Sixth generation Camaro V6 review

Chevrolet updated the chassis of the Camaro for 2016 with the new Alpha platform and by all accounts the approximately 250 to 300lb weight reduction was a huge improvement. Despite having a brilliant chassis and three powerful engine choices, the interior and outward visibility hardly improved at all. I wanted to like this car, I really did. It has some really good aspects but overall it’s only good for going in a straight line, not reverse or backing up out of any parking space, on public roads or modified into a track-only car.  You decide if the interior justifies a $29,000 MSRP. The 2017 model is essentially the same.

The 335hp V-6 is a great engine, responsive, sounds good and with the quick shifting 8 speed automatic, the car is capable of mid-high 13 second quarter mile ETs. It feels every bit as quick as the numbers suggest. It has no appreciable dead spots and has an excellent pull. The 8 speed auto is finicky on the highway though, downshifting at the slightest provocation when closing a gap. Undoubtedly a result of the tall gearing to achieve its impressive highway rating of 28mpg. With a heavy foot, mixed suburban and highway driving, 21mpg was indicated in the readout which was reasonable.

When in the manual mode, upshifts only occur when manually selected. Seems reasonable. But if you hit the rev limiter, it’s a long, race-losing delay before it responds to the manually selected upshift. Unfortunately you cannot manually select with the paddle as an override when the shifter is in “D” when sitting at a light to first gear or second for slippery surface. And further, if in D, and you’re manually shifting once rolling, it won’t automatically upshift at redline which it should. A software update could potentially fix this.

The ride is very well controlled, slightly bumpy over the surprisingly lousy roads in Northern California. The firm suspension controls body motions extremely well with a very solid structure. Transitioning into a turn at speed doesn’t generate the expected body roll of a domestic product. Its target was BMW and it hit it, hands down. Granted this was the base suspension, wheels and tires. The highly acclaimed 1LE suspension would have to be experienced to comment. Road and wind noise is nicely subdued as well. It could make for a great road car except for some glaring faults and odd design decisions that never should have made production.

Complaining about the rear seat room would be silly in a smaller sized front engine coupe whose engine bay eventually contains a 650hp supercharged V8 in the top model, let alone a 3.6 liter V-6 and a decent trunk. Speaking of which, the trunk in the 5^th generation was a joke. This one is deep and goes all the way to the fold down rear seats. It is oddly proportioned though, more on that later.

Another surprise is the fuel tank holds over 16 gallons. It doesn’t say in the manual, but looking at a road test it indicated 19 gallons, which is really nice considering the Mustang and BMW 3-series have 16 gallon tanks.  Also, it doesn’t have a filler cap, a nice touch.

But I can’t recommend this car to drive daily nor weekends. Stop reading if you don’t want to learn its long list of interior design and user shortcomings that are inexcusable in their totality in a modern vehicle, let alone the top of the line model whose MSRP is over $61,000 or this one that is $28,000 plus. It does have some great styling lines sitting on top of a tall body. The taillights are changed with this generation to a more traditional look, more integrated and less “Transformerish”.  Walking up to the car, you notice how low the roofline is which translates to some compromises.

Here we go so hang on. Getting in you might hit your head against the roof because it curves downward like the Dodge Challenger on the sides. Closing the door, you sink into the seat to where your glutes seems pinched front to rear. Later as you drive, if you’re broad shouldered, you can feel the seat pressing on your rear deltoids.

Sitting low and looking left through ten inches of vertical side glass, you can’t see the wheels of the car next to you or the parking curb unless you crane your neck and then you might hit your head on the interior roofline. The door has the tiniest storage cubbyhole that may not even be suitable for a pen. You need a deformed left T-rex arm to activate the window and mirror controls too. Forget putting your arm on the window sill while driving, it would mean your forearm would be up near your ear.

