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2017 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS Turbo 4:  No V-8 Necessary

6/18/2017

 
Picture
If you don a football or baseball uniform, does that automatically make you an athlete?  If your low-slung coupe has a muscular body, a tough-looking stance and a red-hot color, is it automatically a muscle car? 

We faced the latter question after Chevy sent us this juicy, red, sweet, ripe tomato, a Camaro 2LT RS with the four-cylinder turbo.  When you buy a car that looks this good and this fast, your bench-racing buddies are going to ask you the inevitable: what’s the horsepower?  In this case, it’s a highly respectable 275 with 295 lb.-ft. of torque (more than the V-6), enough to send this baby to 60 in about 5.4 seconds. 

Yes, we’ve driven the V-8 Camaro SS on street and track, and we love its 455 horsepower, not to mention the roar of the exhaust and the pop-pop-pop when you let up on the gas.  It turns heads.  It announces to the world aurally that you’ve just arrived on the scene.  It makes us feel 18 again.

Secure and Confident
But if you’re secure about your place in the world and confident enough to brush off the horsepower questions, the four-banger in this 2LT is the refined and sensible way to go. 

Over the past five decades, both the Camaro and Chevy’s smaller engines have undergone a remarkable transformation.  Throw in stiff chassis engineering from Cadillac and you have a touring machine that’s absolutely perfect for a long weekend or a trek across country.

At $38,130, our tester was beautifully equipped.  With the base price of $30,405, you already get a bunch of goodies, from leather interior to dual-zone climate control to a Bose sound system to Chevy’s excellent, user-friendly MyLink infotainment system. 

The RS package ($1,950) includes 20-inch aluminum wheels, run-flat tires, HID headlights, some LED lamps, special front grilles and a rear lip spoiler.  The heavy-duty cooling and brake package ($485) is a must, with its four-piston Brembos.

Luxury Touch
The convenience and lighting package at $2,800 adds a touch of needed luxury with memory seat and mirrors, interior spectrum lighting, illuminated sill plates, power mirrors, rear park assist, rear cross traffic alert, 8” driver information center, side blind zone and lane change alerts, head-up display and heated steering wheel.  The razor-sharp spectrum lighting on doors, center screen and console is trés cool, especially when it changes from blue to red as you adjust the driving mode from Touring to Sport.  The cherry on this sundae is Chevy’s “Red Hot” color, which gives you gobs of Porsche- or Ferrari-style curb appeal for no extra money.


Speaking of driving modes, this is still a big sport coupe by global standards at more than 3,300 lbs.  And yet, it’s a nimble ride around the curves, thanks to European-tight steering, superb sport suspension and the lighter powerplant.  For most trips, we prefer Touring mode for its supple ride and level turns.  Sport mode kicks things up a notch, but can be punishing on our rutted Northeast roads.  Acceleration is plenty brisk.  A touch of lag reminds you of the turbo.  But there’s little to suggest that you’ve got only four cylinders.  The 8-speed automatic gearbox is slick, but we long for metal paddle shifters instead of plastic.

Top-Grade Cabin
Inside, the seats are supportive (except for the lack of a lumbar adjuster) and the leather is finely sewn.  The dash is well-organized and a far cry from, say, the jumbled 2010 version.  Gauges could not be easier to read and we like the digital dials that are front and center to check oil, water and other functions. 

We also appreciate the ease of the climate controls and the idea that they are separate from the MyLink screen.  Bose sound is top-notch and our iPhone became an integral piece of our trips, thanks to Apple CarPlay.  There’s a wireless charger at the rear of the console, reachable by all passengers.

While there’s little room in the back seat for anything but small children or parcels, there is ample space in the trunk, with room for two suitcases plus accessories.  If you need more, the rear seatback folds down.

The Nitpicks
OK, now you’re asking yourself how a car can be this good for around $38,000.  So let’s get on to the nitpicks.

