I’m no fool. No one will convince me that the renaissance of the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro were planned to be profitable.
These big, two-door coupes have been resurrected to give the brands some extra visibility and excitement. They are showroom bait after all; if you like the Camaro but can’t quite swing its monthly payments, a cheaper Cobalt Coupe is just as good, right? Right?
Right now, no matter what we say in this review, GM will still sell every Camaro they build. At least for the time being. You know, until all the Camaro aficionados and nostalgic previous owners buy one. This will normally last a couple of years, as it’s the case with just about every modern retrocar.
But why shouldn’t the Camaro have a chance at long-term success? I mean, Ford’s Mustang never died, and despite modest sales numbers, it’s still around, isn’t it? Actually, the V6 powertrain in the Camaro is better than the Mustang’s, so it logically could be more interesting. But today, we’re talking about the adrenaline-pumping SS.
The pushrod 6.2-litre V8 develops 426 horsepower with the 6-speed manual and 400 when bolted to the 6-speed automatic. Our test car is equipped with the latter, and it contributes to the car’s 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.0 seconds.
One major attraction of a Pony Car is obviously the small-block V8 lurking under the hood. As much as the automatic Camaro’s L99 engine is muscular, its bite is worst than its bark. It can growl and sound a little menacing, but it lacks the bone-chilling roar of the Challenger’s HEMI engines and deep-throated burble of the Mustang GT. The Camaro SS might be a little too polite for its own good.
Though straight-line performance is the priority, the V8 combined with the automatic gets active fuel management (GM-speak for cylinder deactivation) and we averaged 13.2 L/100 km. On the highway at 100 km/h, the engine spins at 1,700 rpm.
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| Our Camaro is equipped with the Rally Sport Package that adds exclusive taillights. |
These big, two-door coupes have been resurrected to give the brands some extra visibility and excitement. They are showroom bait after all; if you like the Camaro but can’t quite swing its monthly payments, a cheaper Cobalt Coupe is just as good, right? Right?
Right now, no matter what we say in this review, GM will still sell every Camaro they build. At least for the time being. You know, until all the Camaro aficionados and nostalgic previous owners buy one. This will normally last a couple of years, as it’s the case with just about every modern retrocar.
But why shouldn’t the Camaro have a chance at long-term success? I mean, Ford’s Mustang never died, and despite modest sales numbers, it’s still around, isn’t it? Actually, the V6 powertrain in the Camaro is better than the Mustang’s, so it logically could be more interesting. But today, we’re talking about the adrenaline-pumping SS.
The pushrod 6.2-litre V8 develops 426 horsepower with the 6-speed manual and 400 when bolted to the 6-speed automatic. Our test car is equipped with the latter, and it contributes to the car’s 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.0 seconds.
One major attraction of a Pony Car is obviously the small-block V8 lurking under the hood. As much as the automatic Camaro’s L99 engine is muscular, its bite is worst than its bark. It can growl and sound a little menacing, but it lacks the bone-chilling roar of the Challenger’s HEMI engines and deep-throated burble of the Mustang GT. The Camaro SS might be a little too polite for its own good.
Though straight-line performance is the priority, the V8 combined with the automatic gets active fuel management (GM-speak for cylinder deactivation) and we averaged 13.2 L/100 km. On the highway at 100 km/h, the engine spins at 1,700 rpm.
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| The pushrod 6.2-litre V8 develops 426 horsepower with the 6-speed manual and 400 when bolted to the 6-speed automatic. |