Green hood. Positioned behind the wheel, we could be none the wiser to the new V-6. It may not deliver the thrust but it spews a note quite reminiscent of a V-8, a nice touch to the reboot of a nameplate steeped in eight-cylinder history.

Should you find this particular Camaro to your liking, we have some bad news. The window for acquisition has already passed, as Chevy had the Synergy package out for purchase only until May. Fans of the color can spring for the Synergy paint option when the 2011 model rolls into town at a price of $325. Until then, owners of this green machine will revel in their personal piece of Camaro history."

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Synergy Special Edition
Base price - $24,730
Price as test - $26,940
Vehicle layout - Front-engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe
Engine - 3.6L/304-hp/273 lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
Transmission - 6-speed manual
Curb weight - 3796 lb (51/49%)
Wheelbase - 112.3 in
Length x width x height - 190.4 x 75.5 x 54.2 in
0-60 mph - 5.6 sec
Quarter mile - 14.2 sec @ 99.2 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph -123 ft
Lateral acceleration - 0.85 g (avg)
MT figure eight - 26.6 sec @ 0.67 g (avg)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ - 17/29 mpg
CO2 emissions - 0.93 g/mile