2010 Chevrolet Camaro Pictures Gallery

2010 Chevrolet Camaro
2010 Chevrolet Camaro
2010 Chevrolet Camaro
2010 Chevrolet Camaro
2010 Chevrolet Camaro
2010 Chevrolet Camaro

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Price

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

By New Car Test Drive

On Sale: First Quarter 2009
Expected Pricing: $20,000-$27,000

The launch of the highly anticipated 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is expected in the spring of 2009. It'll feel a bit like back to the future, as GM's iconic pony re-emerges to compete with the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

The new Camaro will be available with a 3.6-liter V6 aided by a six-speed automatic, a combination expected to be rated at 26 mpg on the highway. Enthusiasts will gravitate to the Camaro SS, equipped with a powerful V8 and a choice of manual and automatic transmissions and 20-inch wheels. The Camaro will be built on GM's new global rear-wheel-drive architecture.

The production version looks essentially identical to the concept first shown at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, a remarkable achievement given the demands a modern design must meet. Compared with the retro-styled Mustang and Challenger, the Camaro has a more contemporary and angular appearance that looks more cutting edge.

This is not a reissued '69 Camaro. In fact, some might have wondered if this car was designed in the Chevy studio at all. It's edginess looked Cadillac inspired.

Underneath, it's thoroughly modern, offering the latest in technology.

While the exterior has a modern edge and attitude, the interior has more retro styling cues with two large main gauges and with other gauges located at the front of the center console.

The Camaro SS comes with a 6.2-liter V8 with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Cars with manual transmissions use GM's LS3 V8 expected to produce 422 horspower and 408 pound-feet of torque. The LS3 debuted on the 2008 Corvette and uses high-flow cylinder heads based on the Corvette Z06's LS7 engine for strong low-end torque and high-rpm power. Camaro SS automatics come with a new L99 V8 based on the LS3 that carries all the high-performance design features but also includes GM's fuel-saving Active Fuel Management feature, enabling the engine to run on only four cylinders when cruising on the highway to improve fuel economy.

The 3.6-liter V6 standard on the Camaro LS and LT is direct-injected and features variable valve timing. It's expected to generate 300 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual comes standard, a six-speed automatic optional.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Review and Specifications

As it was then, so it is now. The Camaro, born 40 years ago as Chevrolet’s reply to the pioneering Ford Mustang, is coming out of retirement (since 2002) for a new fight with the namesake ponycar. It’s set to bow for 2009 in at least two coupe models-V-6 and V-8, perhaps called RS and SS, respectively. Convertible versions join up for 2010. Chevrolet confirmed these plans after splashy concept previews at the 2006 and ‘07 Detroit Auto Shows. Recalling the days when the Big Three were still big players, Dodge is reviving its Nixon-era Challenger (1970-74) for 2008.

General Motors decided to bring back Camaro when the redesigned 2005 Mustang fast proved a hot seller. But Mustang sales have lately cooled, despite the addition of potent pump-primers like the Shelby GT500. Blame record gas prices and renewed public concern over what thirsty vehicles do to the environment. Ford Motor Company’s many well-publicized travails are another factor. All this leads some industry-watchers to think the new Camaro could end up chasing a vanishing market, especially as GM still has troubles of its own.

Convertible or coupe, the reborn Camaros will be much like the concepts, only less exaggerated. Wheels, for instance, will probably be no larger than 20 inches max, versus the show cars’ 21s and 22s. Trim and paint will be toned down too. Otherwise, styling will be the concept blend of today’s Chevy Corvette and cues from the 1969 Camaro, resulting in a more-modern look than either the current Mustang or upcoming Dodge Challenger. The new Camaros should also hew closely to concept dimensions. That means about 7.5 inches more wheelbase than the 2002 models, a similar amount trimmed from overall length, and about 5.5 inches more width. These changes should produce a roomier four-seat cockpit, though space in back (and in the trunks) will remain tight.

A Notable Feature of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

Like last-generation Camaros and the new-era 2009 coupes, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertibles will be built at GM’s St. Therese plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, which has long ranked high in independent audits of vehicle quality, among the best in North America. Let’s hope that record continues with the new Camaros.

Buying Advice for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

Convertibles never sell as well as sister coupes, and the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible should be no exception. Even so, it’s no more likely to be a future collectible than the fixed-top Camaro, especially if demand comes close to GM’s projected 100,000-unit yearly total. And even if that proves optimistic, resale values of all new Camaros will probably depreciate like those of any volume-production new car. Buy one to drive and enjoy, but don’t expect to make money on it in the foreseeable future.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Release Date: Dealers should have new Camaro coupes by spring 2009. Convertibles are due a year after that, possibly a bit sooner.