Looking forward, the left bubble for the gauges obscures part of the hood and fender. The hood does slope down nicely but you don’t really know where the right tire might be. The airbag warning on the sun visor is almost as large as the small visor itself.  The thick, flat bottomed steering wheel feels as good as any but at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, the paddles are mounted too close to the steering wheel leaving too little room for the fingers. It also obscures one-third of the tachometer and speedometer and despite the controls that work and feel well for the radio, display and cruise control, the icons are so tiny they are difficult to see and unlit, a big miss. The right shift paddle and windshield wiper stalk completely obscure the start button and the little ridge under it makes it more difficult to find by feel. 

The entertainment system works extremely well, and the Apple Car Play starts immediately upon plugging in the phone. For some reason the screen is tilted downward which makes absolutely no sense. The controls have a quality feel to them and the electronics are well integrated from the user interface to the lighting. It has a lateral and acceleration/braking g-force display as part of the menu showing fuel economy, reminders for turns signals and more.  Even the remote itself is nice and feels like a quality piece.  

Aim the large ventilation vent carefully or you’ll heat or cool your hand on the gearshift or your right thigh. The only place to put your phone is in one of the cup holders in the center console. There is hardly a place for your right elbow on the narrow center console cubbyhole lid. And your elbow ends up above your head when you open the long door to access the two USB ports and an itty, bitty storage hole. I’m not even sure if the silly Fastrak toll transmitter will fit.  Sunglasses only fit in the glove box, period. Same with a radar detector.

The rear visibility makes a back-up camera an absolute requirement, and luckily it’s equipped with one. A reminder again of the downward sloped screen.  There is no looking back to change lanes, it’s a useless attempt. Only the side mirrors are suitable. The rear end is so high and the rear visibility so bad, if a vehicle is following you at a standard distance, you can’t tell what make or model it is by looking in the small rear view mirror. Who the hell approved this interior for production? 

The trunk is a vast improvement versus the 5^th generation but the depth of the opening is only 12 inches. What that means is your laptop or gym bag has to be turned sideways in order to load it. The opening width is 35” which is rather narrow.  However, these are trade-offs that are a big improvement from previous years. Despite the trunk not having much of a lip to lift it, nor an interior handle to close it, it closes with superb precision and dampening. 

The arch rival Mustang is clearly a better choice for day-to-day driving and livability. It’s like a domestic that went to finishing school in Europe and came back modernized and improved. The Camaro is like a European car that visited the US in the 1980s and picked up some really bad habits and ideas. The Camaro is the definition of a great powertrain and suspension desperately needing a vastly improved interior design and ergonomics. Some don’t care or dig the weirdness, but if where you spend time driving matters to you, there are other choices but they just won’t be as brilliant in the curves in the V-6 price range.

Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1065640306874013.1073741903.378354382269279&type=1&l=77ff94e431

1967 Chevrolet Camaro Pro Touring review and test drive

When invited to review and drive a heavily modified classic muscle car, it's best to jump at the chance. In this case, it is a beautiful example of a "Pro Touring" car with 550 rear wheel horsepower (about 625 crank horsepower given a 12% loss) and a modernized platform.

Pro Touring typically means a classic muscle car thoroughly upgraded with a very powerful engine, an overdrive transmission suitable for the highway and track worthy modern suspension and brake components. After all that, the chassis is reinforced to eliminate body flex and enhance handling. The two major contributors to the build of this car were Gearhead Garage in Sacramento and Campbell Auto Restoration in Campbell.

This 1967 Camaro is called "Sledgehammer" and is going to be on the auction block at Russo and Steele in January. You can tell the '67s from the rest by the wing window at the A-pillar. It also has a website here with only a few updates needed. Successful small business owner Mike Bassi tells me he has over $240,000 into the car but unfortunately it's time to sell it. You may recall I met Mike at the Goodguys Car Show in Pleasanton, CA earlier this year. Mike has a racing background in the SCCA Mazda RX-7 series. He knows cars and what they are supposed to do. In fact, he and the car placed 4th out of 70 at the autocross at that show.

