2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Chevrolet Camaro SS - What the Auto Press Says
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS pays due homage to its muscle car past, providing enough power and handling to leave the pickiest of enthusiasts pleased.
Model Overview
The all-new Camaro SS is a performance-tuned variant of the highly anticipated Chevrolet Camaro. Discontinued nearly eight years ago, it rises from the dead in 2010 to compete with the retro-styled opponents of its muscle car past. While resurrecting such a legendary car could have gone horribly wrong, critics and mullet-heads everywhere agree that Chevy got it right. "It was worth the wait," writes Edmunds. "With segment-topping performance and value to complement its striking styling, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is our top pick among modern-day muscle cars."
The 2010 Camaro SS is available in two trims, 1SS and 2SS. The difference lies in their exterior and interior features, not performance components. Drivers may choose between a 426-horsepower V8 engine and a 400-horsepower V8 engine with Active Fuel Management.
Be sure to check for current Chevy deals that may be available on a new Camaro SS. Buy one before November 30 and take advantage of GM's new 60-day money-back guarantee.
- "The Oscar for Best Fulfillment of Ponycar Hopes & Dreams goes to...Chevrolet (standing ovation, cheers, applause, whoops and hollering, delirious tears). 'You like me! You like me! You really like me!' Yes, reborn 2010 Camaro, we do. An awful lot. (Sorry, but we're going to plant the kiss on Halle Berry anyway.)" -- Motor Trend
- "The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is not perfect, but it's perfectly enticing in all of the good ways that come with a classic car flexing its muscle after a seven-year rest." -- Detroit News
- "Could it be better? Absolutely, but at least its deficiencies involve its interior detailing more than its dynamics. Besides, in these tumultuous, unpredictable times, we should celebrate the mere fact that cars like this are here at all. Welcome to the herd, little pony." -- Car and Driver
- "The Camaro SS's combination of price, performance, and panache topples the existing muscle car order. ... Loyal Chevy fans who've waited six years for this day finally have the car than they deserve. The new Camaro also has the breadth of character needed to draw defectors back from the import brink. Before the fuel runs out, drivers who've been content with four- and six-cylinder power - hot or not - should experience life on the road with a 400-plus horsepower thumper under their hood." -- Automobile Magazine
The Bottom Line
If you're in the market for an old school muscle car that actually lives up to its bad boy image, the Camaro SS makes a great buy. If, however, you're more into the look than the performance, save around $10K and opt for a Camaro LS, 1LT or 2LT instead. Equipped with a 304-horsepower V6 engine, it's still a powerful car for everyday driving -- just not as high-performance as its SS sibling.
Before signing on the dotted line, be sure to test drive a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. It's just as fast as the Camaro, but packs additional horsepower for a meaner punch.
Performance Dynamics
Test drivers are impressed by the Camaro SS' ability to reach mind-numbing speeds while maintaining solid road composure. Their only complaint is that the Camaro SS' steering lacks road feel. However, at least one reviewer thinks that's not such a bad thing.
The Camaro SS comes equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 426-horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm. Chevy calls this engine the LS3, and it's also featured in the Corvette and G8 GXP. Optional for the SS is the L99 -- a 6.2-liter V8 engine with Active Fuel Management, which allows drivers to turn off half of the Camaro's cylinders to improve fuel economy. It produces 400-horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 410 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm. While the LS3 is mated to a six-speed manual transmission with Performance Launch Control, the L99 features a six-speed automatic with tapshift control.
Though the EPA has not yet rated the Camaro's fuel economy, Chevy says it nets a city/highway fuel economy of 16/24 with the manual transmission and 16/25 mpg with the automatic.
Standard performance components include a rack-and-pinion steering system, fully independent front and rear suspensions, and Brembo high-performance brakes. What's more, a StabiliTrak electronic stability control system -- which utilizes an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Traction Control to enhance overall stability in slippery conditions -- is standard. Drivers, however, can choose to set the StabiliTrak system to "competitive/sport mode" when track racing. In this mode, StabiliTrak only kicks in when control is severely compromised.
- "That SS badge seduces you with the knowledge of a head-tossing 426 horses. Despite the engine's strength, (all 410-pound-feet of torque), it never feels overbearing during acceleration. I expected raw rubber peeling muscle but found a refined responsive powerplant. ... What I didn't like was how loose the steering felt in my hands. I wanted more resistance and feedback while holding the wheel through turns. The return to center was fine, but I couldn't feel the road as much as I would have liked. This attribute, however, may make the Camaro even better for daily driving, where mind-numbing commutes on highways fill our time (and not the fast, twisty roads leading us to Hell, or even Chelsea for that matter)." -- Detroit News
- "With the six-speed automatic, the Camaro SS can hit 60 mph in a scant 4.6 seconds, with the quarter-mile arriving in 13.1 at 109 mph. At 4.8 seconds, the Camaro with the six-speed manual takes 0.2 second longer to hit 60 but overtakes the automatic by the quarter-mile mark, clocking 13 seconds flat at 111 mph." -- Car and Driver
- "We next tried the [six-speed manual transmission's] launch control: At rest and with the clutch disengaged, simply floor the throttle. The computer automatically summons 4000 rpm. Just dump the clutch for a wicked burnout and you're off. It's certainly a consistent way to go, but we found the feature slower by at least two-tenths of a second. So for max attack, launch manually." -- Popular Mechanics
- "Two handy modes are available with the [six-speed automatic] shifter slotted into the lower M position. The Sport mode has a shift schedule programmed for maximum acceleration. The Manual mode, engaged by pressing either of the two spoke mounted 'TAPshift' buttons, holds each gear until the driver calls for a shift. The only bummer is that the plastic paddles visible behind the spokes don't handle the shifting." -- Automobile Magazine
- "Handling is inspiring, too. Driven hard, the SS remains impressively planted on seriously bumpy roads. Divots that would send the old Camaro into the weeds hardly ruffle this one. There's grip galore, good balance with the antiskid electronics off--it's agile for a pony car and it has reliable stability and composure. Again, the steering may be the weakest link in an otherwise formidable chain. Getting comfortable with the steering requires familiarity before it feels accurate, and that is aggravated in the SS thanks to high-grip Pirelli P Zeros that want to grab every pavement nook and cranny." -- AutoWeek
- "Out on the road, what the Camaro gives up in precision, it makes up in pure ride quality. This car is downright comfortable! And due to its independent rear suspension, bumps don't make the Camaro SS 'hopping' mad. Sure, push the Camaro SS hard and you'll encounter a fair amount of understeer -- there's no escaping the car's plentiful 3860-lb. curb weight. Luckily, the 14.0-in. 4-piston Brembo front brakes (14.4 at the rear) are up to the task of getting the Camaro SS slowed down quickly." -- Road and Track