First Test Drive: We think media previews will be staged in late fall or early winter of 2008, doubtless in the sunbelt to allow a top-down assessment.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible Prices: They’re a bit hard to predict, what with an on-sale date some two years away. But however Ford prices its 2010 Mustang convertibles, you can bet GM will try to beat it, even if only by a few dollars. Our guesstimate: The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible will start at around $28,000 for a bare-bones V-6 model and range up $35,000 for a loaded V-8.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Preliminary Specifications

The Basics

Vehicle Type: sporty/performance car

Drivetrain

Drive wheels: rear
Engine: 3.9-liter V-6, 6.0-liter V-8
Horsepower: 250 (V-6), 400 (V-8)
Torque: 260 pound-feet (V-6), 400 (V-8)
Transmission: six-speed manual, six-speed automatic

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 110.5 inches
Length: 186.2 inches
Width: 79.6 inches
Height: 53.0 inches
Base curb weight: 3550 pounds (CG estimate)

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

"The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the Camaro Concept continues to remind me of the uniquely iconic place our products can have in customers’ hearts,” Wagoner said. “Camaro is much more than a car; it symbolizes America's spirit and its love affair with the automobile."

Although the production version of the vehicle was not shown, GM said it would follow very closely the style of the 2006 Camaro Concept. GM confirmed the Camaro would be rear wheel drive, have an independent rear suspension, be offered with both V6 and V8 engines, and have available automatic and manual transmissions. GM is expected to show the production version of the vehicle in a massive debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.

Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said the new Camaro will appeal to both men and women, and unite customers with fond memories of previous Camaros with those who first experienced a Camaro when the concept was unveiled in January.

“We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans,” said Peper. “The beauty of the best Camaros is that they have always been beautiful to look at with performance that rivals expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new-car buyers.”

2010 Chevrolet Camaro review

Camaro by Crystal Springs

The 2010 Camaro model GM provided for this test was a V6, automatic, 1LT RS model. Certainly my druthers would have been for a V8, but the 304HP V6 acquitted itself nicely. The six does not shove you around like a monster V8 might, but the Camaro will never leave you embarrassed at the light or sweating out a passing a slower car. During my time with the Camaro, fuel economy averaged in the low twenties. While that certainly isn’t the 29MPG highway plastered on the window sticker, it was the result of my lead foot and hilly test routes. Put this baby out on I-5 and I have no doubt that it will obtain the stated fuel economy.



While it was in my care, I was able to give the Camaro a bath and take some tasteful photographs (a line that never worked that well on my college girlfriends). Please check out the slideshow below this article to see the results!



If you would have told anyone back in the late eighties or early nineties that you had purchased an automatic, V6 Camaro, well they would have formed certain opinions of your automotive credibility that may not have been favorable. Time has moved on and that V6 now packs 304HP and the transmission sports six speeds and crisp shifting. Sure there were times where I caught the transmission trying to save fuel at the cost of engine droning, but I was never that annoyed. What was annoying were the buttons on the back of the steering wheel for controlling the sport mode. At first I thought the paddles on the steering wheel were there for that purpose, but they are merely to show you which is the upshift button and which is the downshift button while the paddles themselves are immovable. I pretty much skipped using this “feature” and let the transmission sort things out on its own.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Pictures

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS is aggressive all the way around—bodylines and stance. It’s also BIG, 3,902 pounds. It has a long hood with a cosmetic front air scoop, short rear deck and bulging rear fenders. You do see a resemblance to the first generation Camaro but with an up-to-date look. Sleek roofline, hiked beltline, 20-inch wheels, fierce grille and rear spoiler gives the vehicle a mean, “get outta my way” no-nonsense look.

Inside you do feel a little claustrophobic at first with the shoulder-high door tops, sloped roofline and thick windshield pillars but you get over that feeling quickly. The cabin has faux silver trim accents and hard plastic pretty much everywhere. But…what I did like were the four auxiliary multifunction gauges that are positioned at the front of the center console that indicates oil temperature, oil pressure, battery state and tranny fluid temperature. I also like the long blue ambience lighting that swept across the door trim—nice touch. The leather seating was also extremely comfortable and very supportive.

