RE: Driven: Camaro 45th Anniversary edition

RE: Driven: Camaro 45th Anniversary edition

Thursday 1st November 2012

Driven: Camaro 45th Anniversary edition

Continuing this week's fixation with American iron we drive a Camaro on UK soil...



How we snigger about American cars. All straight-line muscle and knuckle-dragging engineering, right? Quick in the stop-light drag race but show 'em a set of proper corners and it all falls apart, right?

Retro chic, American style
Retro chic, American style
Kind of.

Thing is, 'our' cars have almost got too good. All those decades of expertise, all that high tech and what are we left with? A generation of intensely serious, overly complex Terminator-style machines boasting seven-minute-something Nurburgring laps and yet unable to engage in the five per cent of their performance envelope available to anyone wishing to hold onto their driving licence.

The Camaro, at least in supercharged ZL1 form, (you have to say it 'zee', not 'zed' too...) does in fact boast a seven-minute-something 'ring lap too. But it also manages something the Ms, AMGs, RSes and similar seem to have forgotten about - good old-fashioned entertainment. It's the Hollywood blockbuster to the intense European art-house cinema if you will. You know you probably should nod in silent appreciation at the subtitled complexity. But sometimes it's just nice to stuff your face with popcorn, hoot with laughter and just get swept away by the sheer exuberance of it all.

Not (completely) out of its depth here
Not (completely) out of its depth here
Gee, shucks, etc
And that's exactly what this Camaro does. The 45th Anniversary pack (+£1,500) gave us the excuse to book one in and after marvelling at the usual stuff - overall dimensions, yeehaw engine capacity, LHD novelty, comedy fuel consumption, annoying bonging any time you do ANYTHING so much as open a door or window - the real surprise was it's actually a rather good car.

Not at a rational level, obviously. It drinks fuel, it's massive and yet the rear seat space is less than you'd get in a 911.

But it doesn't take long before you start thinking, hang on, maybe it's actually a lot more relevant than we give it credit for. You see, time spent with the Camaro is just fun. It's a goofy extrovert of a car, all bear hugs and dig you in the ribs banter.

Yup, that's a stick shift right there...
Yup, that's a stick shift right there...
And it's really nicely done. Sure, a lot of it is pure retro pastiche. But it's been carried out with taste and works really well. So you've got classic dials, including a four-pack of supplementary gauges on the transmission tunnel, that hark back to Camaros of old but are bathed in a cool, modern LED glow. And the exterior styling, if perhaps 10 per cent too big, looks fabulous and all the better for being utterly unashamed.

Easy rider
It rolls on 20-inch wheels but there's plenty of sidewall in the tyres so it rumbles over your typical potholed urban tarmac with an easy-going comfort that makes a mockery of S line or M Sport bone shakery. It's also happy to just trundle along at 30mph in sixth, making urban driving much more relaxing than in cars that seem constantly straining on the leash. Now running a Euro-tuned FE4 suspension package (optional to American buyers) with stiffer anti-roll bars nor does it flop about or wallow like some beached whale when the roads turn faster and twistier either. You feel the size on a B-road, sure, but dynamically it's not out of its depth.

Hidden under plastic but the V8 is there...
Hidden under plastic but the V8 is there...
The powertrain is delightfully old-school and muscular too, the flat-sided Hurst shifter snicking round a tight, mechanical gate with precision and the 6.2-litre V8 delivering its 432hp over a broad sweep of revs. A bit more noise wouldn't do any harm - if you're going to live with low teens mpg you may as well get something for your money - but that can no doubt be addressed should you so desire. Likewise a nagging doubt that, just perhaps, a bit more of a kick in the ribs wouldn't go amiss. Something the ZL1will give you, no doubt.

All-American fun
It's just fun, basically. You can indulge in gratuitous blipping, smear a little rubber around the place if you so desire and it's all delivered with easy-going accessibility that brings a smile to your face any time you're in the thing. Sure, you'd be faster in plenty of other stuff. But like a GT86 or BRZ (and this is about where the similarities end) it's a car about sensations, not numbers.

It is what it is and makes no apologies for that. Roll with it though and you find yourself surprised at just how relevant the Camaro has finally become after nearly half a century. For not much more than a fancy hot hatch it's a hell of a lot of car...


CAMARO 45th ANNIVERSARY
Engine:
6,162cc V8
Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 432@5,900rpm
Torque (lb ft): 420@4,600rpm
0-62mph: 5.2 sec
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,769kg
MPG: 20mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 329g/km
Price: £35,025 (£36,495 as tested)







 

 

 

Author
Discussion

aston addict

Original Poster:

418 posts

157 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Stunning car - far more character than an equivalent BMW / Mercedes / Audi and I bet a far nicer sound. Just a pity it's so expensive compared to the cost in the USA...

BauerMillett

9 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Are you sure it had an L99 engine?

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Harumph, call that a review! You haven't even mentioned that it must surely have a sh*t interior.

Personally, I love American car haters as it reminds me of the Elvis Costello line "Spend all your money getting so convinced that you never even bothered to look".

I once regarded Yank muscle cars as irrelevant and somewhat comical until I actually bought my first Corvette and I've had an American car ever since. Everything else is just transport. Just to get in of a morning and fire up that V8 is worth the entrance price alone. You'll never get that with a Euroblob.

