2010
Chevrolet Camaro - Chevy Muscle Cars - Power and Performance
By TONY
SWAN
The battery stows in the trunk to
enhance weight distribution, which Chevy reports as 52/48. Three trim
levels will be offered: LS, LT, and SS. Curb weights range from an
estimated 3741 pounds for an LT V-6 manual to 3913 for an SS V-8
automatic.
Which brings us to powertrains. A 300-hp, direct-injection 3.6-liter,
DOHC 24-valve V-6 with variable valve timing will be standard in the LS
and LT models, while the Camaro SS will be available with one of two
6.2-liter pushrod V-8s. Camaro SS's with an automatic tranny get the
400-hp L99, while manual-transmission cars get the 422-hp LS3—we'd say
22 extra horses is a fine reason to opt to row your own gears. The L99
features cylinder-deactivation.
No one at Chevy will discuss the rumor of a possible future turbo four.
Ditto hybrids. Fuel economy for the V-6 is being reported as 26 mpg
highway, while Chevy claims as high as 23 mpg on the highway for the
V-8. Decent figures, especially considering the available power, but
they fall far short of the lofty numbers many consumers expect these
days.
The six will come with an Aisin six-speed manual or a GM 6L50 six-speed
Hydramatic also used in the Cadillac CTS. V-8 transmissions will be a
Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual, essentially the same gearbox employed
in the Corvette, or a GM 6L80 six-speed automatic.
What kind of performance can we expect from the bad-boy pony? The
Camaro kids weren’t ready to talk specifics yet but were willing to say
they expect their car to be quicker than the Challenger SRT8 (0 to 60
mph in 4.8 seconds, 13.3 at 108 mph in the quarter-mile), and further,
that it’ll deliver the same kind of exemplary dynamics that distinguish
the G8, except more so.
Like the exterior, the inner Camaro revives some sense of yesteryear,
but its furnishings are thoroughly modern. Credit a design team headed
by Jeff Perkins.
The deeply bolstered bucket seats are both supportive and comfortable,
the instruments feature a bluish illumination that would have prompted
UFO alerts back in ’69, and the steering wheel has the array of
auxiliary switches for audio and cruise control that we take for
granted today. One distinctly retro touch is the quartet of small
gauges mounted just ahead of the shifter. Three of them provide info
that was common in the ’60s but rare today—oil pressure, oil
temperature, and ammeter. The fourth is a readout for torque. Torque?
Yes, torque.
An available RS appearance package can be added to the mid-level LT and
the top-spec SS, and nabs HID headlamps, a spoiler, unique taillamps,
and 20-inch wheels.
The materials in our primary photo subject, which we expect to be the
basic Camaro, are high quality, and the list of standard equipment
appears to be extensive. The word “basic” doesn’t really seem relevant,
and chief engineer Al Oppenheiser admits that Camaro pricing will “be
more expensive than Mustang.” How much more expensive obviously remains
to be seen. But we’ll make this fearless forecast: With 300 horsepower
and Zeta II responses, the new V-6 version figures to be the
performance bargain in the Camaro corral, as well as neo-ponydom at
large. Continued from
2010 Camaro ...
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