Even the interior has stepped light-years into the future with dare-I-say iconic styling, reminiscent of the F-body's glory years infused with (again) the latest technology. A thumping Boston Acoustics audio system takes nothing away from the edgy design, while adding obvious functionality, as does LED ambient lighting and thoughtfully engineered gauges as well as surfaces. The safety equipment is unparalleled, and the body-solid steel (aside from the aluminum hood). The fifth-gen may be assembled in Canada, but there's nothing more American than that! No more rickety SMC and urethane to bend, distort, and lose its shape. Those of you more weight-conscious will have to wait until carbon-fiber fenders, decklids, and hoods become available. Most likely it won't take long (Hennessey, among others, is already working on it).
So what does all this mean? The General has left little room for improvement, but that doesn't mean we won't give it the old college try and go above and beyond--just as I'm sure you're thinking the same thing. With the overwhelming amount of factory options, trim levels, packages, and dealer options--every new Camaro will have its own touch of personalization before the aftermarket even gets its dirty little hands on it. This makes it all the more exciting to think about all of the '10 Camaros being delivered as you read this. What are you waiting for? Go out and pick up your own.
For a more complete breakdown of the 2010 Camaro specifications, check out our January '09 issue or visit us at www.gmhightechperformance.com.
Driving Impression
Forget every preconceived notion you've ever had about the F-body. Throw them out the window. The new Camaro is the most powerful, best handling, most robust vehicle to ever wear the nameplate. Gone are the low-rent interior plastic, the annoying hump on the passenger-side floor, and the huge doors from the fourth-gen.
From the second you enter the cockpit, you're greeted with high-quality materials, superior ergonomics, and an open, airy cabin. The latter is especially surprising given the high beltline and seemingly low roofline. The stylists have given the car the appearance of a show car, but with the practicality you need in a daily driver. We watched someone 6-foot-7 sit in the car and he was perfectly comfortable. (Tall people beware: you do lose about 1.5-inches in headroom if you order the sunroof--bear that in mind if your nickname is "Stretch.")
We were able to sample both the V-6/six-speed automatic and V-8/six-speed manual versions on our test drive. Both exceeded our expectations. First, the SS (yes, all V-8 Camaros are called SS). Despite its two-ton curb weight with driver, the thing is a missile. The new Tremec 6060 gearbox shifts like butter and the 3.45 gears get you off the line in a hurry. Even with a passenger, I was able to run it up past the 100-mph mark with ease.