Mother of god…
Guys were blowing kisses, sounding
wolf whistles, winking and giving their overwhelmingly enthusiastic
thumbs-up. Girls too, were displaying amorous looks, mock kisses and
“grrrr” sounds. People of all ages were showing their approval in most
unusual ways.
Not for me – for the CAMARO!
This
car looks insanely cool. Every line exudes sex appeal with one of the
most aggressive front fascias in the industry. There’s a growl in its
angry face that looks even more ferocious than the lovingly designed
Dodge Challenger. Add this to the cropped roof line (which sits
impossibly low) and huge fender flairs and you have one of the most
attractive vehicles General Motors has designed.
It gets better!
My
tester was the V6 with the RS package and an automatic 6-speed
transmission. It was as if the automotive gods were teasing me when I
found out. Even in this slowest form, the Camaro impresses. You see,
many of the components were sourced from the excellent Cadillac CTS.
The
305 horsepower (making 273 lbs feet of torque) 3.6 liter, dual overhead
cam thruster is the BEST American V6 I have yet tested. Tis a screamer
this one. Even coupled to the automatic (which has “touch-shift”
buttons mounted behind the steering wheel) I was able to get from 0 to
60 mph in around 6.4 seconds. That’s fast and I am fairly sure those
speeds would increase near sea level. My G-Tech testing rig calculated
consistent quarter mile times in a few ticks less than 15 seconds. When
using the clicking touch-shift buttons, my times were slightly slower.
Ah, but the manual mode with touch-shift is good for something else
– turns. This is the best handling Camaro I have driven yet. Part of
the blame goes to the ridiculously oversized 21 (yes – twenty one) inch
wheels shod with thin Pirelli tires. Even with such massive
steam-rollers, the ride was compliant. I pounded one corner to another,
holding gears and squealing tires, creating a symphony of sweet
abandon. What a playful machine!
Not bad for a car that weighs nearly 3,800 lbs.
Steering
feel is quite good; however, the nose begins to lead when you push the
envelope. Being that this Camaro did not come with the higher version’s
bigger engine, 4-piston Brembo brakes and beefier suspension, it still
drove remarkably well at the test track. Few people will push the base
model beyond its limit. For those people who desire an abusive
relationship with their Camaro – get the SS and have at it!
There are a few glitches…
Looks
and driving are great, ergonomics not so much. The sacrifice one must
endure for the cropped roof (seriously, this is the lowest roof I have
ever witnessed in a mass produced vehicle) is a severe lack of
headroom. At about 6’2” I had to lean the seat back much further than I
deemed comfortable. When testing (and wearing a helmet) I had to go
back further still for headroom’s sake. Any further back and I would be
laying down.
Although the front seats are comfy for my big frame,
they are somewhat wide for thinner folk. The steering wheel has
ridiculously oversized spokes. Radio controls are less than intuitive
and there is an unfinished feel to the dashboard, especially in front
of the passenger. Back seat room is poor at best and the trunk is more
like a hole that you drop things inside of. The only way the seats fold
is if both fold at the same time.
So, if you want a better made interior – drive a Mustang.
If you want a more comfortable and useable interior and trunk – drive a Challenger.
If you want the best performing V6 pony car that looks stunningly good – drive the Camaro.
Not bad for a car that starts at about $23,000.
Automotive media, racing, vehicle evaluation, wrecking yards, and car
sales are just a part of Nathan Adlen’s vehicular past. He writes out
of high octane passion! To read more reviews by Nathan Adlen or just to
enjoy more of excellent writing please visit him on at his examiner.com
page HERE. Photos by: N.D.
