AW: New Camaro a one trick pony?

[Scotsman]

I certainly don't think so...

One Sweet Pony: Soon, we’ll see if the new Camaro has the tricks to last
By J.P. VETTRAINO


By its spec sheet, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro looks like the ultimate evolution of the pony car. The big question is whether there are enough pony-car buyers to sustain it over the long haul.

Gasoline cost $2.30 a gallon when the world went ga-ga over the Camaro concept at the Detroit auto show in January 2006. It averaged over $4.00 nationally on July 21, when Chevrolet unveiled the production Camaro at its tech center in Warren, Michigan. Most projections suggest $5.00 per gallon by the time the car hits showrooms in spring, 2009.

With the spike in gas prices and tougher economic times, car buyers have moved toward the practical--and fuel efficient. Yet if Chevrolet is worried about the new Camaro, Chevy Vice President Ed Peper isn’t letting on.

“We’re excited about launching it now because so many people have been waiting for it,” Peper said at the reveal. “We’ve got style, value and fuel economy that’s ahead of the competition.”

Maybe Peper is right, because the new Camaro is a looker. With a wheelbase of 112.3 inches and a length of 190.4, it’s a bit larger than the Ford Mustang (107.1, 187.6). It’s also looks cleaner, perhaps prettier than the Mustang, but no less aggressive, and it looks more compact than the larger Dodge Challenger (116.0-in wheelbase 197.7-in length).

The production Camaro has virtually no body jewelry or adornment, save for a set of subtle, louver-like slashes stamped in front of the rear wheel wells. Its galvanized steel unibody is suspended with coil-over struts in front and a fully independent multi-link arrangement in the rear.

Inside, the new Camaro is even more obviously inspired by the original, right down to the quad-rectangular gauges at the firewall end of the center console. The main gauges are up-to-date, with crisp, electro-luminescent backlighting. The switch cluster in the center stack looks a bit bulbous, perhaps busier than we’d like, but overall fit and materials are high-grade.

The base Camaro engine is GM’s 3.6-liter four-cam, direct-injection V6, tuned to 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. That’s a 90-hp edge on the base 4.0-liter V6 in the Mustang, and 50 better than Challenger’s 3.5-liter V6. The specs suggest that, even with its 400-pound weight disadvantage, the base Camaro (3741pounds) will be quicker than the Mustang. Moreover, Chevy projects an EPA rating of 26 mpg highway with the standard six-speed manual or the six-speed automatic. For what’s probably considered a “muscle car,” that’s better than respectable.

The Camaro SS upgrades with the standard Corvette LS3 aluminum V8, but only with the six-speed manual. The LS3 generates 422 horsepower and 408 pound-feet of torque--essentially the same as the 6.1-liter iron-block Hemi in the Challenger SRT10, but less than the line-topping, supercharged Mustang Shelby GT500. Chevy expects an EPA highway rating of 23 mpg for the SS manual.

SS buyers who prefer the six-speed automatic will get a new small-block variant, designated L99. Peaks drop to 408 hp and 395 lb-ft, but the L99 is equipped with GM’s Active Fuel Management cylinder de-activation technology. That should improve mileage for drivers who can keep their foot out of it.

The SS also comes with sport-tuned suspension, four-piston, fixed aluminum caliper Brembo brakes front and rear, and 20-inch wheels with Z-rated summer-grade Pirellis.

Track numbers? Impressive, according to Doug Houlihan, GM’s chief engineer for global rear-drive vehicles. He said the V6 goes 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds, finishes the quarter mile in 14.5 and stops from 60 in 132 feet. The SS hits 60 in the 4.6-4.7 range, completes the quarter in 13.2 and stops from 60 mph in 117 feet.

Serial production begins Feb. 16 in Oshawa, Ontario. Initially, the Camaro will be offered in three trim levels: Base LS, with standard XM, OnStar and six airbags; LT V6 with more stuff and leather; and the SS. All three will offer an RS appearance package, with exact content specific to the trim level. On the SS, the RS package will add a unique wheel design and HID headlights.

We can expect a convertible by the spring of 2010, according to Peper, though the Chevy honcho was tight-lipped on other possible variants, including a higher-mileage model with GM’s 2.0-liter, turbocharged DI four. Peper was also coy about specific prices.

“Camaro will match our record of recent introductions,’’ he said. “We are going to deliver the best value in its competitive segment.”

Recent introductions suggest potential perils for the new Camaro. GM’s current crop of full-size SUVs are arguably the best, most refined ever, but gas prices have chased the market in the other direction and sales have more or less tanked. Yet Peper remains optimistic.

