DetN Shocker! Scott Burgess Not 100% Sold on Camaro
Today’s the day that the embargo on Camaro reviews ends. First, as a taxpayer, a big thank you to all the automotive publications and websites that abided by the terms of GM’s proscription. You’ve helped my corporate beneficiary concentrate its marketing firepower for maximum effect. Second, I want to re-iterate my suspicion—based on historical precedent—that all Camaros tested were “ringers” (specially built and prepared versions). And third, I’d like to point out that Detroit News carmudgeon Scott Burgess and I share something: we both hate people. OK, I hate the lies that people tell and Scott hates anyone who hates Detroit. I’ve said time and again that the number of people who actually care enough to hate Detroit is statistically irrelevant. But Scott’s world is constantly under imaginary assault from people who vilify the cars he loves. Which, needless to say, includes the new Camaro. Althoughly, strangely, Scott doesn’t bless with his 100 percent seal of approval. In fact, reading between the lines, the new Camaro’s not even a 90 percent car. First the ho-sannahs . . .
The new Camaro demonstrates how a muscle car can evolve — it may share its name with its predecessor but it offers a much smoother ride and more comfortable interior. The new Camaro is eerily quiet while cruising. The four-wheel independent suspension, as well as the car’s heft — it weighs 3,769 pounds at its lightest — smooth out the ride…
The Camaro felt remarkably agile on the road — perhaps a product of extremely sticky tires — 20-inchers on the SS and 18s on the base model LS. Whipping through a corner, the body stayed flat and the tires never lost their grip despite the power coursing through the rear axle.
In between those two heaps of praise (tagged “turnaround, GM, Chevy, triumphalism”)…
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).
OK, Burgess’ complaint comes with a ready-made excuse (in the great American car reviewing tradition). But dash it all, that dash!
But the dash, especially on the passenger side, felt like there was too much plastic and the muted chrome finish, which is also plastic, took away from the deeply recessed speedometer and tachometer.
And then, of course, once again, Burgess ends by parading his Everest-sized shoulder chip.
Now, I can see the flood of e-mails coming: Why build this car? What is Chevy thinking? My guess: Chevy wants to sell cars. And people will buy this one. If you’re not a fan of beefy machines or just can’t remove that stick jammed up your attitude, don’t buy one.
But when you see those squinting headlights and the slit of the scoop accenting the V-shaped hood in your rearview mirror, and you hear a deep-throated downshift, please edge over to the shoulder and let it pass. Trust me; it’ll only take a second.
Translation: if you don’t like this car, NSFW you, you whiney, limp-wristed tree hugging Detroit-hating bastard. Or something like that. Anyway, as soon as production cars hit the dealerships, we’ll have our review. But not before. Oh, and I wonder what the WaPo’s Warren Brown will make of this car. Love Detroit. Hate muscle cars. Can’t. Make. Decision.
More by Robert Farago
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GM only keeps these camaros out of rental car hell if the public buys them retail. There are always two mountains to climb with a new model like camaro. First, it has to sell to a group of likely car buyers in quantity, secondly it has to make conquest sales from competiors. This car cannot take sales away from other GM lines as this will leave chevy where it started. I think camaro does some of this, however, this is not 1964, and it won't be a game changer like mustang was for Ford. Therefore, GM does not sink or swim on the outcome of this particular battle. You need a pipeline full of constantly hitting models to change the fortunes of a company like GM. In the 50's and 60's, GM perfected this talent with annual model changes across their entire lineup.Not even the Japanese can do that type of design change, but they have models with the five year staying power that will give them breathing room to get the next model out. Here is where your consumer reports and JD Power give them partners in marketing.