First and foremost is the exhaust sound.  Push pedal to the metal and you get a robust tone worthy of a car that looks this good.  But spool up the transmission normally and the hunt for gears is accompanied by an up-and-down, wow-wow-wow from the exhaust that sounds like an errant bumble bee or fly has invaded the cabin.  It reminds you – no, assaults you – with the reality of four cylinders under the hood.  Surely, if GM can produce a chassis this good, it can find a way to install a better exhaust, even if the roar has to be piped electronically into the cabin through those Bose speakers. 

Then, there’s the somewhat claustrophobic cockpit.  The chopped top and slit side windows bring panache to the exterior, but the black cabin can sometimes be as bleak as a coal mine, especially on a sunny spring day.  If you don’t want to spend an extra $7,500 for the ragtop, then brighten things up with a power sunroof ($900), red or Kalahari (tan) interior trim (no extra cost) or at least a bit of red accent trim ($500) for some of the interior bits. 

Sensible, Cerebral Choice
So, there’s no need to buy the 2LT, slap your head and exclaim, “I coulda hadda a V-8.”  Instead, enjoy this beautiful touring coupe for what it is: the sensible and cerebral choice for those who love cars.   No, it’s not a muscle machine.  But at this price -- with solid power, a stiff chassis and gorgeous looks -- you won’t be disappointed.

Photos: inthedriveway.com; interior photo above courtesy of Chevrolet
NOTEBOOK
2017 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS
Base Price: $30,405
Price as Tested: $38,130
Horsepower: 275
Torque: 295 lb.-ft.
0-60: 5.4 secs.
See the window sticker

Take Two: Hellcat's heft is a handicap vs. Z/28

9/22/2014

 
PictureThe Hellcat (Photo: Chrysler)
Before we leave the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, we'd like to offer some closure on our contention that the car might be a little porky.  We finally took one for a spin around the track at Monticello (New York) Motor Club a short time ago. 

As we maneuvered the 707-horsepower Hellcat's long prow through the turns (sort of like captaining the Titanic), our fears were confirmed. This Dodge -- although an extremely nice piece for the money, inside and out -- is indeed a little on the plump side.

To back up our case, we use two pieces of evidence: 1) our track drive shortly thereafter of the comparatively lean and tossable Camaro Z/28, and 2) some dimension numbers that might shock you a bit. 

Depending on whose specs you read, there's about a 300 to 600 lb. weight difference between the Chevy and the Dodge.  Both the length and wheelbase of the Z/28 are several inches shorter than the Dodge, although the Chevy is still wider by a little over an inch.  When you sit in the Z/28, you may notice the power bulge, but the hood and fenders then dip down to give the appearance of a smaller car.  Behind the wheel of the Hellcat, you feel like a family of four could set up a dining table on the hood.

As a result, the Hellcat
turned out to be no track car.  There was little opportunity to use the gobs of reserve power and there was significant understeer as the Dodge plowed through the turns.  If we owned this car, we'd want to live near a drag strip or own an abandoned airfield because, to us, the Hellcat is more of an old-school muscle car.  Straight-line acceleration, burnouts and horsepower bragging rights are the top priorities.

The problem is that modern muscle machines should also handle.  That's one reason why Ford has finally gone to an independent rear suspension on the Mustang and GM has done right by the Camaro's chassis.  On the track, the Camaro was a lighter and far more balanced handler around the curves.  Plus, the 505 horsepower is more than enough to make the Chevy appealing for street or track, assuming you don't mind losing to the Hellcat owner during those bench racing sessions.

The dimensions speak for themselves, with the Hellcat also bigger and heavier than an original 1970 Challenger.  But the real surprise is that this Dodge is also porkier than even the full-sized Buick LaCrosse sedan.  The Hellcat is about an inch longer, almost three inches wider and up to 400 lbs. heavier, so you can understand why it's a handful.

Yes, we like this new Dodge very much, but it is no track car.  It needs to go on a diet.  Until it does, we'll opt for a Z/28, even with a price tag that's $15,000 more.


Two interesting things we learned about the Hellcat:
1. Badging is so subtle that most of a pack of aggressive automotive writers walked right past the car without realizing what it was. (Look for the chrome "SUPERCHARGED" letters on each side.)
2. There are two separate ignition keys: one for you to put pedal to the metal and one for the valet that dumbs down the horsepower.

