Official 2010 Camaro Review thread

[NomisR]

Isn't "Ke Mai Luo" just the way "Camaro" would be pronounced in Chinese?

科迈罗, yes, it's pretty much just a phonetic pronunciation of Camaro in Chinese.  You guys are thinking of Japanese.  Chinese of plenty of words for L sounds. 

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I won't be purchasing a Camaro untill the new interior comes out in the next year. SMH.

[GoCougs]

Biggest sales month since the reintroduction, and 2,000 units above factory output, no doubt related to the convertible's introduction.

[GoCougs]

Info is coming out about the 2012 Camaro. Beyond the moderately revised interior, including optional nav and backup camera, the V6 will get a power bump to 323 hp and a performance axle option. IMO, this will make the GM 3.6 V6 the best performing N/A 6-cylinder outside the Porsche flat-6. Gods, who would have ever thought. No word (or not that I've seen) on V8 power/performance upgrades, if any...

Rumor is GM is testing the ZL-1 0-60 at under 4 sec and 11.9-12.0 in the 1/4-mile. Believable considering the larger/heavier CTS-V wagon (with the identical engine and drive train) tested in this month's M/T hit did the 1/4 mile in 12.3 sec, and it's larger and heavier.

[565]

You guys are thinking of Japanese.  Chinese of plenty of words for L sounds.  

Yeah my last name being one of them.

Plus the phonetic naming of import cars is pretty how much how all the makes do it.  Ford is  Fu Te (福特) in Chinese.

[Vinsanity]

any pics of the new interior?

the LA auto show back in '10 had a few 'concept' Camaros (they were called 'concepts', but in reality, they were just modded), and one of them was modded not for performance, but for luxury, with the centerpiece being a reworked interior. It also had very tasteful polished 20" rims and 2-tone paintjob. It was supposedly aimed at the "urban professional".

[GoCougs]

I won't be purchasing a Camaro untill the new interior comes out in the next year. SMH.

Looking good!



The only things I really didn't like were the steering wheel and font on the speedo and tach (but don't like the inconsistent # spacing on the speedo). Both have been addressed:

[Mustangfan2003]

I don't see that much of a difference and it's still terrible. 

[SVT666]

The steering wheel and shift knob were the worst I've ever driven in a sports car, so any improvement on those is welcome...but other than that, I don't see a difference.

[GoCougs]

Powers that be called it a "major" update but it looks relatively minor to me; gauges, steering wheel, shifter, vent trim above the HVAC/radio, and soft-touch portion that spans the passenger side of the dash, is pretty much all I see.

IMO it's by far and away the best pony car interior, and by far and away the most intentioned interior of any nes vehicle in the essence it captures from the 1st gen Camaro. Chevy took a major risk and it paid off far better than they anticipated. They played it smart and saved it for the safe stuff for Equinox and Cruze.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I thought is was gonna have a navigation system.

[SVT666]

The numbering on the gauges look pretty much the same Cougs...and they are the worst gauges I have ever tried to read.  The interior design is not good either.

[GoCougs]

I thought is was gonna have a navigation system.

So did I but when some searching has not turned up any confirmation of nav...

[CJ]

The gauges look to be marginally better.  Anything is better than the old gauges.

[GoCougs]

[68_427]

Incredibly brief preview of the ZL1, didn't see a specific ZL1 thread so I'm posting it here.



From Matt Bell who drives a Camaro in the Koni Challenge series:

On another tangent, I'm not supposed to show you all this...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/likesitsideways/5856271726/

...I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but they didn't say anything about video!

Well since it's actually been released I don't think there's harm in me telling you about it. It's the new ZL1 Camaro that has an astonishing amount of horsepower and an even more astonishing sound. Now I'll admit, the SS model has its drawbacks, but the ZL1 really is a proper muscle car for the track. They were 1mph off our top speed at the end of the straight at VIR-- with street tires on which they drove there from Detroit! They showed up at about 10pm the night before to the track hotel and they sounded amazing. The idle is super lopey and the fit and finish has been fixed up a bit. It has the supercharged LS-A engine and a much closer set of gears. The aero package has been tweaked slightly based on some of our findings and it seems much more pinned at high speed compared to our GS car.

Really though, if GM ever gave me a Camaro, I'd probably ask to trade it for a CTS-V or something along those lines, but this new ZL1 tickled all of us racers in a place that made us want one really bad.

[SVT666]

That sounds pretty promising.

