Getting your player ready...
The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible, victory red in color, looked good Easter Sunday morning alongside all the Buicks (and others) in the crowded parking lot of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Greeley.
Since hitting the showrooms about six weeks ago, the Chevy softtop has stirred even more interest in the resurrected Camaro coupe, which arrived two years ago as a 2010 model and in recent months has outsold the long-popular rival Ford Mustang.
With its top down, the Camaro convertible’s long hood, raked windshield and short rear deck lend youthful appeal to onlookers of any age.
Sent my way was the 2LT model, with a 312-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine and tap-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission. A standard feature is the head-up display which projects speedometer, digital speed, temperature, radio functions, etc., out front at the windshield to enable the driver to keep eyes on the road.
Could this be one of the best-looking Chevys of all time?
The late Papa Joe Luby, a Denver Chevrolet dealer for many years, once said that the best-looking car of all time was the 1958 Chevy Impala two-door hardtop. Several readers took issue with that after I repeated it in a car column in the late 1990s; I mentioned their choices and the race was on. A total of 107 models was suggested by the more than 200 readers who responded. Four other models – the 1955 Ford Thunderbird, ’57 DeSoto Fireflite two-door hardtop, ’57 Chevy Bel Air two-door hardtop and the 1970 Dodge Challenger – received enough votes to rank beside the ’58 Impala as the “best-looking car ever built.”
With Chevrolet’s 100th anniversary approaching, I’d appreciate hearing suggestions from readers as to the “best-looking Chevy of all time.”
A 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible, white with orange stripes, will serve as the Indianapolis 500 pace car at next month’s race. This will be the seventh time a Camaro has paced the Indy 500. A black top enhanced the red exterior of the Camaro convertible I drove. By pulling down and twisting a center-mounted latch at the windshield header, then pushing a switch, the top will automatically drop beneath the rear deck lid in 20 seconds. This reduces cargo space from 10.2 cubic feet to 7.9. By affixing a tonneau cover to the area between the deck lid and rear seatbacks, the convertible takes on a more-finished appearance.
Twenty-inch aluminum wheels, rear spoiler and dual exhausts add to the sporty, pony-car performance look. The V-6 won’t blow away the competition; that is left to the SS with 400-hp from its 6.2-liter V-8. The Camaro V-6, though, accelerates smoothly and can sprint 0 to 60 somewhere between 6 and 7 seconds.
The V-6 convertible carries an impressive 29-miles-per-gallon EPA highway rating, too. Some town driving kept my fuel mileages on the lower side, averaging 21.2.
Chevrolet has maintained a rigid chassis with the convertible; cowl shake was scarcely noticeable and a good ride is provided the occupants. Rear-seat legroom is tight. Because of the scarcity of space in the trunk, the Boston Acoustics audio system’s subwoofer rests far forward and soft ventilated mesh covers its port between the rear seats.
Like the Camaro coupes I’ve driven the past two years, the convertible interior displays a gauge cluster, including those for oil pressure, oil temperature, volts and transmission temperature.
The addition of the larger wheels, spoiler, RS taillamps and high-intensity-discharge headlamps boosted sticker price on the Camaro convertible to $36,185.
A look back
Thirty-two years ago this month, I reviewed in The Denver Post a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta. Excerpts:
The Berlinetta version of the long-successful Chevrolet Camaro was introduced this year as an attraction for “mature” men and women. The Camaro has been a hot seller in the youth market for 12 years, and Berlinetta was added with a little more interior comfort and an improved suspension system for a little better ride. It’s still a road-hugging Camaro, though, with lots of driving quality. A boulevard ride isn’t expected from a car that comes equipped with a tachometer, a speedometer that registers to 130 miles per hour and bucket seats. Acceleration was strong from a 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine and four-barrel carburetor, which averaged 21.2 miles per gallon on the highway and 11.6 in town. A T-top (removable glass roof panels) helped boost the car’s sticker price to $8,815. Among other options were AM/FM stereo, color-keyed seat and shoulder belts, automatic transmission (also available are 3-speed and 4-speed manuals). I borrowed the car for testing from Chuck Stevinson of Golden.
2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible
$36,185
(price as tested)
MPG City 18 Highway 29
Vehicle type: Soft-top performance
Wheelbase: 112.3 inches
Length/Width/Height: 190.4/75.5/54.2 inches
Weight: 3,986 pounds
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 21.2 mpg
Fuel tank: 19 gallons
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/100,000 powertrain
Competitors: Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger
Built at: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Parts content: U.S./Canadian 66 percent; Mexico 15 percent
THE STICKER
$32,650 base
$1,500 RS package of 20-inch wheels, HID headlamps, spoiler
$1,185 Tap-shift automatic transmission
$850 Destination
PLUSES
Nifty retro styling
Smooth performance
Mid-$30s price
MINUSES
No true paddle shifters
Tonneau cover unhandy
A 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible, white with orange stripes, will serve as the Indianapolis 500 pace car at next month’s race. This will be the seventh time a Camaro has paced the Indy 500. A black top enhanced the red exterior of the Camaro convertible I drove. By pulling down and twisting a center-mounted latch at the windshield header, then pushing a switch, the top will automatically drop beneath the rear deck lid in 20 seconds. This reduces cargo space from 10.2 cubic feet to 7.9. By affixing a tonneau cover to the area between the deck lid and rear seatbacks, the convertible takes on a more-finished appearance.