Chevrolet Camaro reportedly already sold out in Nippon

2010 Chevrolet Camaro -

Sales of the born-again Chevrolet Camaro have been notably strong in its first few months on the market here in the United States, even beating its longtime crosstown rival from Ford in June and July.

Now, word comes from General Motors Asia Pacific that the Bowtie's latest muscle car is a hit (of sorts) in Japan as well. We must qualify the term "hit," as the car's total number of takers in Japan is very small, at "over 120 orders" – we could see at least that many within eyesight at any given time last weekend at the Woodward Dream Cruise. However, that's reportedly the American automaker's quota for Japan, although it isn't clear if the tiny allotment is part of General Motors' brand strategy or if the volume is limited by local government regulations. Either way, if you live in Japan and you want a new Camaro, you'd better put your name on Chevy's list for next year.

Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro
Most people judge their cars by how they drive, their level of comfort, practicality and how they stand up to years of use. Someday, it might be like that for owners of the new Chevrolet Camaro.

Now, however, the car is too rare, too anticipated and too flamboyant, especially when painted bright yellow. As a result, much of the driving experience is supplied by many enthusiastic onlookers.

For me, it started with the first fill up. I was just outside Boston when I stopped at a busy, bargain-priced filling station where everyone had to prepay. Everyone, that is, except me.

As BMW, Cadillac and Camry drivers rolled up to the window to pay, I was stopped by the attendant who announced over the loudspeaker, "Go ahead and pump. Pay me after. You have a beautiful car."

After I filled up and then paid, the attendant wanted all the details about my bright yellow Camaro: How much? Which engine? What is it like to drive? The questions came faster than the credit card receipt.

The car also impressed the young woman who took my money at the Mass Pike toll plaza in Sturbridge. "I saw you coming and hoped you would pick this lane," she said. "That's a really nice car."

2010 Chevrolet Camaro is Great

Jalopnik

As we are used by history when we have a Camaro we also have a SS version. And the 2010 model will be no exception. The Camaro SS will be launched just a few months after the standard version will hit the market. It will be a serious competition for the Ford Mustang Shelby and Dodge Charger SRT8.

Hope you're not tired of retro-styled cars just yet because one of the best just arrived in showrooms.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is a visual rendition of the 1969 Camaro but with a sinister flair provided by bulging fenders and large wheels. A windshield and side windows give passengers the feel of being behind gun slits in a military vehicle.

The new Camaro is substantial, too. The base car, with V-6 and manual transmission, weighs nearly 3,800 pounds, which is akin to a Chevy Colorado Crew Cab pickup truck.

At 75.5 inches wide, the Camaro is wider than many sport utility vehicles. And with 304 horsepower in the base model, it offers much more power than base versions of the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

Unfortunately, though, the new Camaro received only four out of five stars for driver and front passenger protection in federal government frontal crash testing and only four stars for driver protection in side crash testing.

Major competitors — the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger — received five stars across the board.

In addition, starting prices for the Camaro — $23,040 starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for a base model with 304-horsepower V-6 and manual transmission and $31,040 for one with 426-horsepower V-8 and manual — are higher than those of the major competition.

Specifically, the 2010 Ford Mustang coupe with 210-horsepower V-6 and manual transmission has a starting retail price of $21,845. The 2010 Mustang GT with 315-horsepower V-8 and manual starts at $28,845.

The Dodge Challenger, another American muscle car that returned in retro form to the market in recent years, has a starting retail price of $22,945 with 250-horsepower V-6 and $30,945 with 372-horsepower V-8. It comes with only an automatic transmission.

The new Camaro, which started production in March with 14,000 orders on file, is built on a modified rear-wheel drive platform borrowed from the Australian affiliate of Chevy's parent company General Motors Corp.

But it's clear in driving and riding in it that detailed work was done to the suspension. Struts with coil springs handle things up front. In the rear, a well-designed, independent, 4.5-link configuration works great to even out road bumps and maintain control during spirited driving.

In city traffic, the ride can feel compliant without being soft and mushy. In twisty mountain roads, the car can feel taut and well-managed without being hard on passengers.

Brakes in the test Camaro, the mid-level LT, worked well, too. I just wish the steering felt more precise.

Engines and transmissions are engineered for fuel economy and strong power.

The 3.6-liter, double overhead cam V-6 with direct injection and variable valve timing that's in the base LS model as well as LT has enough "oomph" to move the sizable Camaro forward easily. Torque peaks at 273 foot-pounds at 5,200 rpm, which is more than what's in the V-6s of the Mustang and Challenger.

