2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible Review

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible. Side effects may include elevated heart rate.

Go ahead, stare. I'll wait.

That, frankly, was the only thing that kept me from jumping in and twisting the key when they dropped off the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible. I had to look. For a long time. The thing was just incredibly gorgeous. A perfect blend of sensuality and menace.

Regular TireKicker readers know we haven't given a bad review to the re-born Camaro. We liked the SS coupe, and found that the 6-cylinder RS coupe was a big-time winner, as well. The only complaint we've ever had about the new Camaro was how dark the interior was...a combination of high doorsills, a low roof, minimal glass area and a sea of black plastic.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible from the rear. No, there is no bad angle.

Problem solved. Not only does the convertible allow light and visibility, with the top down, the Camaro looks slimmer, sleeker...and even more desirable.

My only complaint now? That Chevy remembered to come get it at the end of the week.

The tester was the Camaro 2SS Convertible. That takes the 426-horsepower 6.2 liter V8, 20-inch bright painted aluminum wheels, four-piston Brembo vented front disc brakes, SS front and rear styling treatment, seat embroidery and limited-slip differential and adds leather-appointed seats, a heads-up display, the four-gauge cluster on the console (just like the '67-'69), a Boston Acoustics 8-speaker premium audio system, Bluetooth and a USB port. Starting price: $39,650. Ours had just one option, the RS Package, which swapped out the wheels for 20X8s in the front and 20X9s in the rear, with a midnight silver finish, HID headlamps with a halo ring and RS taillamps. That's $1,200. Fold in $850 for destination charge, and the bottom line is $41.700.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible interior. Ahhh, much better.

So what's it like from behind the wheel? Fast. Like 4.8 to 60 and 13-second quarter miles. Furious...as in the engine note when you leave it in second and tromp on it (it makes great sounds in third and fourth, too). And then there's the other "F" word. Fun. Like little kids waving from inside the minivan in the next lane...teenagers doing 180s on their skateboards to look as you go by...pretty girls giving you looks (yes, it's the car...but you're IN it) you haven't seen in years.

And let's face it. There aren't many cars available today that can make all those things happen. There are some that can't make any of those things happen. And apart from a Mustang GT Convertible, there aren't any others who can make it happen for $41,700 as tested...and get an EPA estimated 16 city/24 highway in the process (the Mustang has 24 horsepower less, but is smaller, lighter and gets 17 city/26 highway).

When the ponycar and muscle car era of the late 60s came to a screeching halt in the early 70s, a lot of people thought the party was over for good. Well, it took a while, but not only are they back...they're better performers than they were 40-plus years ago.

Happy days are here again.

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Chevrolet Camaro RS Review

The wait between thinly disguised show car and production Camaro was so long that a lot of people were predicting the real thing would be a dud...that the public would be bored silly before the first one was sold.

Boy, were they wrong.

No, it's not going to be 1967 all over again, when 220,000 Camaros rolled out of showrooms and into driveways across America...100,000 is probably more like it. But in this day and age, that's an impressive number for a limited-use vehicle (have you tried the back seat?) with two more or less equally attractive direct competitors.

Part of the appeal here has to be the magic Chevy has wrought with the base V6. At 305 horsepower, it's five horsepower more than the '09 Mustang V8, and only ten less than the 2010 Mustang V8. The fact that it can get 29 miles per gallon on the highway no doubt sweetens the deal for newly-green buyers.

And then there's the look. It takes a lot of critical thinking to get past the "Wow!" stage when you walk up to the new Camaro, especially in the right color (ours was the yellow you see above). Once that critical thinking is mustered, though, the only downer is the car seems a bit big...especially if you've been exposed to the first-gen (1967-69) car this one emulates. But the truth is, there's no way to build a car with the capabilities of this one, and the equipment the government mandates and buyers demand and have it be as light and lithe as the ones from 40 years ago.

Inside is where a lot of the "Wow!" factor evaporates. It's dark inside...and it's not helped by the high doors and low roofline that reduce glass space all around. Over time, you get used to it, but you'll never fall in love.

And the cluster of gauges down on the floor console? Well, we've learned way too much about ergonomics and keeping our eyes on the road the past four decades to think that's anything but a gimmick with no real value for the driver.

Ah...driving.

For the purposes of television, I took the RS out to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving near Phoenix and spent half an hour or so on the autocross track. The RS handles sweetly...especially given its size and weight. The SS, with a heavier 425-horsepower V8 over its nose, probably won't move as nimbly.

Base price starts in the 22s...our tester bottom-lined at $30,160. These days, for this kind of performance, that's a bargain. It goes a long way toward explaining how Camaro is overcoming a late start, stiff competition, a bad economy and a burgeoning "sports cars=bad" mentality with a car that draws its inspiration from before its target buyers were born.

UPDATE: Did another week in another RS recently...this one with a six-speed manual...makes a big difference in performance (which is already stellar)...and kept the  price below $30K ($29,175). EPA estimates 17 city/29 highway.

If only Chevy can fix the interior darkness and visibility issues (beyond suggesting we buy the 2011 Camaro Convertible, that is)

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Chevrolet Posts Topless Photos To Facebook: 2011 Camaro Convertible

It's just a fact of modern life...drop your top in front of a camera, and it's going to wind up on the internet. But this isn't the work of an ex-boyfriend a disgruntled GM employee...not an invasion of presumed privacy by the long lens of Brenda Priddy.  Nope, Chevrolet has found its inner exhibitionist and outed the 2011 Camaro Convertible with the first official photos (two of them).....on its own Facebook page.

Oh, Chevy, you tease.

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2011 Camaro V6 To Mustang: I'll See Your 305 And Raise You 7

A mere two weeks after Ford announced a 305 horsepower rating for the 2011 V6 Mustang, (one more than the 2010 Camaro's 304), the Bowtie Boys are upping the ante by raising the horsepower rating for their six to 312.

Full details (how they did it, new colors, a heads-up display and production date) from the GM press release here....and discussion on the GM Inside News forums here.

                                  

Upgrade your Mustang from a stock hood with aftermarket Mustang hoods from AmericanMuscle.

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2011 Mustang V6: More HP Than Camaro Six, Cheaper Too

The legendary pony car battles of the 1960s usually centered around the most powerful V8 versions.

Things change in 40 years. The 2011 Mustang V6 hits showroom floors next month with 305 horsepower...exactly one more than the Chevrolet Camaro six.

Not enough to move your needle? Ford figured. So they're pricing the 'Stang six at $22,925...$535 below the Camaro's base price.

Don't expect this to stand, though...GM's already reportedly at work on bumping up the output of their six-cylinder engine, and we could see a price war here as well.

Give your Mustang an aggressive look with a Mustang chin spoiler from AmericanMuscle.

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