[omicron]

A different kind of review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpL4VwhYSE8&feature=player_embedded

A recent drifting session, albeit an amateurish attempt, has elicited an unwelcome side-effect from Chevrolet's 2011 Camaro SS: accidental airbag deployment! But says Holden there's little chance of the same thing happening with the Camaro's twin-under-the-skin Commodore.

The high-powered V8 Chev coupe spontaneously deployed its airbags when the car performed a rapid change of direction (see video below). GM spokesperson Alan Adler told US website Autoblog that the incident is evidence the system was working appropriately, the car designed to "predict" an imminent rollover.

Holden backs up the claim, saying there is little or no chance of the unexpected deployment happening in local Commodore models. As well as the Commodore and Camaro using different components, the deployment strategies for the pair's airbags are vastly different.

Some US states require airbags to react differently to others. Indeed the airbags may be tuned to fire differently to protect occupants who may not be required to wear a seatbelt, for example. This pre-emptive strike, such as it is, may have been the reason behind the premature detonation.

As for the occupants of the Camaro, both were unharmed; the passenger receiving only light burns to her arm.

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2011/sports/chevrolet/camaro/gm-airbag-deploys-whilst-drifting-26296

I fear I'd have had a Clarkson-esque 'little bit of poo coming out' moment.

[mzziaz]

ha, ha, ha

That was embarrassing.

As if the visibility already wasn't bad enough 

[68_427]

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

 

[SVT666]

It is officially 580 hp and 556 torques!!!  The 2013 GT500 is rumoured to have 600 hp, so it will be very interesting to see a comparo between the two.  But like I have said before, I really don't care if one is a tenth or two faster than the other because with this much power it really doesn't matter anywhere but on a track.  Even the GT and SS are too powerful to really notice any difference on public roads.  For me, it's all in how the car drives at this point.  The ZL1 has all the same drawbacks as the SS in that regard.  Mustang wins!

[68_427]

It is officially 580 hp and 556 torques!!!  The 2013 GT500 is rumoured to have 600 hp, so it will be very interesting to see a comparo between the two.  But like I have said before, I really don't care if one is a tenth or two faster than the other because with this much power it really doesn't matter anywhere but on a track.  Even the GT and SS are too powerful to really notice any difference on public roads.  For me, it's all in how the car drives at this point.  The ZL1 has all the same drawbacks as the SS in that regard.  Mustang wins!

You... don't know that.

[SVT666]

Yes...I...do.  It still has shitty visibility, it's still a fatass, and it still has that steering wheel and shift knob.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Yes...I...do.  It still has shitty visibility, it's still a fatass, and it still has that steering wheel and shift knob.

I thought all Camaros got new steering wheels for 2012.

[SVT666]

I thought all Camaros got new steering wheels for 2012.

I hope they're better.

[GoCougs]

The ZL-1 will have the magnetic shock system of the ZR-1 (and Ferrari 599, etc.), some use of aluminum and carbon fiber, 6 piston front/4 piston rear Brembos, and high-end audio package. Looks like the Camaro wins this round too.

[SVT666]

The ZL-1 will have the magnetic shock system of the ZR-1 (and Ferrari 599, etc.), some use of aluminum and carbon fiber, 6 piston front/4 piston rear Brembos, and high-end audio package. Looks like the Camaro wins this round too.

The one and only round it has won is sales. Otherwise it has lost the V6 round, it has lost the base V8 round, and with the GT500 coming out with 600 hp and a 300 lbs advantage, it will lose the pumped up V8 round as well.  Oh and the ZL1 will have a starting price in the low $50K range so it loses there too.  $50K for a Camaro??? (That's what people said about the $45K GT500 when it came out).

[GoCougs]

More info. ZL1 will have standard performance traction/chassis management, both manual and automatic transmissions, and engine and rear diff oil coolers. Looks to be a more upscale and expensive vehicle than the GT500.

Using the CTS-V as a proxy (i.e., that it is a better performer than the GT500 yet ~400 lbs heavier) the ZL1 is bound to be that much better; the LS9 is a bit better motor and that solid rear axle just ain't going to keep pace.

[68_427]

The ZL-1 will have the magnetic shock system of the ZR-1 (and Ferrari 599, etc.), some use of aluminum and carbon fiber, 6 piston front/4 piston rear Brembos, and high-end audio package. Looks like the Camaro wins this round too.

It actually has a newer version of that suspension.