essays & effluvia: A Muscle Car to the Rescue for GM

Thursday, July 09, 2009

A Muscle Car to the Rescue for GM

Amid the gloom of bankruptcy and a miserable market for new vehicles, G.M.’s new Chevrolet Camaro muscle car is winning over consumers looking for a little excitement in a bland landscape of look-alike sedans and watered-down sport utilities. G.M. sold 9,300 Camaros during the month of June — more than either its entire Buick or Cadillac divisions could muster on their own. And with G.M. expected to emerge Friday from bankruptcy as a newly constituted company, it is hardly surprising that the Camaro will play a starring role in the company’s coming-out party and news conference at G.M.’s Detroit headquarters

The Chevrolet Camaro, a working-class hero of the 1967-2002 model years, has been reintroduced for 2010. At left, the Camaro SS model.

The Camaro's arrival completes a baby boomer trinity of so-called pony cars, following the return of the retro-styled Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

For those who want to save money and fuel, or just be seen in the Camaro's hunky embrace, the V-6 will do the trick. But muscle car mavens will want the 6.2-liter V-8, with 426 horsepower when paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, or 400 horsepower for the version mated to a 6-speed automatic. If saving gas is a priority, note that the car will also run the V-8 on 4 cylinders.

The new Camaro has sharp style outside, but the interior is less enticing.

The SS starts at $30,995, while the base model begins at $23,995. RELATED

With more displacement, the V-8 engine in the SS offers nearly 150 extra pound-feet of torque (for a total of 400), as compared to the base-model V-6 engine