Bidding for the first retail production 2010 Chevy Camaro is set to begin in Prime Time on Saturday, January 17, 2009 at the Barret-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. A similar move was made last year when the first production Corvette ZR1 managed to rake in an astounding one-million dollars. Like that ZR1, all proceeds will be given to charity, in this case, the American Heart Association, so anything over the car's list MSRP will be tax deductible, which is nice. Regular production of Chevy's new pony car won't begin until a month after the auction takes place, so the Camaro on display in Scottsdale won't be the actual unit being bid on. We're still awaiting official details, like if the Camaro – lot number 1316 for those interested in bidding (go for it, it's for charity!) – is a base model (seems unlikely) or a fully loaded SS model, complete with a 422-hp small block V8. Of course, the big question is how much it'll bring, and we'll be sure to have that figure for you as soon as the gavel falls.
The crew from Camaro5 were on hand to capture the first live unveiling of the Chevrolet Camaro SS at Indy Bash 2008, and although we've seen the silver-hued coupe on numerous occasions, this is the first time we've gotten a glimpse inside. As you're undoubtedly already aware, the Camaro SS is powered by a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 putting out 422 hp and 408 lb.-ft. of torque, and in this case power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The most striking element of the SS' interior is the shiny plastic door panels and dash trim that matches the two-tone black and leather seats, with contrast stitching. It's very racy, and should tie in nicely with the SS badges fore and aft. We'll be able to see the Camaro SS up close at the Paris Motor Show next month, so stay tuned for our impressions from the floor.
Video clips of the Corvette ZR1 strutting its stuff on track can be found virtually anywhere on the internet. But that doesn't mean we're tired of seeing the beast in action, particularly if the video happens to feature another new staple of GM's sporty lineup. The latest internet discovery is a grainy, sometimes barely audible, clip of the Chevrolet Camaro SS tackling the twisties with a guest appearance by a jet black ZR1. The video begins with the new muscle making a go on the course all alone. Then later, it appears trailing behind the infamous supercharged 'Vette. From what we can see, the Camaro's chassis seems to be nicely tuned. The body roll is not substantial and the pony car takes a seat quickly when entering a turn with no floaty oscillations. Hopefully the short but sweet video tease is a direct indication of the production setup.
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Here we go again. Late last month we brought you a bevy of beautiful 2010 Chevy Camaro SS shots, and today General Motors has released a big batch of its own. These new images include studio shots of the 422-hp Camaro SS from various angles, as well as a few detail shots of the front and rear ends. Eh, it was about time for a new desktop wallpaper anyway.
Regardless of the fact that over a dozen official looking images of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS showed up on the web early last week, this single high-res image of the modern muscle car is notable for the fact that it is the first overall shot that GM has officially released. It showed up on the automaker's media site yesterday evening all by its lonesome with no accompanying details, but what else is there to know besides the fact it's packing a 6.2L LS3 V8 producing 422 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque? And for those who were wondering before, the nostril vent does appear to be part of the production package. Perhaps this picture's sudden appearance portends more information to come. We'll keep our ears and eyes open just in case.
We've had fun looking at the new Camaro in LS and LT trim, and even the RS appearance package livens things up a bit, but if we're to be honest, we really only care about the SS model. Fortunately for us, new photos of the Camaro Super Sport have found their way online thanks to Kevin Kolvenbach who goes by the handle of RagSS on the forums. It's claimed that RagSS took these pics, which we find suspect considering their high quality. Well, maybe he took this one. Regardless, they were taken and we're told show the Camaro SS basking in the sun around Hudson Valley, New York, another claim we doubt considering the type of vegetation and, oh, we don't know, large mountains in the background. Go west, young man. With a 6.2L LS3 V8 producing 422 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque, the SS will be the cream of the Camaro crop for now and probably some time to come, as its power level puts the SS nearly on par with the base Corvette. While the Camaro SS may lack many of the Corvette's other attributes, we're fairly certain Chevy doesn't want to start cannibalizing Vette sales.
Of all the places for Chevy reveal the 2010 Camaro SS, it's chosen a GM-sponsored photo spread for Conde Nast. The free supplement's zeitgeist is "Fashion Rocks" and in keeping with the theme, they've chosen the decidedly un-rocking Fergie as the musical icon to accompany the Camaro SS on glossy stock. Comparing the image above with the pictures Chevrolet released last month, you can clearly see the SS badging, deeper fascia and upgraded brakes, reported to be sized 14-inches up front and clamped by calipers by Brembo. The Camaro SS will be packing a 422 hp (estimated), 6.2-liter V8 and will go on sale in March of next year, along with the V6 RS models.
In this automotive day and age, any vehicle that has even a trace amount of performance in its DNA has to make the rounds around the Nurburgring. The new Chevy Camaro SS isn't exempt. So after GM revealed the Camaro on Monday, one of the scribes at InsideLine ran up to an engineer to find out what kind of time the Camaro put down at the Nordschleife. According to Doug Houlihan, GM's chief engineer for global rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the Camaro SS ran the 'Ring in 8:20.
To put that into perspective, the recently released 2008 Cobalt SS did the deed in 8:22, along with the BMW E46 M3 and the last generation BMW M Coupe, followed by the Lotus Exige S and Porsche Cayman S at 8:25.
Ed Welburn, GM'S veep of global design, concedes that the Camaro's shape is merely adequate from an aerodynamic standpoint, with a coefficient of drag on the SS of 0.35 and on the LS/LT models of 0.36 – largely a result of the recessed headlamps and full-width grille.
Houlihan went on to say that their time at the 'Ring allowed them to dial in the steering response and suspension settings, and that the StabiliTrak traction control system on the Camaro will be the best GM can offer. Settings on the SS model allow drivers to choose between track and performance modes, along with completely disabling the system. A launch control feature will also be available on the SS.
You've waited long enough, so let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to the hard facts.
Three models - LS, LT, SS
LS and LT come with 3.6L direct-inject V6 (300 hp/273 lb-ft)
SS six-speed manual comes with 6.2L LS3 V8 (422 hp/408 lb-ft)
SS six-speed automatic comes with new 6.2L L99 V8 (400 hp/395 ft-lb) and Active Fuel Management
3.6L DI V6 gets 26 mpg highway
6.2L V8 with automatic gets 23 mpg highway
RS appearance package available on LT and SS (includes HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, specific taillamps and 20-inch wheels)
Front and rear independent suspension
FE2 suspension for LS and LT, sportier FE3 for SS
Four-wheel disc ABS standard, SS gets four-piston Brembo calipers
SS model gets adjustable Competitive/Sport mode for stability control and Launch Control on manual models
Available 18-,19- and 20-inch wheels
