QOTD: The $40,000 Question

With average transaction prices marching steadily northwards, thanks to the outsized Monroneys of pickup trucks and large SUVs, the internet is awash with digital ink bemoaning that the “average” American can’t afford a new car anymore.

We’ll leave that particular fulmination for another day. Now, however, we’ll put a question to you: with ATPs in the mid-$30k range, let’s round it up to an even $40,000. What single car, truck, or SUV would you buy for that sum?

This question was inspired by a conversation at our sister site AutoGuide, where the gearheads at that publication selected the BMW 230i Coupe, Genesis G70 Sport, and Audi S3. Inspired choices. My pick? The current model year Camaro SS.

Stickering at $37,995 including freight, the 1SS trim is endowed with the hand-of-God 6.2-liter V8 engine that makes 455 horsepower and an equal amount of torque. Brembo-branded four piston stoppers and 20-inch summer stickies, measuring 245 in the front and 275 in the rear, help keep a measure of handling once the V8 is uncorked.

Speaking of uncorking that excellent engine, the Camaro 1SS price tag allows for a few options, including the $895 dual-mode exhaust. With still a bit of extra change in my pocket, I’d also tick the boxes for a $215 strut tower brace and $610 front splitter that looks great but whose only functional purpose for most buyers will be to chop the feet off bystanders. In a fit of vanity, I also selected the $145 chrome Camaro fender badge. Out the door, it comes to $39,925.

My biggest beef with the 2019 Camaro SS is the new placement of its bowtie badge on the front fascia. Dropping it below the horizontal headlight line gives the thing such a long face that it looks as if it could use a Zoloft prescription. My suggested fix to Chevy is shown above.

How about you? On what vehicle would you spoil forty grand?

[Images: General Motors]