Lowered, menacing and a little scary looking in the garage, it fires up with a serious growl from the blown 350ci ZZ430 crate motor with some minor chirping from the supercharger. Once inside, I immediately notice how clean it is and rather comfortable. But it's noisy, in a good way. There doesn't seem to be any sound insulation and quite honestly, in this car, that's how it should be.

The dashboard controls are late-sixties basic but with Auto Meter gauges in front of the shifter. The short backed Corbeau GTS 2 seats are quite comfortable and have had the head rests cut off for a period correct look. You sit deep in them despite their appearance are a full performance seat. I would be curious to try them out for track duty to see if additional bolsterstering would needed. Another wonderful aspect of this car, setting it apart from so many muscle cars: It has air conditioning! The leather appointed interior and Porsche carpeting add further to it's immense appeal.

Riding in the car was grin inducing. It's loud despite the soundproofing but the engine and exhaust sounds were music to the ears. Driving or riding this car is like riding a Chopper. Not something you want for a cross-country trip, but perfectly capable for many miles and looks wild and sounds bad ass. If you're not in the mood for it two things happen: You either choose not to drive it or it puts you in the mood as soon as you start it up.

The suspension was stiff yet compliant. I could feel the bumps but it wasn't harsh and the movements were not conveyed as rocking motions. My first thought was "BMW" over a particularly bumpy road. The modern components look good viewed under the hood and looking low under the rear of the car. The only problem is a slight tire rubbing when a passenger is onboard during tight right hand turns. Remember this car has 275 series rear tires. The rear suspension is a Moser 12 bolt with a Truetrac rear differential.

Finally I got to drive it. And the first thought and verbalization before anything else is a deep, "Ohhh Yeahhh" with a wicked smirk. The clutch pedal is stiff but the travel is short so it works quite well. The feel is very linear and exceptionally smooth in it's engagement. The short travel takes some getting used to but the fun is immediate. The shifter is firm but quite positive with throws that were average in length. It's a modern 5 speed transmission, but it's not a Miata, of course. Steering is direct but so smooth, not a lot of feedback is felt. Then again, I wasn't on the track either but for daily driving, it was superb. Body roll was minimal. The impression I got was driving a heavy sports car. Isn't that was Pony Car is anyway?

Acceleration is fierce. The power rush above 4500rpm is especially hard, almost disorienting. I said almost. The second time at wide open throttle you're used to it. A little bit. However starting in first gear at full throttle, once in third, the scenery is blurring and you realize you've just rushed past any national speed limit and potentially going to be in a lot of trouble if there are any witnesses. It was simply glorious, raw and beastly.

Asking what he would do differently next time, and there will be a next time, Mike responded fuel injection. I would agree as well - it allows for fine tuning, longer spark plug life and better mileage. But if there is a common element in used car ads for exotics and high-end sports cars, the mileage is almost always quite low. So really, those are moot points unless you plan on keeping your love for a while, like Mike did.

Additional accolades for the car include a write-up in Chevy High Performance, "Bad to the Bone" award at the 2007 Bowtie Bash, DeAnza College and "Sweet Sweeper" at the Goodguys November 2009 show.

According to Mike, the price range for a car like this is $80k to $160k. This is an exceptional example. Contact Mike at info@tri-phase-electric.com if you're serious about buying this car.

Below are some additional build details about the car from the owner:

The engine was designed and built by Campbell Auto Restoration and is built for the procharger blower. We are running 10 pounds of boost on 91 octane with the help of a programmable water injection system, and a J&S knock sensor system that protects the engine along with the new programmable MSD6al 2 digital ignition box. The Holly 750DP was built by the carb shop and tuned by Tim Arnett.

