01-27-2011, 05:28 PM | #1 |
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C&D: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible Review - Short Take Road Test
Via Car and Driver:
Full review - http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test Visibility issues in the turret-like Chevy Camaro, well-documented in this journal, are now cured by simply ordering the car without a lid. The view from Lookout Mountain isn’t as commanding as the one from the long-awaited Camaro convertible—once its top is dropped. A rocker switch stationed near the rearview mirror puts the Camaro’s canvas in motion after you’ve released the single mechanical twist-handle anchoring the top to the windshield header. The time it took the roof to Z-fold into the trunk seemed longer than the past election season, until we timed it: 17.7 seconds, which is actually quicker than some of those German android hardtops, including the BMW 3-series’. The Camaro’s roof is a cleanly stitched canvas ceiling that hides its joints and spars within a thick, sound-absorbent headliner. Erect, it is almost as smooth and taut as a timpani head, and it’s a decent facsimile of the coupe’s rakishly slippery steel top—blind spots included. Folded, the top crams into a well in the trunk, mostly lying below the horizontal plane formed by the Camaro’s body. A couple of stray shin bones stick up, but those can be hidden by the included tonneau cover, whose many tabs and flaps take some wrestling to put into place. A fabric curtain in the trunk ensures that the top doesn’t collide with cargo, and it must be in place before the roof will move. About a quarter of the small, 10.2-cubic-foot trunk is lost to the top, leaving just enough space for half a pro golf bag. Figure on playing only nine holes that day. Chevy is proud of the Camaro’s stiffness, claiming torsional rigidity that tops that of the 3-series convertible. Aside from some distinct quivers up the steering column, the Camaro’s structure feels adequately sound. Usually convertible versions get a softer suspension to absorb more bumps and make life easier for the compromised structure. Ford does it on the Mustang, for example. But the topless Camaro—which has extra bracing linking the front shock towers, supporting the transmission, bridging the prop-shaft tunnel, and tying the front and rear subframes to the unibody—has the exact same spring and shock tune as the coupe, says Chevy. So we weren’t surprised to find as much lateral grip (0.90 g on the skidpad) and steering that feels the same as the coupe’s: quick and a bit lifeless. The penalty is weight: a burdensome 246 pounds more than the hardtop Camaro SS (compared with the 174-pound gain of the Mustang GT’s convertible conversion). The topless Chevy’s punch-out times are thus delayed. The 60-mph mark arrives 0.3 second slower, at 4.9 seconds. A standing quarter-mile is covered in 13.4 seconds, almost a half-second longer than in the coupe. But the opportunity to enjoy the popping and sniffling of the 426-hp LS3’s exhaust through the open air on a warm evening will be well worth the price to some. Speaking of which, expect to pay an extra $5700 or so for the SS droptop privilege. Fully optioned SS convertibles reach into the mid-40s. Markets may crash, currencies may flutter, and reality-TV stars will come from New Jersey to make us all look ridiculous, but America will always be exceptional as long as it has convertibles.
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01-27-2011, 07:13 PM | #2 |
Drives: 01 Mustang GT Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Long Island,New York
Posts: 82
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not bad id still rock the convertible
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01-27-2011, 07:19 PM | #3 |
Living the American Dream
Drives: 2010 Camaro RS/2SS Rally Yellow Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Westfield, IN
Posts: 782
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Sweet, I am ready to take a ride in one. GM, you can come to my house tomorrow. I will be here all day. Don't worry about the snow coming down. I don't mind.
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Rally Yellow 2SS/RS w/Cyber Gray Stripes
Customer pick-up: June 17 2009 C5 Indiana Camaro Club Central Indiana Camaro Club |
01-27-2011, 07:23 PM | #4 |
Drives: 2k CamaroSS - 08TrailblazerSS Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 10
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Lookin' good on what appears to be the Balboa Island Ferry in Zoo-port Beach.
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01-27-2011, 07:25 PM | #5 |
COTW: 12/13/10
Drives: 1969 Camaro Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 7,880
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Yep Balboa Island in Newport beach, and the last shot is Main St in Huntington Beach. Pretty close to me.
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"Are you one of those boys who prefer cars to women? - I'm one of those boys that appreciates a fine body, regardless of the make." 1969 CAMARO JOURNAL: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=341239 | FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/taylor.ryan.apt | GRAPHIC DESIGN: www.aptdesigns.net |
01-27-2011, 07:44 PM | #6 |
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"But the opportunity to enjoy the popping and sniffling of the 426-hp LS3’s exhaust through the open air on a warm evening will be well worth the price"
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01-27-2011, 07:47 PM | #7 |
Drives: racecars Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: BMN
Posts: 1,776
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Wow, what's there not to like about it ? +1 !
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01-27-2011, 08:01 PM | #8 |
Drives: Sold: 2011 2SS/RS Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 1,896
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Very sexy in its CGM outfit.
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01-27-2011, 08:14 PM | #9 |
Drives: 2011 2LT/RS Camaro Vert. Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 266
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I ordered my 2LT/RS Contvertible in IBM with blk top/int. on 1/11/11 and have a TPW of 2/14 and it can't get here soon enough!!
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01-27-2011, 08:19 PM | #10 |
GET MONEY, STAY TRU!
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2ss/rs; 2006 Corvette Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 18
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I really like the Verts, can't wait a few months so I can trade.......
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IF IT AIN'T RWD DRIVE, AND A CHEVY I DON'T RIDE IT!!!!! ANYTHING ELSE WOULD BE UNCIVILIZED!!!
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01-27-2011, 09:14 PM | #11 |
Tampa Gulf Coast Family
Drives: Sold c7, in the market! Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 1,250
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damn thats a sexy car. i dont think i would gt it, but for a convertible it looks really good.
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01-27-2011, 09:59 PM | #12 |
Drives: camaro Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: mexico
Posts: 17
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NICE! i wanna see conv whith gfx!
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01-27-2011, 10:12 PM | #13 |
Drives: Fast Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Tampa Fl
Posts: 97
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I LIKE IT, I LOVE IT, I WANT SOME MORE OF IT!
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01-27-2011, 11:34 PM | #14 |
Drives: 2SS LS3 Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southeast Florida
Posts: 1,309
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No snow down south. Taxes are lower too. You think about moving.
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2010 CGM 2SS LS3, born: 4/10 Last edited by SSLarry; 01-28-2011 at 12:23 AM. |
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