Sure, Ferraris and Lamborghinis have street presence. But there are a fair few on our roads now. If you really want to get noticed, you need to get yourself one of these – a stunning, modern interpretation of the classic 60s American muscle car. Plus, its bright yellow, with a massive power bulge, and two stripes down the middle.
If it looks like something out of a Hollywood film, that’s because it is! This is a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Transformers edition. It’s so theatrical, in fact, that you half expect it to actually get up on two feet and transform itself into the autobot ‘Bumblebee,’ out of the 2007 blockbuster from which it gets its decals.
From the Outside
I first saw the new Camaro at the 2008 Paris Auto Salon, and was completely blown away the minute I set eyes on it – the Corvette ZR1 was standing close by, and it looked almost tame in comparison. With the new Camaro, General Motors has succeeded in taking the essence of a retro design, and successfully making it cutting edge.
However, unless executed perfectly, retro styling can
end up looking gimmicky and out of place. But, in this instance, they’ve taken the best styling cues from the
past, and updated them to look completely timeless. I
was sure that the model on display in Paris was merely a show car – only for the styling to be drastically toned down by the time the Camaro made it into production. But, visually, this is exactly the same car – and that should give you
some sense of just how much confidence GM has in its new design direction.
Like all great muscle cars, the Camaro has a massive bonnet – a not entirely subtle warning of huge displacement underneath. Add to that a high waist line, and some creases so sharp that you’re almost scared to approach the car. From the front, it truly looks menacing – like it’s squinting its eyes at you, and flaring its nostrils, as if to say, “back off.” It looks equally good from the rear three-quarter view as well – with nicely sculpted and broad wheel arches. Of course, there’s the SS badge front and rear to let you know that you’re in a very special Camaro indeed. SS stands for ‘Super Sport,’ which is a performance package offered by Chevrolet since the 1960s on only their most serious performance cars. The rear also gets a pair of individual chromed tail lights on each side, which look fantastic. Plus, of course, there’s the Transformers badging all around the car – on the fenders, bonnet, door sills and wheels. All of which adds up to an automobile with a staggering amount of street presence overall.
From the Inside
The first thing that strikes you when you sit inside the drivers’ seat of the Camaro is the massive bonnet that’s outstretched in front of you – especially with the black power bulge dead center. It’s a heart warming feeling that’s not entirely easy to explain.
The novelty value from the exterior styling continues on the inside as well, but it’s also functional. The gauges look great with individual pods for both the speedo and tach – complete with a retro type face, which, nonetheless, is easy to read. And that’s important, because both needles have a tendency to spin around their respective gauges with complete abandon. The rest of the car’s interior is also just as nice and eye catching – considering it’s in all-black, and has quite a simple layout on the whole. The center console consists of the stereo and AC controls incorporated into a single retro-esque, yet space age, pod that, once again, works quite well.
The interior also has all the comforts that you’d expect, such as electrically operated leather seats, Boston Acoustics premium audio, and Bluetooth connectivity. Moreover, with the exception of some hard plastics, the overall interior quality is excellent – making this an inviting car, both inside and out.
On the road
The essence of a muscle car is its engine. And, at idle, it takes only a dab of the throttle pedal in the Camaro SS to get a sense that you’re in a machine with a beast of a power-plant. Flex your right foot just slightly, and the entire car vibrates from the rumble within the engine bay.
If a muscle car is for going insanely fast in a straight line, then the Camaro SS lives up to tradition exceedingly well. Its 6.2 liter, naturally aspirated, V8 has such range of power that it doesn’t matter what gear you’re in, or what your current speed, you only have to feather the right pedal and the car surges forward like a machine possessed. It truly is incredibly effortless to access the 426 horses under the hood. You need just the shortest possible stretch of open road, and the speedo needle enters the far reaches of its gauge with sublime ease. Delve into the reserves of power, and you’re faced with manic acceleration, accompanied by a glorious V8 rumble and growling exhaust – a most intoxicating combination. And it really is the V8 roar that urges you to go on and on.
Soon, however, you realize that muscle cars have moved on from the 60s. After all, straight line speed was their hallmark, but stopping and turning wasn’t really a consideration at the time. Push the Camaro into a corner and the massive 20-inch wheels and tires, coupled with all-round independent suspension, sticks the car to the road. You do get a bit of body roll, and even understeer, if you’re overly enthusiastic, but I’m sure that’s easily solved with a boot-full of throttle and a touch of opposite lock. In this instance, we were hampered somewhat by having to leave the traction control on, since we had a GM rep accompanying us for our short drive.
Nevertheless, you realise very quickly that the muscle car game has well and truly moved into the 21st century – because the Camaro SS turns and stops with the best of them. In fact, the Brembo brakes inspire a great deal of confidence, and allow you to explore the depths of the accelerator pedal with complete conviction. And even though it’s a large car, the variable ratio steering ensures that the car shrinks around you – while giving you a good idea of what the front wheels are doing all the time. The driving experience is completed by an incredibly slick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox. The throws are short and the shift action is as precise as it gets. In fact, every sports car should have a manual gearbox like this one – mandatory.
The Camaro SS truly is an incredibly easy car to simply jump into, and head straight for hyper-space. It may look intimidating from the outside, however, it’s anything but from the drivers’ seat.
Verdict
Despite the fact that we had the Camaro SS Transformers edition, you can’t exactly get the car to embody its Bumblebee avatar. On the other hand, it does transform those sitting inside into instant superstars. And, even if you’re shy of the spotlight, the car puts a continuous smile on your face – as well as one on gawking bystanders. It’s simply a fun car, and you can’t really ask for more from a sports car – can you?
But, do sit down for this next piece of information, because this Camaro can be had in the US for as little as $35,000 USD, or about Rs. 16 lakhs. Even if you treble that to compensate for right-hand drive and import duties, you’re still looking at a fraction of the cost of a supercar that may well turn out to be
less exclusive.
But the real reason for its exclusivity, unfortunately, is that you can’t have one. GM has no plans to bring the Camaro into India. So, if you like the car – and I can only imagine that, if you have a pulse, you do – you ought to start lobbying GM today to have a change of heart. As for me – my heart is pounding as loudly as that V8 for the Camaro SS.
