The images was posted on the site of the Benny Boyd GM SuperStore in Lamesa, Texas under the dealership photos. It's now been removed, but we have the screenshot and the Camaro SS is still for sale. These leads to many questions:

Is the main in the photo a representative of Benny Boyd GM SuperStore? Is he Benny Boyd himself? Maybe it's someone who really wanted the Camaro SS and was scaring people off from buying the vehicle. Either way, we think it makes a statement most Camaro SS drivers would support.

We can't verify the story, but the photo of the vehicle in what's supposed to be Riley's Bakery seems legit. Seriously, stop destroying these. (H/T to Adam)

UPDATE: It turns out the driver was drunk, blowing three times the limit into a breathalyzer. Full details at BG Daily News.

The issue doesn't affect manual transmission-equipped V6 Camaros. They will continue to leave the factory as scheduled. A GM spokesperson had this to say on the matter:

Our engineering team is reviewing data related to the performance of the manual transmission on the Camaro SS, and have temporarily stopped shipment of this model to the dealers.

This only impacts Camaro SS models with manual transmission in production. Camaro SS with automatic transmission, and Camaro LS and LT models are not affected and will continue to be shipped to dealers.

Since this is an "in production" review, we are NOT requesting vehicles be returned for any service or dealer deliveries stopped as a result of this action.

We'll keep an eye on the issue as GM releases more details. [Camaro5]

This future didn't used to be so far off, but thanks mostly to the failing economy and subsequent carpocalypse we may never see this bow tie warrior compete with the monstrous 2010 Shelby GT500. The top dog Z28 model would have received a version of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-Vs 556-horsepower supercharged LSA, which in turn is a variant of the 638 horsepower 2009 Corvette ZR1 LS9. A larger power dome hood would have made room for the intercooler-topped small block while a larger functional hood scoop would have drawn in cold air to feed the monster. A revised front fascia with large intakes would have been used for functional cooling of both the engine and the massive Brembo front brakes.

All bets are currently off in the high-performance pony car war, but we're extremely hopeful that we'll eventually see this historic nameplate make an official return. Until then, tuners like Hennessey Motorsport and Lingenfelter will continue to build tasty alternatives. [via Camaro5]

Over the weekend a group of Shanghainese got together to celebrate a visit by one of their Transformers idols, the Bumblebee-esque 2010 Camaro SS. To show their support, they've taken their yellow-painted cars and rally striped the hell out of them for a coordinated parade lap around the city. [via ChinaCarTimes]

Although we're told it only takes about 30 minutes to fix, we're being told GM's now issued a voluntary "official recall" on the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS over the battery cable issue that caused one Camaro5 member's new Bumblebee-yellow mullet-mobile to die less than 40 miles from the dealership. We're also being told GM's asking for the Camaro SS to be flat-bed hauled back to the dealership rather than driven there under its own power. More coming shortly.

UPDATE: We've just posted a gallery of pages from the technical service bulletin below — so you can see how you'll be affected if you own a Super-Sporty version of the new Chevy Camaro. Sorry for the pages being a little bit out of order. Blame the interns. And by interns we mean us.

My boss, and reigning champion for receipt of the prestigious Dark Lord of Public Media mantle award, Nick Denton, just called me an "unabashed American apologist." I don't even pretend to know what that means, but if it has to do with believing that American automakers still have it in them to bring "teh awesome" to market, then hell yeah I am.

Wes had some minor concerns in his review of the new Chevy Camaro that he felt kept it from being a world-beater, feeling Chevy was trying to push the new Camaro up against the sports car world. Whether interior plastics or minor numbness of steering, I'm not going to discount those deficiencies — they're all valid. But you know what? I don't care.

Forget for a moment this car's performance (a mid-four-second 0-to-60 time) and fuel economy (16/24 for the V8-engined SS, 17/29 for the V6) — because this muscle car's got some serious style. I'd seen looks in cars before. Whether it's a Ferrari F430 or a Bentley GTC Speed, you can get 'em. What I was astonished by was how easily the Camaro gets them.

One block into my drive in lower Manhattan saw guys grabbing camera phones to take photos. Never saw that with one o' them fancy-pants'ed Euro cars. Nope, this big ol' 'merican muscle car was something different. It carries itself differently — with kind of a swagger.

So I'm willing to ignore those deficiencies Wes found. Mostly, because I'm not trying to rate this car as a sports car. Instead, I'm rating it for what it is — a big hairy 'merican muscle car. From the moment you sit inside and fire up the big 426 HP V8 engine, you're transported to a world where all you want to do is fire off down the road, stoplight-to-breathtakingly-exhilarating-stoplight. In that world, you couldn't care less about plastics on the dash. No, all you care about is goin' fast and knowing you're able to beat the guy next to you. The new Camaro SS? Yeah, it'll do that — in spades, and better than the competition at the price point. And frankly, that's all I want.