In the tester, an optional Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission delivered the power smoothly, and the car always felt responsive.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro not just a throwback

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is a visual rendition of the 1969 Camaro but with a sinister flair provided by bulging fenders and large wheels. A windshield and side windows give passengers the feel of being behind gun slits in a military vehicle.

The new Camaro is substantial, too. The base car, with V-6 and manual transmission, weighs nearly 3,800 pounds, which is akin to a Chevy Colorado Crew Cab pickup truck.

At 75.5 inches wide, the Camaro is wider than many sport utility vehicles. And with 304 horsepower in the base model, it offers much more power than base versions of the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

Unfortunately, though, the new Camaro received only four out of five stars for driver and front passenger protection in federal government frontal crash testing and only four stars for driver protection in side crash testing.

Major competitors — the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger — received five stars across the board.

In addition, starting prices for the Camaro — $23,040 starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for a base model with 304-horsepower V-6 and manual transmission and $31,040 for one with 426-horsepower V-8 and manual — are higher than those of the major competition.

Specifically, the 2010 Ford Mustang coupe with 210-horsepower V-6 and manual transmission has a starting retail price of $21,845. The 2010 Mustang GT with 315-horsepower V-8 and manual starts at $28,845.

The Dodge Challenger, another American muscle car that returned in retro form to the market in recent years, has a starting retail price of $22,945 with 250-horsepower V-6 and $30,945 with 372-horsepower V-8. It comes with only an automatic transmission.

The new Camaro, which started production in March with 14,000 orders on file, is built on a modified rear-wheel drive platform borrowed from the Australian affiliate of Chevy's parent company General Motors Corp.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT Coupe

This car is a blast that you would probably mistake for a high-line German or Japanese car when driving. -Photo © General Motors Corp.

T.Q. Jones 29.JUL.09

Here's another car we were prepared not to like, but that was based solely on the photos Chevrolet has been posting here and there for the last couple of years showing various mockup, pre-production and finally production versions of the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

None of those versions of the Camaro had the nostalgia of the retro Ford Mustang or the even more retro Dodge Challenger. Most people we talk to, even those too young to remember the original Mustangs, Challengers and Camaros, agreed that Dodge did the best job of updating the Challenger for the 2000s and most agree that Chevrolet built the worst "retro" ponycar.

Even the ten-year-old next door asked what the car was and, when we said it was a Camaro, responded, "it looks more like a Mustang." And, from the side or from the rear quarter view, he's right. But here's the thing: Chevrolet wasn't building a retro anything. The new Camaro is a by-golly new car, not just a new Camaro, and it is nearly as terrific as the new-in-2008 Chevy Malibu.

The new Camaro is offered with a choice of one of two engines and in three trim packages. Our test car was an LT coupe; the base model is the LS and the top choice with the big, bad V8 engine is (what else?) the SS. Chevy has always called the big-engine, bad-to-the-bone versions of any of their cars the SS, except the Corvette, which needs no embellishment.

Our test ride also had the RS appearance package and a few other nice options, but what's dynamite about the new Camaro is the car itself. The "base" engine is a 3.6-liter V6 that employs direct injection and produces 304 horsepower. The SS version actually has a choice of one of two 6.2-liter V8s, an L53 with 426 hp or an L99 with "only" 400 hp.

All versions are available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission and all will run happily on regular 87 octane unleaded, though the V8s carry a recommendation of premium unleaded for increased performance.

Loaded up with the "impress the car reviewer" options, that is, just about everything, our test car carried a list price of $31,485. It even had 20-inch rims with very low aspect tires and a satellite radio system, plus a few things like remote starting, a power sunroof and a real (though compact) spare tire, which is an option.

The interior is high-tech, particularly the gauge package, though the bezels surrounding the gauges are roughly square and the main gauges (speedometer, tach) are round. Some designer was having a creative day that day. He or she would have been better served paying attention to detail, as the high-tech feel is rather undone by the glove box, which is the kind of fall-out-of-the-dash cardboard box that might have felt right in a mid-'70s Chevy pickup. The devil is in the details, GM.

But all that aside, this thing is a blast. It does everything well, and, like the Malibu, without the Chevrolet and Camaro badges you would probably mistake it for a high-line German or Japanese car when you drove it. Except that few of those go like the new Camaro; this thing is a rocket, going from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.1 seconds and more impressively stopping from that speed in less than 130 feet.