The Transmission is a Tremic TKO 600 with a McLeod dual disk hydraulic clutch system and an aluminum flywheel. It has a Denny's nitrous ready custom driveshaft with 1350 U joints front and rear. The Moser 12 bolt rear has a 3:73 rear ratio with a true track limited slip diff and 33 spline axels. Custom dual 3 inch stainless exhaust system with x pipe design.

We are running a Hydroboost system on Baer 13 inch brakes in front 12 inch in the rear with a relocated parking brake cable. The hydroboost is incredible to use and great in road racing situations.

It has a custom RS front end and has many billet aluminum items from the custom trunk hinges to the Ring Bros hood hinges. LED lights round out the custom tail section. We replaced the stock 67 fuel location to the license plate area like the 69's. It has a custom Rick's stainless gas tank that has a check ball and fuel door system and was built for road racing so not to lose fuel during hard corning. a 2K extra option. Inside also boosts some GT2 seats from Corbeau with Morris Concept classics 3 point seat belts. We also installed Porsche Pyle carpeting throughout. It has a Momo steering wheel with a real Ferrari horn. The wiper system is from DSE. The body is rust free and has a rhino liner underneath. It has a brand new Optima battery given to me from Optima for allowing them to use the car in a show. It is running a painless wiring system, duel electric fans and a Nascar radiator. It also has AC but currently not charged, but does work when charged.

The Wheels are custom Boze forged alloys and are a one off for this car. All lights, wipers, horn, stereo and windows work. It also has brand new glass from the full body off restoration. The list of options and custom fab work is long. It has a Bud Millard Appraisal at 230k.

GM's ridiculous Transformer "Bumblebee" Edition Camaro

It's insulting and it's embarrassing. An appearance package of stickers, plaques and decals and an embroidered shield for $995 on a fine car. Sure, $200 dealer-only and I get the humor. Maybe make it VIN specific for yellow cars from the dealers. At least then it's cutesy. But $995? I rarely get political but did Obama approve this? This is GM "acting stupidly".

By the time the designing, permissions, tooling and ordering is all said and done, installed at the factory, specific to this color, is this little "package" profitable for GM? How many to they expect to sell? http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090722/CARNEWS/907229993

I appreciate the humor, but don't insult the public with marketing for a child's science fiction movie on a halo car that is supposed to help save your company, however entertaining the movie might be. At least a Terminator edition could have some real performance and functional parts since the movie is less fantasy than Transformers, right? But in a way, Ford took that opportunity with the 2003-2004 Ford Mustang Cobra. It's nickname is the "Terminator" because of the styling example chosen internally, and not many cars were faster, and none for the money.

We all laughed at the the "flaming chicken" on the hood of the 70's era Trans-Ams. Now we've got another joke for the next 3 decades. If GM wants to really offer something for $995, how about making dropping the LS3 into the automatic so it's no longer "autotragic" as I wrote earlier. Other ideas would be an upgraded stereo, unique wheels, a bigger brake package, cold air induction or a more aggressive final drive ratio. Something with useful mechanical functionality, please! But $995 for stickers and not even a toy robot to put on the dash? Let's get real GM. You brought back a legend, won't even offer the automatic with the same power as the manual, cancelled the supercharged Z/28 edition; let's not make this worse, okay?

The proper comparison of Pony Cars

Only AutoWeek (AW) did the proper comparison of the current Pony Cars. The testers don't drive very well, but they trumped Motor Trend and Car & Driver. The June 15th issue of AW featured a comparison test of the new Chevrolet Camaro SS, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and Dodge Challenger SRT-8. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090612/CARNEWS/906129990

Why is this test better than rest? It isn't because of the performance results, it's because they compared the top-of-the-line models from each manufacturer. Car & Driver didn't do it right in the July 2009 issue: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison_test/coupes/2010_chevy_camaro_ss_vs_2010_ford_mustang_gt_2009_dodge_challenger_r_t_comparison_test

and neither did Motor Trend in the June 2009 issue: http://www.motortrend.com/multimedia/wallpaper/112_0906_2010_camaro_2009_challenger_2010_mustang_wallpaper/index.html

