The goals for the 2010 Camaro were to make it drop dead gorgeous,
give it high performance, and make it affordable. The Camaro
succeeds on all three counts and is a breath of fresh air for GM.
The all-new Camaro marks the return of affordable (compared to the
Corvette) rear-wheel-drive performance at Chevy. The Camaro competes
with other retro-inspired muscle coupes, including the Dodge
Challenger and Ford Mustang. The 2010 Camaro offers both a sprightly
V-6 and a beefy V-8. It is well-proportioned, gives excellent ride
quality, has high interior quality, plenty of safety features, and
gets decent gas mileage for this type of vehicle. The new Camaro
captures the look of the original '67, while not being seduced into
retro clunkiness. 2010 Camaro is 5.7 inches longer and 3 inches
wider than the '67 Camaro. The new one is 2.8 inches taller than the
vintage model, that height coming largely from big tires. The 2010
Camaro LT has a starting MSRP of $23,880.
Camaro LT Power
The 2010 Camaro LT is powered by a 3.6-liter V6. It is an
impressive 7000-rpm V6 that gets 29 highway miles per gallon. Its
304 horsepower is not only more than the 1967 Camaro SS (295 hp from
a 350-cubic-inch V8), but more than last year's Mustang GT with a
4.6-liter dohc V8. The Camaro LT accelerates from 0-60 mph in 5.9
seconds, and will do the quarter mile in 14.4 seconds, which is fast
in anyone's book.
2010 Camaro Design
The rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet Camaro looks new and it is, but it
was built from existing hardware, starting with the chassis
architecture of the impressive Pontiac G8. The 2010 Camaro has a
retro theme that borrows from previous models. The Camaro has a long
hood and short rear deck. The front end features a honeycomb grille,
and the rear has aggressively styled fenders with air intakes shaped
liked gills. The back has four rounded taillamps, similar to the
ones found on the Corvette. All models use an aluminum hood with a
2.5-inch power dome intended to look like cowl induction but
actually having no function other than appearance. Styling gills
located just forward of the rear wheels add another nice touch. Even
though the power dome, hood intake, and cooling gills are not
functional, they all work as styling enhancements, and look like
they should be there. The shapely strong hips stand out almost as
much as the long hood. The Camaro is 190.4 inches long and 75.5
inches wide, with a 112.3-inch wheelbase, placing it right between
the relatively small Mustang and the large Challenger.
First Drive 2010
The handling, ride and brakes are exceptional. The Camaro LT uses a
potent and sweet-sounding Cadillac V6 that makes 304 horsepower,
with a six-speed manual transmission standard and six-speed
automatic (with semi-manual shifting) optional. The LT will also
stop from 60 mph in a superb 106 feet. One small (but good)
speeding problem with the LT is that the cabin is quiet, thanks
partly to liquid sound deadener, so 80 mph feels like 70. The
Camaro LT models receive a sport-tuned suspension, called FE2.
2010 Interior
The styling of the Camaro is stupendous. The retro theme continues
on the inside. The Camaro's steering wheel, radio unit and climate
controls are unique to that car, not shared with another GM vehicle.
The climate control buttons on the center stack don't seem to be
designed for ease of touch, but for looks. The center console and
armrest is nice, solid, and handsome in leather. Visibility through
the windshield is good despite the long hood and raked windshield,
thanks to careful location of the driver's seat. Rear visibility
over the driver's shoulder isn't very good, but that's not an easy
task for a sport roof design. The trunk is deep but the opening
isn't large and it's almost flat, but it's worth it for the handsome
rear deck. There's a pass-through to the trunk behind the rear seat,
and an available auxiliary instrument panel near the shifter that
indicates oil temperature, oil pressure, the state of the battery,
and transmission fluid temperature.
Early Conclusions 2010 Camaro LT
All Camaros receive OnStar, with one free year of GM's Safe and
Sound Plan, which features services like monthly email alerts,
automatic crash response and roadside assistance. The
Camaro LT upgrades with leather
upholstery with six-way power reclining driver's seat; foglamps and
integral front fascia; and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels; and
OnStar Directions & Connections plan, offering turn-by-turn route
instructions, both verbal and visual. Option packages LT2 and SS2 include heated mirrors and seats, nine-speaker,
245-watt audio system, Bluetooth and USB port, leather shift knob
and steering wheel with audio controls, remote starting, and console
mounted gauges including oil temp and pressure, volts and
transmission fluid temp; the LT2 package also includes 19-inch
painted aluminum wheels. A sunroof ($900) is optional. Also
available are 20-inch painted aluminum wheels and an RS appearance
package. An available RS appearance package (on LT and SS models)
includes high-intensity discharge headlamps with integrated halo
rings, a rear spoiler, unique taillamps and 20-inch wheels. The
Chevy Camaro has successfully pulled off the release of a modern
vehicle based on a retro theme.