The sport suspension is a must (we'd like to see "sport" or "performance" suspensions on American cars as standard equipment), but be careful with those 20-inch wheels and low aspect tires over any kind of bump; it's jarring.

In case you think we're avoiding talking about fuel economy, you're wrong. We were, in fact, saving the best for last. The V6 Camaros are EPA-rated at 18 miles per gallon in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway, and that's not an error: it's 29 mpg highway. The V8s are thirstier, but still earn ratings of 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

We've been bragging on General Motors and most of the U.S. auto industry for the last couple of years as they have steadily improved fuel economy even though we kept buying non-fuel economy. Our test Camaro had fewer that 2,500 miles on it, but returned 27.5 mpg on a run down to south Texas that went through Dripping Springs and Blanco. We'd think 29 mpg or even a little better is doable on a pure interstate run.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

America's finest pony car, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

On June 28, 1966, GM held a press conference to announce the launch of the first Camaro. When asked by the press, "What is a Camaro?" Chevrolet product managers responded, "A Camaro is a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs." Well, I recently got my first drive in the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro and five generations of Camaros later, it appears that vicious animal isn't sated yet.

By now, anyone who has a PC, or a TV, or any other device devoted to the transmission of information, is aware of the fact that GM has brought the Camaro back for another go. Some have even jokingly referred to it as the Cama-roo in deference to the car’s Australian origins.

This is in fact the most international Camaro ever offered. The lead exterior designers on the project are from Korea and Russia, while the interior design director is an American. Cold weather testing took place in Sweden, hot weather testing took place in Death Valley, high performance testing for the SS model took place in Germany around the famed Nurburgring, and the cars are built in Canada.

So, right about now you’re saying; “Yeah, right on for all the cross-cultural, United Nations hyperbole, is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro a true world-class car?”

Well, uh, no – not really.

It’s really, really good, but it’s not exactly world class.

Now before you start freaking all patriotic and calling me a variety of un-American anal orifices, read on and let me explain.

I tested the Camaro SS with the 426-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 and a six-speed manual transmission. And while this is currently the ultimate iteration of the new Camaro, the volume model is expected to be the V6 version that produces 304 horsepower (and is said to get 29 mpg on the highway!). Unfortunately, the timing of the day didn’t permit me to get behind the wheel of that car. So while I can’t speak to the base model yet, I did become intimately acquainted with the Super Sport.

And in a word, WOW!

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS really goes – and it goes really hard.

Acceleration is crisp and unrelenting and the shifter delivers positive shifts with great feel. You’d have to be extremely ham-fisted to miss a shift in this car. The clutch take-up is absolutely perfect, engaging exactly where you expect it. The pedals could be better placed to permit heel and toe downshifts, but with so much torque on tap, (420 ft-lbs @ 4600 rpm) setting the car into motion requires no finesse whatsoever. Ease off the clutch pedal, the engine takes over and you’re rolling. Plus, terrific acceleration from any speed is readily available, often without even downshifting.

Braking is absolutely first rate, you can dive right up to the braking point for a corner at amazing speeds confident that the brakes will pull the car down in time as you set up your entry and blast through – time and time again – with absolutely no fade. The independent rear suspension system is a willing accomplice in all of this too. It takes a set and carries the car right on through. A tremendous amount of information is transmitted through the seat of your pants. You feel absolutely connected to the Camaro SS at speed. Body roll is negligible, the steering is nicely accurate with reasonably good feel, although truth be told, it could be a tad better. But that isn't to say it's bad.

Whether your thing is brutal acceleration off the line in quest of low 1/4 mile times, long distance straight-line high speeds, wicked sharp corner carving, or any combination of all of the above, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS will play right along with you – no doubt. It's an absolute blast. I really enjoyed driving this car.

So, what’s up with all the ambiguity?

Well, in the press briefing, Chevy’s product managers and product planners took great measures to stress to me they see this new Camaro as more than just a muscle car. They believe it has the chops to go up against cars like the Infiniti G37 coupe and the BMW 3-Series coupe. And while there is no doubt whatsoever the Camaro SS we drove is easily capable of outrunning both of those cars (although not necessarily the BMW M3) the level of sophistication the BMW and Infiniti deliver leaves the Camaro in a bit of a lurch. As good as the Camaro SS is, it doesn't impart the same sense of quality and precision as those cars do.

Part of this is because the Camaro’s interior design falls short compared to those cars.

