2010 Chevrolet Camaro

The "base" 2010 Chevrolet Camaro (and I use that word only as an official term) sports a 3.6L, direct-injection V-6 making a heady 304 hp at 6400 rpm (yes, that's more output than the 4.6L V-8 in last year's Mustang GT). The engine mates to a standard six-speed manual or an optional six-speed auto with paddle shifters.

Two 6.2L engines are offered. With the automatic comes the L99, making 400 hp and 410 lb-ft (the L99 also features Active Fuel Management, enhancing efficiency by shutting down four cylinders when they aren't needed). Opt for the manual, and the engine bay fills with GM's LS3 from the '08 Chevy Corvette, good for a stunning 426 hp and 420 lb-ft.

With the automatic, the SS is actually the quickest off the line, gunning to 60 mph in a scalding 4.6 sec. The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS manual trails by a mere tenth, but from there its added 26 ponies pull it ahead, tripping the quarter-mile lights in just 13 sec flat at 111 mph.

Touchy clutch on the Camaro means it's the only one I stalled. Engine note and response not as thrilling as the Mustang's -- surprising given the 111-hp advantage -- but the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is much quieter inside. Steering is a touch vague on-center in comparison with Mustang. Just off-center it picks up nicely, though still not as sharp as the Ford's. Again, I wonder how much of that is the Mustang's Track Pack. Far less body motion on the road than in the Challenger, but the front end seems to sashay side to side more than the Ford's when I make mid-corner corrections. Otherwise, once set in a corner, the 2010 Camaro feels exceptionally planted. Power out of turn and you're rewarded with nothing but forward thrust.

Steering feels slower, more deliberate than Mustang's, however it's linear and predictable. Clutch take-up on manual too sharp; have to be careful not to stall. Default handling is mild understeer at the limit. Car is impressively planted, regardless of the road surface. Rear-end traction is superb; car tracks brilliantly, even over mid-corner lumps. As a result, you will carry more corner speed in the 2010 Chevy Camaro than in the other two, regardless of road surface.

Key to the success of Camaro is the balance between performance and fuel-economy. Which is why the first juicy detail to emerge is that base 2010 Chevrolet Camaros will not, as some have speculated, be powered by the 3.5-liter, pushrod V-6 Chevy uses in the Impala. Entry-level Chevy Camaros will use the same spark-ignition, direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 that powers the Cadillac CTS. With variable valve timing, double overhead camshafts, and four valves per cylinder, this high-feature V-6 is arguably more significant and undeniably higher tech than the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro's V-8.

"Personally, when I get into a Camaro, I feel as enveloped as I do when I get into a Corvette," says Oppenheiser.He should, as the seating position is a low, arm-out-the-window affair. The view forward is dominated by a short windshield and long hood. Out back, the beefy C-pillar does no favors for rear blindspot visibility.

With moves like this in the entry 2010 Chevrolet Camaro -- base price in the mid-to-low $20s -- it's drool-inspiring to imagine what the car will do with, say, the optional 20-in. summer rubber (not to mention the mega-output V-8s with FE3 chassis tuning). What's more, even in "stripped" form the 2010 Camaro feels distinctly upmarket. Wind noise is almost nonexistent. The ride polishes off road imperfections while remaining poised to spring, catlike, to quick steering inputs. Brakes are sturdy and bite hard early into the pedal's travel. Mustang? Nah. The new Chevy Camaro feels more akin to an American Infiniti G37. And remember: Thus far, our driving has been limited to the base V-6 version.

The new Chevy Camaro looks like the first-generation (1967-69) updated with fancy footwear and a smattering of Corvette cues. The hiked beltline and squished roof gives it a menacing but also heavy appearance. Greenies will surely christen this revival their new poster child of wretched consumption because the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS offers a choice between two rumbling 6.2-liter V-8s (400 hp with 6-speed automatic, 426 hp with 6-speed stick). Smoke this, tree huggers: thanks to super-tall gearing, both deliver mid-20s highway mileage, thereby skirting the EPA's guzzler stigma. Also, the 304-hp 3.6-liter V-6 (labeled LS or LT) alternative scores 29 highway mpg with an automatic.

Think the V-6 2010 Camaro's 304 horses sound a tad puny? Worried that you'll be the laughingstock of the local cruise night? Here's a little perspective to keep the haters at bay: 304 hp is almost 100 hp more than the base (gross-hp-rated) V-8 in a 1967 Camaro. It's also just 6 hp shy of the V-8 in a 2002 Camaro Z28 and 4 hp more than the current Ford Mustang GT's V-8. The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS will have a 400- or 422-hp V-8, but if you can't justify the fuel costs and higher MSRP, don't fret-for once, there's strength in six-cylinder numbers.

The 2010 Camaro's engine, transmission, steering, and suspension work together in such a way that the entire car feels engineered, not simply bolted together from spare parts. There's actual, tangible feedback from the controls, the engine is more than up to its task, and the chassis exudes a level of polish rarely seen on cars from Detroit.

Things You'll Hate: The lack of back seat room: two seats, a cramped roofline, and very little exterior visibility. Kind of an accepted negative when you buy a small or mid-size coupe, but it's a negative nonetheless.The enormous rear-three-quarter blind spot. At least until you realize that fixing it would make the car very, very ugly.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will be well-equipped with creature comforts such as Bluetooth phone connectivity, Boston Acoustics audio system, USB input, Ultrasonic rear parking assist, remote vehicle starting, OnStar, and XM satellite radio. The rear parking assist, along with Head-Up Display, will be among the optional equipment that may not be available until later in the model year. Styling is paramount with a host of 18-, 19-, and 20-inch wheels available. Twenties will come on the 2010 Chevy Camaro RS appearance package (available with the V-6 LT model and the V-8 SS), which also features HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, specific tail lamps, and a spoiler.

Both the manual and automatic 6.2L V-8s are electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph, not that we got close on the 1.2-mile east/west straight at the Proving Grounds. Manual-transmission cars get the 422 hp LS3 engine, very similar to the LS3 that powers the base Corvette, while the automatic car gets the L99 mill with Active Fuel Management, which selectively drops cylinders at steady cruise to improve fuel economy. Right, just like the old 8-6-4 Cadillacs, but this time the technology works. The LS3 is rated at 426 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, while the L99 can claim 400 hp and a little more torque, 410 lb-ft. Both 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V-8 models carry SS badging, while the V-6 cars are available in LT and LS trim levels. Thanks to their profoundly overdriven sixth gears, at 70 mph both the automatic and manual 2010 Chevy Camaros loaf along at somewhere south of 2000 rpm, producing a very quiet cruise and decent fuel consumption; the stick car is EPA-rated at 16 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway, while the automatic is rated at 16 city and 25 highway.

When it comes to performance, the 2010 Camaro delivers in unexpected ways. An advanced 3.6L direct-injected V-6 with variable valve timing is standard on LS and LT models. It offers power and efficiency, with 304 horsepower and EPA-rated 29 mpg in highway driving. The performance-oriented 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS offers a pair of 6.2L V-8s, including one with Active Fuel Management that helps improve fuel economy by shutting down four cylinders during certain light-load driving conditions. That model delivers 25 mpg in EPA-rated highway fuel economy. Indeed, the surprising fuel economy of the new 2010 Chevy Camaro enhances the driving experience. LS and LT models are EPA-rated at 18 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway with an automatic transmission; and 17 city and 29 highway with the manual transmission. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS with an automatic is rated at 16 city and 25 highway; and 16 city/24 highway with the manual transmission. Notably, none of Camaro's models is subject to federal gas guzzler taxes.