2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT Coupe

Chevrolet reinvents its legendary two-plus-two for the twenty-first century

By Nina Russin

2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS

The Camaro may not be an active lifestyle vehicle, but it’s a car close to my heart. Last May, I parted ways with the 1994 Camaro Z28 that I bought new.

The name, Camaro, comes from the French word “camarade,” meaning “companion, or partner.” My Camaro was truly that. In addition to being my daily driver for many years, it was the car I made my last cross-country trip with my mother in, as well as many shorter trips through the Midwest, Arizona, and up the California coast.

By the time I sold the car, the cloth seats were stained with sweat from morning runs here in Phoenix. The folding cover over the storage well was chewed up as well: a victim of repeated crushing from cameras, lighting, duffel bags, coolers, and heaven knows what else I stuffed in back. My two cats rode with me on the cross-country trip: something neither ever forgave me for.

The old F-Body wasn’t a perfect car. Many of my colleagues commented on the solid rear axle, which lacked the finesse of an independent rear end. The exterior styling wasn’t exciting, and the interior certainly wouldn’t have won any design competitions.

None of this mattered to me, because nothing beat the Camaro when it came to horsepower for the money. The Z28’s six-speed ZF manual transmission was icing on the cake.

Out with the old, in with the new

Following an eight-year hiatus, the Camaro returns to the showroom for 2010. In many ways, the new car is a huge improvement over the old one, with a fully-independent suspension, more powerful engines, and a host of interactive features to entice the driver.

The 2010 Camaro’s styling comes closer to heritage models from the 1960s and 70s than the F-Body. Its wide, smiling grille, bulbous front end, huge wheels, and snub rear deck remind me of the cars I grew up with.

There are three available engines: a V6 rated at 304 horsepower, and two V8 blocks rated at 400 and 426 horsepower. All are available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Read the rest of this entry »