Case in point, consider the way the broad swath of a dash sweeps away from the driver to the right with absolutely nothing on it, save A/C vents. Meanwhile, a grouping of four gauges reside out of the driver's line of sight, down on the center console ahead of the shift lever – rendering them virtually useless. You have to take your eyes completely off the road to read them, even though there’s more than enough space to place those gauges in the dash to the right of the speedometer and tachometer in that strip above the A/C vents (canted toward the driver) where they'd be useful. Additionally, such placement would add interest to an empty area positively aching for something to do.

Yeah, I get it's supposed to evoke the design of the original car, but the world's learned a lot about ergonomics since 1966 y'all. Things like this just aren't supposed to happen in a modern, world class, driver-focused, GT car. While GM was going all over the world with the Camaro, the company would have done well to get a German engineer to do the interior layout.

Similarly, the pod in the middle of the lower dash containing the audio and climate control switches probably seemed like a great idea when it was being designed and reviewed. But when the car is in motion, it becomes an overly busy amalgamation of closely grouped, similarly shaped, dials and buttons that requires one to shift their attention away from driving to decipher, select, and activate the desired function.

Then there is the question of size.

Photographs don’t reveal how big the Camaro really is. And frankly, neither does viewing the car in isolation. But when you’re behind the wheel of the Camaro on a narrow two-lane road, it comes right home to you – this is a pretty big car. To be honest, it's an issue for both the Challenger and Mustang as well. But if we're asked to judge the Camaro against the G37 and 3-Series Coupe, this is another area in which the Camaro does not deliver in world class fashion. Nor does the Camaro's look exude the understated elegance of those cars.

If GM’s marketers are counting on conquest sales from either of those two marques, I'm afraid they’re in for some disappointment. The Camaro simply isn’t a world-class GT car. To get that from GM in anything other than a Corvette, we're going have to wait for the "V" version of the upcoming CTS coupe. However, all is not bleak. If GM's marketing team chooses to focus their efforts on the Camaro’s real strengths, rather than their flawed beliefs – and shape customer expectations accordingly – the General's looking at a runaway hit.

The Camaro SS is a highly exceptional American pony car. Viewed in that light, the 2010 Camaro is an absolute standout. The Chevy is hands down the best of its breed – period. It’s faster, more agile, and arguably better looking than both Challenger and Mustang. And if they'd set it down a bit lower over its tires and wheels, it'd be even more of a stunner. Plus, Camaro's base V6 has the goods to blow both of those cars’ base V6 engines well back off into the weeds.

Bottom line, if you’re a big fan of the virtues of the classic American performance car, but you also want a car that handles on par with the finest cars from Japan and Europe – man, does GM have a car waiting for you.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformers Special Edition now available

The difference, they say, between men and boys is the size of their toys. How true, and especially so with the 2010 Camaro Transformers Special Edition. It’s a full size replica of the Hasbro toy replicas of the Transformer characters from the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen http://www.transformersmovie.com/, which was inspired by the original Transformer toys. Which, unless you’ve been shopping the in the dolly aisle for the past quarter century (really), are toy vehicles that unfold into robots.

Only in Revenge of the Fallen, one of the good guys is a yellow-with-black-stripes Chevrolet Camaro, a major piece of product placement by General Motors. Not to bore you with the plot of the movie (largely because we haven’t seen it ourselves), however moviegoers told Chevrolet that they wanted a replica of Bumblebee, the unfolding yellow Camaro.

So Chevrolet said, why not?

“Now, they can buy [that replica] with the new Camaro Transformers Special edition,” said Karen Rafferty, Chevrolet product marketing director, continuing unpardonably with “Streets all over North America will be buzzing in no time,”

We know, Ms. Rafferty, it’s part of your job, but really…

Anyway, the Camaro Transformers Special Edition can be ordered in a bright primary yellow, in either V-6-powered LT or V-8-equipped SS versions with the RS appearance package also available.
For a mere $995, the Chevrolet Transformers Special Edition comes with the following:

• Autobot shield logo on the driver and passenger side panels
• Autobot shield logo on the wheels’ center caps
• Autobot shield logo embroidered on the interior center console
• Transformers logo on the driver and passenger doors’ sill plates
• Transformers logo embedded into the hood rally stripes
• High-gloss black center rally stripe package

And just to make sure you know, the Chevrolet made by General Motors does not unfold into a robot like the one from Hasbro toys does. Even the big toys can’t do everything.

Illustration: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformer Special Edition copyright General Motors.

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2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformer Special Edition

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformer Special Edition
The character Bumblebee from the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen inspired the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformer Special Edition. All photos courtesy/copyright General Motors.