Road Test: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

The Camaro name is legendary among fans of American muscle cars. It ranks right up there with Ford’s Mustang and Dodge’s Challenger in the A-list of US street cars – performance vehicles aimed at the common man.

Indeed, the Camaro was originally conceived in response to the Mustang. The first generation was unleashed by Chevrolet in 1966 and 43 years later, it’s back, in its fifth generation and after a seven year absence. Perhaps spurred to revive the Camaro name by the success of the Mustang, Chevrolet has ensured that the two old adversaries are squaring up again.

We’ve yet to drive the Mustang – we’ll be doing so very soon – but Ford will need something very impressive to compete against the Camaro. It’s already got an image boost from its appearance in the new Transformers movies, but this is no toy. It’s a proper performance car, and we like it a lot.

The looks of the car strike a great balance between retro and futuristic. The classic muscle car shape remains – high shoulders, low roof and a big, open face housing the grille and frowning headlights. But the Camaro still manages to look defiantly 21st century, with slick looking dual exhausts, a muscular stance and 20-inch alloy wheels as standard. Shame about the fake vents in the bonnet of the SS and the filled-in vents in the rear arches, though.

Inside, the quality is of a pleasantly high calibre – not up to that of Toyota or Volkswagen, but much better than Chevrolets of recent years. Although there are a few areas of hard plastic, they all feel like they’ve been screwed together well. Despite the size of the car, it feels somewhat cramped inside, especially if, like me, you’re fairly tall. Even with the seat at its lowest setting, my head was brushing the roof and I had to recline more than I’d like. Thankfully the steering wheel adjusts for both rake and reach, offsetting the discomfort a little.

The design inside is again a mix of old and new. The bold, square instrument gauges and the cluster of four square gauges in the centre console are the most obvious hark back to Camaros of old, but there’s plenty of modern kit too. There’s a six-CD changer, cruise control and optional Bluetooth phone connectivity and USB support for iPods. The seats are supportive and comfy, with leather upholstery and electric adjustment as standard.  Don’t try and use the rear seats for anything other than luggage or very small children though – it’s severely cramped back there.

Officially, there are two version of the 2010 Camaro in the Middle East, but in reality there are three. The entry-level model is the V6-powered LT, sporting a 304bhp 3.6-litre engine under the bonnet and available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic.

The same options are available for the V8-sporting SS, but the engines for the manual and automatic versions are different. The six-speed manual is attached to a 6.2-litre engine that develops 422 bhp. It’s a treat, classically V8 in character with a lovely boom from the exhaust and plenty of grunt low in the rev range. The gearbox is decent too, with a short-ish throw and a nice clunky action. It feels hefty, as everything in a muscle car should, without being so industrial that you need both hands to move it.

The automatic car sports a different 6.2-litre V8 – called the L99 – and has slightly less power (402bhp) but benefits from some very clever technology that can tell when you’re driving with vigour. Pitch in to a corner and vary the power with your right foot, and it will recognise the forces involve and hold you in gear – no more unexpected shifts that mess up the balance of the car. The auto SS also comes with paddle shifters on the steering wheel if you still want to change any of the six cogs yourself, as well as launch control for the perfect start from the line.

If you drive the manual and automatic SS back to back, you can just about notice the 20bhp difference in power. But both are great fun, and both are seriously quick. Pin the throttle and you’ll be pushed back in your seat, accompanied by a wide grin and a growling exhaust. If you’re so inclined, you can switch the traction control and electronic stability control and smoke the rear tyres to your heart’s content. And if you’re buying a muscle car, you really should do so every now and again.

The worry with a muscle car is that it’s mechanically simple and therefore powerful in a straight line, but woeful through the corners. Not so with the Camaro. It’s no Porsche, but with independent suspension at each corner (no old-school live rear axles here – pay attention, Mustang) it’s nimble and predictable. And fun. Lots of fun.

Thankfully, not at the expense of comfort. We covered plenty of fast

sweeping roads as well as motorways during our time with both the automatic and manual SSs, and not once did we feel uncomfortable. You really could drive this car everyday without worry of back pain.

GM has had plenty of problems and duff vehicles of recent years, but we reckon the 2010 Camaro SS hits the mark. It’s arguably better looking and certainly more powerful than the Mustang V8, which can only manage 315bhp against 400bhp-plus in the Camaro SS. We’ll try the Mustang soon and bring you our verdict once we’ve drive it, but for now, we’re very taken with the Camaro.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Price (AED): from 160,000. LT models start at 120,000

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Max power (bhp): 422 (manual), 402 (auto)

Max torque (Nm): 570 (manual), 560 (auto)

Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive

Trim levels: LT, SS

Standard safety features: StabiliTrak (ABS, electronic stability control, active braking system), driver and passenger airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system.