Recycled Muscle

Chevrolet is bringing back one of its most famous vehicles of all time, the Camaro, at what might seem like exactly the wrong time. But don't write it off just yet.

Modern Muscle Cars:
• Chyrsler 300C
• Dodge Challenger
• Dodge Charger
• Ford Mustang

High-powered muscle cars like the Camaro could become a tough sell with consumers flocking to smaller, more fuel-efficient models. And the aggressive-looking new Camaro seems like it's ready to leave a big carbon boot print on the ozone layer.

"The truth of the matter is that these muscle cars, even the V8, get good fuel economy," says John Wolkonowicz, senior analyst at market research firm Global Insight. "You don't have to have a mousy image in order to get good fuel economy."

Chevrolet says the version with a V6 engine can achieve 26 miles per gallon on the highway. The larger and heavier Pontiac G8 sedan with the same engine is rated at 25 mpg highway with an automatic transmission.

The V8-powered Camaro SS does more damage, at 23 mpg highway. And that's with the help of Active Fuel Management technology, which allows the engine to save gas by running on just four cylinders during light-load driving — while maintaining a steady speed on the highway, for instance.

City mileage estimates weren't available at publication time, but many V6-powered cars average 17-19 mpg in city driving; current V8-powered models like the Chevrolet Corvette get around 15-16 mpg.

"The new Camaros will out-accelerate any of the muscle cars of the late '60s, but they'll get better gas mileage," Wolkonowicz says.

That said, better mileage might not even matter to muscle-car buyers. Cars like the Camaro are niche vehicles with avid fans waiting to snatch up new offerings, says Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis for R.L. Polk and Co. in Southfield, Mich. "That type of buyer who is already predisposed to buy it, do you think they're going to care about fuel economy? I don't think so," Miller says.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is slated to go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. "The thing has got some wheels. I can't wait," Miller says.

It's based on the brash Camaro Coupe concept that ran the auto-show circuit in 2006, and it borrows a clutch of design cues from the 1969 model. The first Camaro debuted in 1966.

Power to the Rear

In keeping with tradition, the new Camaro has rear-wheel drive. Most Chevrolet cars have front-wheel drive, a setup that requires less space in a vehicle and tends to produce better gas mileage.

Rear-wheel-drive, on the other hand, usually creates better weight distribution, which makes for better driving dynamics.

Initial designs for the new Camaro were done in the United States, but then the design and engineering was passed off to Holden, General Motor's Australian subsidiary. The Melbourne-based company excels at making rear-wheel-drive cars — Holden helped with the Pontiac G8 and the now-defunct Pontiac GTO, both rear-wheel-drive models. Tapping that expertise has been instrumental for GM's North American efforts, which have largely focused on front-wheel-drive vehicles in recent decades.

In LS and LT trim, the Camaro gets a 3.6-liter, 300-horsepower V6 engine, the same as the base-model Pontiac G8 — with the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic that includes paddles behind the steering for manual gear selection.

The Camaro in top-of-the-line SS guise comes in two distinct flavors: hotter and hottest. Opt for an automatic transmission and you'll get an all-new 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers 400 hp and 395 pound-feet of torque. Choose the six-speed manual and you'll get the same 422-hp V8 engine as in a Corvette.

With that kind of power spinning the rear wheels, the new Camaro will be adept at leaving burnout marks all over empty supermarket parking lots. But that's not to say it will be a one-trick pony car, like its predecessors. Its sophisticated independent suspension system should make it fun for impromptu slaloms around grocery carts.

The stability-control system, which prevents skidding and loss of control, has "Competitive" and "Sport" modes in the SS model, which vary the degree of intervention when wheel slippage is detected so that experienced drivers can coax the car into controlled skids on a race track. The manual-transmission SS also touts launch control, which helps drivers get a quick start without spinning the rear tires.

Enthusiasts will also appreciate the name stamped on the Camaro SS's brake calipers — Brembo, a leader in producing high-performance brake components for the priciest and faster cars on the planet. The LT and LS variants, however, get less exotic brake equipment.

Retro Interior

Inside, the new model again looks back to the glory of '69, but with an upscale twist. In a nod to classic Camaros, four round dials set in square housings are mounted on the center console just ahead of the shifter. The steering wheel and instrument cluster behind it also have a distinctly retro look.

Despite its throw-back styling, the 2010 Camaro can be outfitted with many of the high-tech features found on modern luxury cars, like an upgraded stereo system (by Boston Acoustics), Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free cell phone use, MP3-player integration, six airbags and rear parking assist.

OnStar, GM's safety/communications system, will be standard on all Camaro models.

With a big engine, full complement of safety features and plenty of gadgets, the new Camaro is heavy, with a curb weight ranging from 3,741 pounds for the LT model with a manual transmission to 3,913 pounds for the SS with an automatic. The good news is that the heft is well-balanced, with 52 percent resting over the front wheels and 48 percent sitting on the back wheels.

The Camaro competes with two other All-American muscle cars: the Ford Mustang and newly released Dodge Challenger. The Nissan 350Z is another competitor, also based on a classic — the 240Z — but hails from Japan.

A Flavor for Every Taste

Some say there will always be a market for cars like the Chevrolet Camaro. "They've got a core group of people who say I want a piece of that," Miller says, adding that GM is realistic about the Camaro being a niche vehicle, and production volume will reflect that.

Global Insight's Wolkonowicz sees the Camaro as a potential substitute for folks in larger vehicles looking to downsize but still drive something distinctive. And like Miller, he believes the appeal of American muscle cars will persist.

"The person buying the Prius will think the person buying the Camaro is crazy," Wolkonowicz says. "But the person who is driving the Camaro who sees the guy in the Prius will think he's crazy, and wouldn't be caught dead in it. That's why there are so many different kinds of cars in the marketplace. No one thing is right for everyone."

That's not say the muscle car genre won't change with the times, as perpetual improvements for the sake of better fuel economy take hold. "By 2020, the Camaro might be a full hybrid, a plug-in hybrid. And it might have the acceleration of the Camaro today," Wolkonowicz says. "But it won't be a marginalized car. It will be a way to have your cake and eat it too."