Chevrolet Camaro Review (Video)

Article
Gallery

By Alborz Fallah | November 25th, 2010

The folks at Performax International can get you behind the wheel of a right-hand drive Chevrolet Camaro pretty quickly. If you’ve got about $130,000 to spare and want something a little different, the Camaro is definitely worth considering.

Chevrolet Camaro SS main features

Engine: 6.2-litre LS3 V8, producing 318 kW @ 5900 rpm, 570 Nm @ 4600 rpm
Transmission: Tremec 6-speed manual; rear drive
Suspension: All-independent
Brakes: Brembo discs with 4-piston alloy calipers
Wheels, tyres: Z-rated front 245/45/20, rear 275/40/20
Kerb weight: 1746 kg
Safety: StabiliTrack electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, front/side/curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitors, rear park assist
Interior: Leather seating with 6-way power driver adjustment, Boston Acoustic 9-speaker stereo, climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth, leather steering wheel and shift knob

Read: Chevrolet Camaro SS Review

If you’re having trouble viewing the video above try this:

Kaiju Fan

The thought of buying a car for double what it would cost if it was officially sold here is silly. Instead, buy a C63 AMG and never look back, I say. Then again the people looking at this probably already have the AMG anyway…

Moe

130k for a chev yeh right, if want something exactly the same go for a HSV E3 GTS for 85k it just has a different shell. Again C63 is a better idea +1 ^

Shak

I dont buy GM’s excuse that the volumes ordered by the Uk and other RHD markets. Reportedly the UK ordered 20K units and Australia ordered 12.5K units. the RHD work cant be that hard or costly if a small operation in Australia can do it, and all the engineering is ready thanks to Commodore. C’mon GM, dont you realise how much of a cult following this car has a round the world?
Flying High

Worth every penny? I find that hard to believe. I can understand the attraction to an American muscle car, but, for that sort of coin, you could just about buy a FPV GTP for a thumping V8 which has more power and torque and with the change buy an STi or Evo just for handling and a bit of fun. Any of these cars would outperform the Camaro so you have got to wonder why you would bother…

Al Juraj

For 130K, the 335i is simply better.

Dave S

You drive a 335i, and you can blend into the rest of the city traffic. Just a another yuppie driving home who has paid too much for a German car.

If you are driving the Camaro. Everyone knows what you have. US muscle with an Aussie flavor and arguably the star car from the Transformers Movie. I will have mine in yellow.

Those who dont understand the appeal on the Camaro should probally be on another website (cooking/ gardening or something.

Cranky Franky

How can you compare an overpriced jalope to a European thoroghbred. Sure you stand out in the Camaro, but you still need to live with it day in and day out. Besides who wants to look like a tosser all the time.

Al Juraj

The Dodge Avenger, with bling-blings, is a standout on Aussie roads simply because there aren’t too many around, but it doesn’t make it any better than a Honda Accord Euro or Mazda6.

To pay nearly four times the price just to move the steering wheel to the correct side is plain irrational. Most it should cost is twice as much to maintain logic, but 65K for OHV? No thanks.

Hayzel

I’m sorry to say but Dave S you are another brain dead kid who knows nothing about cars here in Car Advice.

How can say, a c63 amg be an overpriced german car when the camaro costs almost the same and has infinitely lower refinement and features?

Blah, just keep playing those video game kid..don;t waste your time writing stupid comments.

Bent 8 Brigade

Pot. Kettle. Black.
Dave S

Read before you reply. – Grumpy old man.

I never mention comparing the C63 to a Camaro. I was refering to a 335i (an overpriced 3 series which looks to most people like a base model 3 series).

Sometimes the raw nature of the car, can be part of the appeal.

As we all know there is more than one answer to the performance car question.

Flying High

And another thing. I just priced this up in the US at less than US$36K. Now, Australian taxes and the BS associated with those arguments aside (because normally speaking we can double the US price to get the Australian price for the same car, theoretically less now that we are at parity) a US$36K car just does not add up to AU$140K, doesn’t matter how you do the math.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah

Massive import tax, conversion, ADR approval, Warranty. It all adds up. Besides, as I said, this car gets more looks and “respect” than any of the cars you’ve mentioned.

Brett

What you’d spend $140k on a performance car for the looks you get?
Flying High

Come on Alborz. It all does not add up to 140K, even taking into account the amount Australians are taken for a ride on car pricing.

Lets not forget we are talking about a $36K car. In terms of looks and “respect” hmmm… it looks a little different to what you are used to seeing on the road, and for the right price it would certainly be a consideration for mine, but seriously, ‘respect’? That’s pushing beyond the limits of credibility.

Can you imagine going to the US on a holiday and saying “oi oi oi, I got me one of those at home. Paid 140K for it!”