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat: Too porky?

9/15/2014

 
PictureThe Camaro (Photo: GM)
We just finished reading Motor Trend's October issue comparo of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and there are few surprises.  MT, of course, has given top speed honors to the Dodge as the new leader in the American muscle car renaissance.  "Never before has 580 hp felt so slow," says the magazine when putting up the Chevy against the 707-horsepower Challenger.

But what really surprises us is the idea that the Camaro could hit 0-60 in just .2 second (3.9 vs. 3.7) less than the Mopar and outhandle the Dodge in lateral acceleration (.99g average vs. .94).  The Camaro tips the scales at 4,051 lbs. and the Dodge adds about another 400.  Do the math and one might conclude that the Challenger is downright porky (almost up there with a Mercedes S-Class).  But does it need to be?

In a recent piece comparing the current Challenger with a 1970 model, Hemmings noted that the earlier version weighed in at just 3,402 lbs.  Yes, we know all about the addition of air conditioning, airbags, backup cameras and other assorted technological gizmos that have made cars heavier, but we just wonder whether Chrysler could do a better job of engineering the Challenger to the point where it just isn't a muscle car, but . . . ummm . . . a sports car.  Maybe someone at Dodge should be consulting the folks at Subaru, Toyota and Mazda, all of whom have managed to turn out superb lighter-weight handlers in the form of the BRZ, FR-S and MX-5.  (Imagine stuffing the Hellcat powerplant into a Miata?)

We have driven the ZL1 and are still waiting our turn for the Hellcat.  The Camaro is one refined ride and Chevy has done extraordinary things with the chassis to make the ZL1 a real handler without taking away any of the Bad Boy attributes.  The question is whether modern muscle car buyers want the Chevy's combination of power and handling or will settle for the old-school, straight-line rocketry of the Hellcat.  Only the sales figures will tell the true story.

Camaro: More Rip-Roaring Fun than a Corvette?

7/23/2014

 
Picture
I’m going to go out on a limb here . . . a very loooong one and declare that I’d rather have a new Camaro than a Corvette.  Yes, you heard that right.  Give me a Camaro – anything from a 1SS right on up to a Z/28 – because it’s a bucket full of rip-roaring American fun.  The Corvette, on the other hand, has morphed into a bargain exotic that, to me at least, no longer shouts “U-S-A!”  Its Asian-style creases now make it look more like the Nissan GT-R’s angry cousin and its driving and interior sophistication are moving it into European territory.  Those aren't bad attributes, but do they still capture Chevy's all-American spirit?

Most of us, from time to time, have run into people who just have to make their presence known.  They shout “Here I am!” through their bold and unusual clothing, loud voices and gobs of braggadocio.  The Camaro does the same thing.  Look at those all-American haunches.  Listen to the loud burble of that exhaust.  Take in the less-than-stellar, American-cheap interior.  Then hit the gas, revel in the howl and smoke those tires. You just know you will turn heads.  It’s a car that can easily transform an innocent Baby Boomer into a Bad Boy.

At the same time, though, the Camaro surprises with sophisticated suspension and steering that make it a star on the track and the twisties.  In drives of the Camaro (1SS and ZL1 convertible) and the Corvette, on both back roads and the race course, I just felt the former gave me everything I wanted -- and more.

But perhaps that’s just me.  Go for the Stingray if you must, especially with upper-level Camaros such as the ZL1 now heading north of $60K.  But give me just a 1SS -- Bright Yellow will do -- and I’ll have fun-fun-fun all day across the U-S-A.

BY THE NUMBERS (1SS, ZL1 convertible)
Price: $34,350, $62,850
Horsepower: 426, 580
0-60: 5 secs (est.), 4.1 (Chevrolet)
Curb weight: 3,908 lbs, 4,374

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    David Fluhrer has been a classic car columnist for Newsday since 2008, as well as a new car reviewer for the auto section and a feature writer for Newsday's glossy magazines, Luxury Living and Long Island Living. 

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