New 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

What:  The rebirth of the quintessential Chevy muscle car.

When: A coupe in the first three months of 2009, with a convertible to follow a year later

Price Range: Pricing for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has not been released


New For 2009

When Chevrolet introduced the 2007 Camaro concept at the Detroit auto show, it immediately set the automotive world abuzz.  Hailed as the return of the muscle car, the Camaro was considered by many to be a success even before a single car has rolled off the line.  Cutting-edge styling, nostalgic appeal and a staring turn in a Hollywood blockbuster (Transformers) have made the Chevrolet Camaro one of the most anticipated cars of 2009.  It was supposed to do battle with the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, its old rivals from the 1960's and 70's, in a glorious return to the days of heavy American steel.

But no one outside of GM has driven the retro-monster, and high gas prices may drive the Camaro to the muscle-car graveyard. The Mustang is getting lighter for 2010 in a quest for higher gas mileage, Dodge is now focusing on smaller engines in Challenger advertising, and rumors are swirling about how GM will manage to launch a muscle car in an era of $4 a gallon gas. The Camaro has been delayed several times, and GM currently calls it a 2010 model but says it will reach showrooms early in 2009. At its official July reveal, Chevrolet announced that the Camaro would be available with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, leading many analysts to question GM's timing on this car.  In a partial answer to those critics, a 3.6-liter V6 will also be available, which the manufacturer says will manage about 26 mpg.   

What The Auto Press Says

The Camaro concept was greeted with great enthusiasm when it bowed in 2007.  The automotive press, for the most part, still loves the car, but they aren't sure whether it has a place in today's market.  Surging gas prices might have made the heavy Camaro, with its emphasis on power, a bad idea before the first model is sold.  With so many things up in the air about the car, the press is mostly groping for details.

To see the highly-anticipated muscle car for yourself, see our slideshow.

  • "Although there are some aspects of the car we'd like to see refined a bit more, we are glad GM isn't straying too far from the concept car we loved so much."  -- Car and Driver
  • "An insider who's driven the car says the performance of the new Camaro 'will take 35 years off your life.'" -- Road and Track
  • "While the smoothly curvaceous Challenger looked like it was simply reissued, though in a somewhat more modern size because of its Chrysler LX underpinnings, the Camaro concept had a more contemporary and angular appearance that looked cutting edge." -- New Car Test Drive
  • GM Product Development Czar Bob Lutz told Autoweek that, with regard to price, GM isn't "going to try and match the Mustang on price. We are going to be premium-priced compared to the Mustang." Explaining the decision, he added, "We have a very sophisticated suspension system and, frankly, a much nicer interior."-- Autoweek

Key Details

Underneath its aggressive skin, the Camaro will share much of its architecture with the far-more-pedestrian Pontiac G8.  Both ride on GM's Zeta platform, which was first developed by Holden, GM's Australian division.  Zeta platform cars are large, rear-wheel drive, and used a multilink rear suspension that should allow the Camaro to out-corner the smaller Mustang, which has always been limited by its archaic live axle.   

Engine options for the Camaro were announced at a July, 2008 press event.  At the top of the range will be an SS model with a 6.2-liter 422-horsepower V8. In the current sales climate, the SS will probably be a low-volume performance model meant to win magazine covers and keep the Challenger from too many bragging rights. Still, Chevy claims that its V8 can achieve 23 mpg with the help of an Active Fuel Management system that de-activates some cylinders for highway cruising -- though that feature in only available on Camaros equipped with automatic transmissions.  A direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 is the engine likely to power most Camaros. That engine puts out 304 hp, and Chevrolet says it is rated for 26 mpg on the highway in the Camaro.  Rumors had suggested that the 260-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder that drives the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky could appear under Camaro hoods, but GM has elected not to pursue that option for 2010. Six-speed manual or automatic transmissions will be offered. Stability and traction control will be standard on all models, as will side and head curtain air bags.

Inside, the Camaro interior carries on the retro theme of the concept car, with modern round gauges recessed into square housings meant to evoke the 1969 Camaro. Modern touches include ambient lighting provided by led light piping throughout the cabin, Bluetooth connectivity and XM satellite radio.