Before I get into the problem with the performance numbers, what is overlooked is market segment vs. pricing. When shopping for over $30k domestic performance coupes, the enthusiast is going to shop capability first, price second. These magazines are bringing existing models to a test with the new Camaro SS. Since the SS is the top performer in the Camaro model line-up, don't bring the Challenger R/T, bring the SRT-8. Doesn't it make sense to see how a 426hp Chevy does against a 425hp Dodge? The Mustang GT, at 315hp, doesn't belong either. Bring the 540hp GT500. So what if the GT500 is nearly $51k. The Camaro is $37k and the Dodge nearly $44k.

Yes, the Camaro is a bargain, but a used GT500 is in the same range. And the Challenger SRT-8 new or used, is close enough as well. So again, AW did the right thing by comparing a the top models to each other.

What about the driving? Well in the simplest terms, when the 425hp Dodge is clocked from 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds, that is garbage. Literally. Especially when other sources are clocking the 376hp R/T version in 5.1 seconds. If the car is faulty, get another from the press pool or at least tell us the quarter-mile results. All of models tested in AW are capable of mid/high 4-second blasts. And that is only part of the story.

The 0-60mph test is valid but there is much more to straight line performance. The Mustang GT has it's lunch handed to it by the others in the quarter mile and in the triple digits. Take a look at the Car & Driver story. The 0-140mph times are 22.3 seconds, 27.7 seconds and the GT might as well give up at 34.2 seconds. These are enormous gaps at triple digit speeds. Who drives that fast and where you ask? Well considering the 60-130mph measurement is becoming the new standard, if you're still asking, you're not in the market for a 400hp car, are you? http://www.examiner.com/x-5826-San-Jose-Autos-Examiner~y2009m3d21-New-performance-standard-of-60mph-to-130mph-replacing-the-quartermile-drag-race

The bottom line is when the top model warrants a comparison, bring in the heavy hitters, not the price leaders. Once you have that resolved, drive 'em to their ability just like your competition and the owners themselves.

Photo: The 2010 Mustang GT at 315hp is quick, but is Car & Driver's top pick despite being the slowest, by far. http://www.desktopcar.net/ford/mustang/Ford_Mustang_2010_01.jpg.html

Car show or zoo? Try the car show

Virtually everyone has been to the zoo but annually? The Good Guys car show should be a must-see every year. http://www.good-guys.com/news/hotNews.aspx Not into cars? Well how much are you really into wild animals? Don't know much about cars? Do you really know a lot about animals? I have to pick on my dear brother again. The one that hasn't opened the hood of a car for probably 20+ years, bless his heart. Even he appreciates the rolling jewelry and engineering on display. And the animals, well they really don't change much, do they?

I'm not saying don't go to the zoo, it's a great experience. But it really doesn't change much year to year, does it? The zoo is a wonderful place and I love animals. If you can donate to the care of God's creatures, do it. But be sure to check out the creativity and engineering of God's other creatures. This show offers more than the zoo can.

The Good Guys Rod and Custom Association hosted an excellent event in Pleasanton at the Alameda (where is that?) Fairgrounds on May 30th and 31st. What made it so good? The variety, the setting, the autocross and the vendors.

I'm always amazed at some of the colors of the animals at the zoo. So pure and natural, and yes, even the Baboons. However when experts mix special color combinations sprayed in multiple flawless layers over voluptuous curves, chrome plated parts with perfect reflections and uttering monstrous sounds reflecting hundreds of horsepower while their owner and builder is sitting there answering questions about their creation, it is a real treat. Some animals change colors. Guess what? Some cars have paints that change color as the viewing angle changes too.