AdeTuono

7,240 posts

226 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
BauerMillett said:
Are you sure it had an L99 engine?
AFAIK, the L99 only comes with an auto trans.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
BauerMillett said:
Are you sure it had an L99 engine?
Camaro press pack said:
While fuel economy might not be high on the priority list of a Camaro owner, the Active Fuel Management system on the L99 engine automatically shuts down four of the eight cylinders during light load operations, improving fuel consumption by as much as 7.5%.
Which is interesting! 'L99' does indeed seem linked with an earlier 4.3 engine though. But then the plot thickens further:

Wikipedia said:
L99
(For the 4.3 L (260 cu in) Generation II engine of the same RPO, see GM LT Engine)
The L99 is derived from the LS3 with reduced output but adds Active Fuel Management (formerly called Displacement on Demand), which allows it to run on only four cylinders during light load conditions.
So it must be true, etc. wink Anyone?!

Dan

brakes

104 posts

139 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Lusifer - Agreed. I never saw the point in these sort of cars until I rented a Mustang in the states last year. It loses marks immediately due to being absolutely massive, with a really cheap-feeling interior. They feel slow at first, too (granted, mine was a 200bhp rental model, not the 400bhp models you'd actually want to buy), but put your foot, and after the auto-box has consulted friends around the world and finally shifted into the right gear, it makes a loud noise, the bonnet lifts up and you start moving. Fantastic.

I really want one - Perhaps not enough to put up with insuring an import or having the wheel on the 'wrong' side, but a RHD version at a sensible conversion of the dollar price would be right up my street.

BauerMillett

9 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Dan Trent said:
BauerMillett said:
Are you sure it had an L99 engine?
Camaro press pack said:
While fuel economy might not be high on the priority list of a Camaro owner, the Active Fuel Management system on the L99 engine automatically shuts down four of the eight cylinders during light load operations, improving fuel consumption by as much as 7.5%.
Which is interesting! 'L99' does indeed seem linked with an earlier 4.3 engine though. But then the plot thickens further:

Wikipedia said:
L99
(For the 4.3 L (260 cu in) Generation II engine of the same RPO, see GM LT Engine)
The L99 is derived from the LS3 with reduced output but adds Active Fuel Management (formerly called Displacement on Demand), which allows it to run on only four cylinders during light load conditions.
So it must be true, etc. wink Anyone?!

Dan
Sorry, I wasn't really asking a question. I was just pointing out that the article was incorrect. It definitely will have had an LS3 as the L99 was only used on the automatic car.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
That's fine! And worth clarifying if wrong; in our defence we were working with the information supplied to us but if that's wrong then it's wrong!

I'll amend accordingly.

Great car either way too, I very much enjoyed my time with it.

Dan

BauerMillett

9 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
You know when you say something in your head and it sounds reasonable, then you read it back after you've written it and you realise you sound like a bit of an arse?

The manual is a really fun drive, and the one I'd choose. But the auto does seem to be a better fit for most people and what they want to do with the car.

willisit

2,141 posts

230 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Ah if they'd only bring the ZL1 this way...

sootyrumble

295 posts

185 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
I was thinking and an interesting point to be made is while the fuel consumption may be pap its around £20k less than a BMW M3, now consider fuel @ £1:39/ltr thats 14,388.49ltr's or 3,165 gallons and say an average of 15mpg for that beast its still 47,475 free miles of driving thats been saved :-) which is one hell of alot.

And considering most of the BMW forums say they actually only average 16 to 18mpg in their m3's and it has to run on premium unleaded its starts to make alot of sense :-D

GroundEffect

13,819 posts

155 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
If only it wasn't LHD! That's a killer right away.

aww999

2,068 posts

260 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
It's nice to read a review that immediately grasps the point of these new american muscle cars. Any dynamic drawbacks compared to a polished M3/RS4 only make it more fun! A car built to put a grin on your face, rather than transport you as quickly as possible with minimal drama.

gt500nick

960 posts

137 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
rather have a mustang

BUG4LIFE

2,007 posts

217 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
GroundEffect said:
If only it wasn't LHD! That's a killer right away.
Why?

M666 EVO

1,124 posts

161 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
So you was in Wapping with this brute and didn't even ask if I was free for a beer? Grrr

PascalBuyens

2,868 posts

281 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Dan Trent said:
BauerMillett said:
Are you sure it had an L99 engine?
Camaro press pack said:
While fuel economy might not be high on the priority list of a Camaro owner, the Active Fuel Management system on the L99 engine automatically shuts down four of the eight cylinders during light load operations, improving fuel consumption by as much as 7.5%.
Which is interesting! 'L99' does indeed seem linked with an earlier 4.3 engine though. But then the plot thickens further:

Wikipedia said:
L99
(For the 4.3 L (260 cu in) Generation II engine of the same RPO, see GM LT Engine)
The L99 is derived from the LS3 with reduced output but adds Active Fuel Management (formerly called Displacement on Demand), which allows it to run on only four cylinders during light load conditions.
So it must be true, etc. wink Anyone?!

Dan
432bhp LS3 engine available in the manual.

The 6.2 L99 is the one in the automatic transmission equipped car, and has Active Fuel Management and "only" 400bhp.

RevolveR

227 posts

139 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
I want one so badly if only they made it RHD.

PascalBuyens

2,868 posts

281 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
What's the big fuss about the LHD/RHD issue?

I NEVER had any issue with driving a RHD car on the mainland or a LHD in UK.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Thursday 1st November 2012
quotequote all
Cool car and I like, but still not sure on the looks of these new 5th Gens.......