I can just imagine how much ‘respect’ you would get as they laughed you out of the bar…
Hayzel

Yes alborz you get respect, respect from the wrong crowd of people that is…
Hayzel

Albors it is also worrying that as a motoring journalist that you actually pay a lot of attention to the “looks and respect” side of things than the actual driving experience, refinements and features. You also said that you get more attention driving the camaro than when you drive any lamborghinis and ferraris and I strongly believe that is absolute bullocks. I have never driven a ferrari, lamborghini or the camaro but as a automotive lover I’ve been to a lot of car shows and festivals and a camaro never ever pull more crowd than a ferrari or lamborghini. How much is performax paying you to advertise their camaro?

Al Juraj

I know it’s not all about looks but this is a huge factor in buying cars. VE Commodores sell simply because of this. There’s no way Audi can compete with Mercedes and BMW if their cars weren’t handsome.

But then again, there’s a lot more to a car than just looks. And there will always be manufacturers out there to simply sell instead of building people good vehicles.

Squeek

So VE Commodores only sell because of it’s looks?
And Audi only sell because of looks?
Have you driven either?

http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah

Not Bullocks,
there are more Ferraris and Lambos in AUS than there are new Camaros, they are just rare, whether or not it’s from the wrong crowd is a separate matter.

Nat

its true there is only about 5 -10 maximum i would say in aus so i guess they are pretty rare and quite expensive and while there are lots of different other cars you could buy for the price, for some people it might be just the car they want. Ive been in one and its hard not to get sucked in they are soo nice although ive been in a transformers limited edition and i tell ya they are nice as much as i didnt want to get sucked in i did haha

Moe

Whoever is importing this is making roughly about 50k in the pocket
Nat

I recently looked into getting one privately imported and converted all for under $90k the conversion costs $36k

Al Juraj

Aussies are more American than British but unthinkingly chose to be RHD.

Shak

Shut Up.

Al Juraj

You’d much rather fire away the thumbs down before thinking? If you contemplate further, what car would we have missed had we been LHD? Just for starters, the Bugatti Veyron can’t even be had in RHD.

Igomi Watabi

When we “chose” to be RHD, there was not a close relationship with the US.

Paul

Ignoring the fact we are part of the commonwealth?
That definitely had nothing to do with why we chose RHD.

Banicks

I love it.

But I’ll never buy one at that price. More sense to me to go for a HSV.

Shak

It makes much more sense to go for the HSV line. You still get noticed(is that a good or bad thing nowadays?), and you get the same mechanicals all with the ability to carry more people, luggage and much more technology at your disposal.

Igomi Watabi

I utterly fail to see the attraction.
Radbloke

For $140K I could get this. OR, instead of a commodore with a different bodyshell, I could buy an original ’67 Camaro SS, a commodore SS as a daily and still have change left over. And guess what? The original is and always will be infinitely cooler than this. It’s not exactly money or the box, is it?

Luke Skywalker

Radbloke, that is best comment I’ve seen on this website for a fair while!

Save It for the track

Most people I know that like cars, prefer how they drive and handle, not how many looks they might get. The FPV GT noise sounds better than this thing to.
FORT GT-P

For 140K
If I buy one I buy one LHD and drive around…
and I wouldnt mind try to put commodore dash
Why would you spend 100K on 36K car…
Vince

I’d rather light my 140k on fire than pay that much for a car worth so little and runs the same line as a 30k Commodore. No one in their right mind would put this before an M3/C63/GTR if you were serious about cars.
Jonty

I believe you are all missing the point…if you are just after the best car for the money you most likely would buy something else.

However, for those who would spend this sort of money on the car it would be out of passion for the car/brand, or because it is a hoot to drive(2nd car, 3rd car, etc)and is something different.

Not having driven it who am I to say how much it is worth to anyone…Alborz has, and he has given his opinion.
Nat

my neighbour just took delivery of their new transformers limited edition camaro man they are expensive and whilst there are a lot of other nice cars around there is nothing that gets soo much attention and i agree i wouldnt buy one but they do suck you in they are very nice!
Fenno

Are you all the same people that saw value in a $140k commodore not too long back?
A car is worth what somebody will pay for it.
$140k might be a bit steep compared to what the Yanks pay for it, but weve seen it all before on niche/unique models from other countries.
Ie. NSX, SKyline GTR, Mitsubishi GTO.
What about the 90k that ford were selling the f-trucks for?
These days with every vehicle on the road being a ‘limited edition’ or ‘sport model’, it’s refreshing to see something that actually is unique.
Accept, that it’s not for everybody.

Nat

agreed!!

Hector

yet again another good video review

i think what caradvice have succeeded in doing (so far) with it’s video reviews is it really shows the way the car reacts in a way that most of us would use the car on a day to day basis…drive it fairly hard

lots of engine audio and thrashing makes a performance car review a good review IMO