“Buyers still want emotion,” he said. “In the Camaro we have 21st century technology and a significant fuel economy edge on the competition.”

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...685549631/1065

[Mindz]

Good find. It'll be interesting to see what comes of this

[Cubanaso]

I sure would love the G8's V8 to pick as an in between.

[The_Blur]

I believe fbodfather said that the Camaro will make some people "eat their words."

[Mr Twisty]

Originally Posted by Scotsman

Track numbers? Impressive, according to Doug Houlihan, GM’s chief engineer for global rear-drive vehicles. He said the V6 goes 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds, finishes the quarter mile in 14.5 and stops from 60 in 132 feet. The SS hits 60 in the 4.6-4.7 range, completes the quarter in 13.2 and stops from 60 mph in 117 feet.]

Not too shabby. That L99 with a conservative right foot will probably get 30mpg hiway. Drove mothers Caddy DTS 80 miles at 55, got high of 32, averaged 31, amazing.

[Scotsman]

I know Chevy/ GM will do everything to keep the Camaro alive for the intended life-cycle in order to make enough financial sense of the investment that's been put into this program. Combine that with current trends in oil prices and I highly doubt you'll see any Camaro more powerful than the SS. On the flip side of the equation i fully expect to see a hybridization of the 5thgen as well as smaller capacity but even more fuel efficient powertrains.

[TheCaptain]

The only thing is, is anyone going to shun or are we going to look gladly upon a Turbo 4 economy Camaro (LNF- Cobalt SS Turbo, HHR SS, Sky Redline, Solstice GXP). I hear it is in the works...

[Congoman775]

The SS hits 60 in the 4.6-4.7 range, completes the quarter in 13.2 and stops from 60 mph in 117 feet.

[DGthe3]

By giving the Camaro best in class fuel economy with best in class performance, it should be able to last a while.

[Z/28orSs]

Gm needs to do what ever it can to keep the camaro alive weven if it means killing off fake SS products..... hhr and maybe cobalt.... now that the camaro is alive again its time to kill off the cobalt... SS at least

[fbird777]

Originally Posted by Congoman775

The SS hits 60 in the 4.6-4.7 range, completes the quarter in 13.2 and stops from 60 mph in 117 feet.

Awesome, that means with a good driver and pushing the SS to the max we could maybe expect a 4.4-4.5 sec 0-60 and maybe........a 12.9 sec quarter mile time.

[DET MUSL]

Originally Posted by Z/28orSs

Gm needs to do what ever it can to keep the camaro alive weven if it means killing off fake SS products..... hhr and maybe cobalt.... now that the camaro is alive again its time to kill off the cobalt... SS at least

I respectfully disagree with you sir. To put things in perspective... My Cobalt SS will out-perform many SS badged Chevy products of the past. Does this make them less significant? I don't think so. I'd also like to point out that the SS moniker has always stood for the high performance trim of a certain model. A Cobalt SS that can break into the 13's in the quarter mile with basically next to no mods certainly deserves some respect. Now I will confess the SS Cobalt NA did not deserve the badge, but I think even GM will admit they made a mistake doing that. I just think the stigma that "because it doesn't have a V-8, it shouldn't be called an SS." SS should be based on merit.

[boxmonkeyracing]

Originally Posted by DET MUSL

I respectfully disagree with you sir. To put things in perspective... My Cobalt SS will out-perform many SS badged Chevy products of the past. Does this make them less significant? I don't think so. I'd also like to point out that the SS moniker has always stood for the high performance trim of a certain model. A Cobalt SS that can break into the 13's in the quarter mile with basically next to no mods certainly deserves some respect. Now I will confess the SS Cobalt NA did not deserve the badge, but I think even GM will admit they made a mistake doing that. I just think the stigma that "because it doesn't have a V-8, it shouldn't be called an SS." SS should be based on merit.

the SS has not always meant the highest performance model. look back at the list of cars and performance those cars had and you'll find several cars that it was just an appearance package on.

As for the cobalt Turbo SS not deserving it I disagree with him. I agree with you. a Turbo SS cobalt is only a couple seconds behind the V-8 camaro on the ring. that says something to me about it's performance. it's worthy of the moniker if not a different better suited moniker.

[Jamestwilliams]

Um just to comment with price of a barrel of oil continuing to drop sharply I think the guy who wrote this article has been getting info from his dreams not reality. The price of gas will drop it has too. This afternoon the price for a barrel of oil closed at $109 far down from the high of $150+ dollars per barrel just a few months ago.