ShareThisThe 2010 Chevrolet Camaro arrives as a bright star in a firmament of mostly flickering siblings, a hopeful beacon for other General Motors vehicles to follow.
It resurrects a heritage of excitement that looms larger now than it did with the original. It also embodies all that is right and good about the struggling company that once was the biggest and most powerful vehicle manufacturer on the planet.
The Camaro debuted in 1967, a few years behind the Ford Mustang. It was a highly personal conveyance, in coupe and convertible, which stirred emotions because of the way it looked. It wasn't a hot sports car, nor was it a frumpy family automobile, but something in between.
It was not much better than other American cars of the era in handling, ride and braking, so that collectors of those early models today sometimes upgrade them to improve drivability.
The Camaro mostly ran in the exhaust smoke of the perennially popular Ford Mustang, and it finally succumbed to slipping sales after 35 years in production. The Mustang, however, soldiered on.
When the fortunes of General Motors waned in recent years, the company brought in "car guy" executive Bob Lutz to spark some fresh thinking. Soon a Chevy Camaro concept car was developed that had aficionados salivating.
Fortunately for the motoring public, the production car has come to fruition despite the company's near collapse in the recession of 2008-'09. Had it been started later, it might have been a casualty of cost-cutting.
But it is here, and splendidly so, a sparkling example of what General Motors is capable of producing in a popular-priced car.
The inspiration for the new Camaro is the original 1967-'69 models -- not the later cars, some of which were easily and quickly forgotten. But everything about the 2010 is modern, state-of-the-art.
The styling is simple and clean, with surfaces that flow together unobstructed by creases and cut lines. The front and rear overhangs are kept to a minimum and the wheels fill the fender openings for a muscular mien. Of course, it retains the original pony car characteristic of a long hood and short rear deck.
The surroundings inside, dominated by a handsome, deep dish steering wheel, are both imaginative and functional with unusually designed controls and retro-look instruments. The last includes an optional set of gauges on the center console.
But the big surprise comes in the driving. Though the Camaro is a compact car in interior space, it is not small. It stretches nearly 16 feet long and weights 3,719 pounds.
Yet it handles quickly and cleanly, taking a confident and balanced set in corners. Simply crank the steering wheel, give it the gas and you're off to the next corner. Handling is abetted by the Camaro's first-ever fully independent rear suspension, which also is supple enough to deliver a ride that does not punish the passengers.
Need to stop quickly? Just stomp on the brake pedal and the big disc brakes -- by famed manufacturer Brembo on the V8 SS models -- haul you down without fuss.
Two engines and a choice of transmissions are available. For the power freaks, there is a honking, 6.2-liter V8 that delivers 400 horsepower and a whopping 420 pound-feet of torque, or twisting force.
It is mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual-shift mode. The stick shift is pleasantly easy to manipulate, given the power on tap, and the clutch requires little muscle.
With the V8 and the stick shift, the Camaro can scoot to 60 miles an hour in 4.7 seconds, according to Chevrolet's test figures. The combination delivers 16/24 miles to the gallon on the EPA's city/highway cycles.
The wow factor, however, comes from the 3.6-liter V6 engine, which is rated at 304 horsepower and drives the Camaro to 60 miles an hour in slightly more than six seconds. With the automatic transmission, it gets a rating of 18/29 miles per gallon from the EPA.
You can, if you wish to bypass the options page, order Camaro pizzazz for a list price of a mere $22,995. That's for the V6 with the six-speed stick. The base car, called the LS, includes full safety equipment -- stability and traction control, side curtain and side air bags and antilock brakes -- as well as such amenities as a limited-slip differential, XM satellite radio, fog lights, a fold-down rear seatback, and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel.
The test car was an LT2 version with the RS trim package. It had a base price of $24,630 and, with extras, topped out at $29,965. Options included the automatic transmission, leather seat trim, Bluetooth connectivity, heated outside power mirrors and seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, high-intensity discharge headlights with halo daytime running lights and a garage-door opener.
Criticisms fall at the margins. The back seat, of course, is suitable only for children or small adults, and only if the front seats are moved forward. The sun visors do not slide on their support rods to block sunlight from the sides. That's about it.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. For more columns, go to scrippsnews.com)
DriveWays with CHEVYCAMARO-SPECS