Ever see the Cheetahs and Rhinos run at full speed at the zoo? One big treat at this show was the autocross where a vast variety of cars run the cone marked course in 1st gear. Hearing and seeing those cars turn and burn rubber was a rare sight. Even if the course meant laps only in 1st gear and at a time in the high 30 second range, it was very cool to watch. Hey, I said full speed, not top speed, right?

The setting is excellent. It doesn't stink like some animal exhibits, there are many shady spots and plenty of tasty food and drink vendors spread around. It's like strolling through multiple parks. The number of vendors selling everything from junk to collectibles, automotive related or not, is staggering. So you're still not convinced? The people watching is better at the show than the zoo, guaranteed.

So while I encourage you to go to the zoo, don't skip the Good Guys show either. You'll enjoy both of them. One last thing, the parking lot at the zoo doesn't have nearly as many interesting "animals" unless you like pigs and cows, er, SUVs and minivans...

picture: Mike's "Sledgehammer" Camaro engine bay. Supercharged and set up for show AND go!

The autotragic Camaro SS

GM has handicapped the new Chevrolet Camaro SS with the optional automatic transmission with 26 less horsepower than the six speed manual version. This is an unusual decision in this day and age. The automatic has come a long way, why penalize a halo muscle car that is making its return after a seven year absence?

The Camaro SS automatic is rated at 400hp and its engine is called the L99 vs. the manual called the LS3. The LS3 is also in the Corvette and the Pontiac G8 GXP. The L99 has an Active Fuel Management System that shuts off cylinders when power demand is minimal. However it also redlines 600rpm lower than the manual and is EPA rated at 25mpg vs. the manual's 24mpg. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/16/2010-chevrolet-camaro-rated-at-29-mpg-highway/ Granted it is an impressive switch since automatics are almost always rated lower. But the appeal of this car is horsepower. Would buyers of $32k muscle car coupes really care that their automatics get slightly worse mileage than their manual counterparts? No.

"Autotragic" is a moniker for cars with an automatic transmission for several reasons, past and present. Reasons included power loss due to the indirect connection to the engine, sluggish shifting, less gears and in the past, even a lesser horsepower rating than the "stick shift" counterparts. Of course consistency on the dragstrip is an advantage, but it is unsuitable for road circuit racing. Slushbox is another nickname for the automatic tranny...
Even in the nineties, the automatic transmission wasn't exactly a big performance penalty and cars like the Corvette and Camaro. While slower than their manual counterparts, they still had good performance figures. The Toyota Supra twin turbo was also considered a strong performer with what was considered one of the stoutest automatic transmissions on the market.
Today automatics have up to 8 forward gears (Lexus) and the power loss gap has closed from decades past with lock-up torque converters among other advances. Mercedes has only offered an automatic for years in their cars. From the early 350hp or, non-supercharged E55 to the 670hp twin turbocharged V-12 SL65 AMG Black Series http://www.mercedes-amg.com/webspecial/sl65blackseries/ These cars are fully respected and have a lot of credibility on the street and even on the dragstrip.

Another oddity about the Camaro horsepower downgrade is its corporate siblings the Corvette and Pontiac G8 GXP both share the same engine but the automatic version has the same horsepower rating. The reason most likely has to due with the technology and hardware for the cylinder deactivation. It sure isn't due to reliability, the G8 and Corvette frame the Camaro in horsepower and weight, and this transmission isn't on the hairy edge longevity. That would be a disaster. Years of Corvette drag racing seem to support this. Currently the "fast list" is on page 205. Look at all the automatics ("A6" means automatic in the list) http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-tech-performance/1893326-c6-1-4-mile-performance-challenge-205.html

What owners of $32k muscle car coupes with a modern paddle-shifted automatics do care about is horsepower. Penalizing the automatic is a mistake. Put the technology in trucks and SUVs if it works in those heavier vehicles, or develop it to equal the manual in horsepower output. But when it comes to the best "bang for the buck" on the market today, don't create the need for an asterik for years to come when potential buyers and owners consider the Camaro SS.