The new Camaro has been reviewed by tons of media outlets. Most of the issues encountered by test drivers have been the same. There were some ergonomic complaints about the cabin and some issues with gauge placement and readability, but the road manners and engineering of the car were basically praised by everyone. Everyone, that is, except Derek McNaughton of the Canwest News Service. The review started going downhill for us when the guy started off by complaining about the shape of the pull on the inside of the door.
It seems as though he was not aware of what version of the car he was going to test because he complains that when he flipped the key, the V6 did not rumble like a V8. Actually, he opines, “Revving the engine brought no more pleasure to either of us. It sounded nothing like the thunder of the 2010 Mustang GT in either V6 or V8 trim or even a five-year-old Infiniti G35 with less horsepower.”
Yeah, because Mustang GTs come with a “thunderous” V6 option and an Infiniti G35 doesn’t sound like someone revving a Honda submerged in a swimming pool. If anyone, even a blue bleeding Ford lover, can describe the sound of a Mustang’s V6 engine in any terms other than pedestrian, go for it. We’re listening.
We knew the man was off the rails when we read, “In the corners, the Camaro revealed its heft. The LS weighs 1,701 kilograms and the SS with automatic tips the scale at 1,771 kg — a portly 250 kg too much for a genuine sports car. That also explains why this car lacks the sprightly manoeuvrability expected from a performance coupe.”
We have not read one review that says anything other than the fact that the Camaro’s suspension is very well sorted out and shows all the signs that GM spent lots of time dialing the car in for a good mix of performance driving and comfortable street manners.
Maybe if the V6 had just sounded a little better and that door pull had been just a little larger, GM would have had an even bigger sales success with this car than they already have. Lots of people have walked out of a showroom over a door pull.