Photo Credit: Wilson Rothman

Asked on May 18, 1999 what my favorite movie was I, like many of my contemporaries, would have had an easy answer: Star Wars. Just one day later, with the release of Phantom Menace, that answer would change forever. It didn't make sense. Episode I, compared quantitatively to its predecessors and, according the huge amount of buzz surrounding it, must have been a much better movie. It had a bigger budget, benefited from modern technology, had really neat imaginary creatures and action-packed space battles. So what changed? Well, the environment in which the space fairy tale existed had, in 22 years, become much more sophisticated. Audiences wanted to experience something new in the same way the original film had been unprecedented for its time. Instead, George Lucas contented himself with producing a fancy new version of the same old schlock. That, and Anakin was really irritating.

With the $22,995 V6-equipped 2010 Chevy Camaro LS producing 304 HP, nearly as much as the V8-engined 2010 Ford Mustang GT, and the 426 HP 2010 Chevy Camaro SS starting at just $30,995, initial impressions of GM's new muscle car are extremely good. It's faster than its competitors and benefits from more svelte looks than the Dodge Challenger and less familiar styling than the 2010 Mustang. It's even more fuel efficient, with the V6 returning an impressive 17 city, 29 highway MPG-rating, while the V8 returns 16/25 MPG when equipped with the slightly higher-geared automatic transmission.

But this Camaro's also supposed to be about more than just numbers (click here for our 2010 Chevy Camaro Numbers Comparison) for one very important reason: it's based on the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP. When we drove that car last November, we couldn't believe that a $40,000 Pontiac was like the new E39 M5, only better. That impression was the result of a driving experience that wasn't so much about the 415 HP Corvette-derived LS3 V8 as it was the car's subtle ability to read your mind, then react to what you wanted faster than we thought possible from a big sedan. In short, the G8 GXP is a handler before it's a muscle car and that's saying something for a vehicle that can hit 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds.

The opposite is true of this new Camaro. Based on an updated version of the G8's Zeta platform (here called Zeta II), the Camaro gets a 2.5" shorter wheelbase thanks to bringing the front wheels forward 6", then moving the A-pillar rearwards 3.5" to create a longer hood and new front suspension chosen to make that hood lower. Unlike the class-defining Mustang, suspension is also independent all the way around. The V6 starts with GM's FE2 coil-over suspension package, before moving up to standard FE3 on the V8-equipped SS. Wheels start out at a smaller-than-GXP 18x7.5" on the base LS, before moving up to a standard and massive 20x8" front, 20x9" rear on the SS. The G8 GXP's are 19x8". Most of the SS's standard equipment is available optionally on the V6 models, while the RS-package essentially looks like an optioned-up SS, but with a V6 under the hood.

Somehow, all those changes translate into an experience that's no less capable — in fact the Camaro SS is 11-seconds faster around the famed Nurburgring than the G8 GXP — but a lot less involving. Where the G8 GXP is all about including you in the driving, requiring and enabling you to aggressively wring the most out of its chassis, the Camaro SS doesn't seek to make the driver a crucial part of its equation. It makes the classic American muscle car mistake of confusing grip — of which it has plenty — with handling. Throw the two cars into a second or third gear (oh how we love big V8s) 90-degree bend and the Pontiac will encourage you to explore the limits of the rear tires adhesion using your right foot and communicative steering, the Chevy will push its vague front robbing you of speed. Sure, you can get on the throttle half way around and step the rear out, but not with the same degree of control the Pontiac delivers. The Camaro does bring one huge improvement over its platform-mate: there's virtually no body roll under any circumstances.

Well that and the incredibly successful styling. Chevy knows it looks good too, displaying a level of self-assuredness that would be absurd in any other segment. Here's a great example. Our co-driver asked a GM engineer whether the new Camaro increases "length or girth?" His straight-faced response? "It increases opportunity." Cocky, right? But they're right. Where the G8 looks like a rental car, the ZR1 looks like a bass boat enthusiast won the lottery and the CTS-V, even with its classy chrome mesh grille, looks like a tuner conversion, the Camaro strikes exactly the right balance between the mass appeal of its aggression and a more sophisticated retro futurism that successfully references the original while adapting wholly new forms that are completely contemporary. Even though we've been staring at pictures of it for what seems like years, in person it's still surprising how good it looks.

If you've been following Jalopnik or even had a conversation with me at any point since last August, you're probably bored to death with hearing about how good GM's latest crop of performance cars are. The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the best car I've ever driven, the 556 HP Cadillac CTS-V is an utterly awesome performance sedan and you've already been reading about the G8 GXP. So it comes as a surprise that Chevy's flag-waving everyman muscle car doesn't live up to those driving standards. Sure it's stinking fast, but it doesn't make exploiting that performance rewarding in the way all the above did so well. It doesn't so much defy convention, as drive like you'd expect a Camaro would, a really good Camaro.

The other defining characteristic of the Camaro's driving experience is the interior. Hop in one and like a classic Camaro, the first impression is of claustrophobia. It feels like Chevy's designers have purposefully set out to make the interior, which is actually surprisingly large with adequate space for four adults, feel surprisingly small. Most of that comes from the slit-like windshield; its top sits at about the height of your forehead, something that will be familiar to Lotus Exige owners. Out through that narrow strip of glass, the hood bulge and fenders are prominently visible, accentuating the power under the hood. Unlike the Exige, there's almost 8.5" of vertical seat movement to accommodate a wide range of drivers. All of them will end up with their head in the exact same place: about a half inch from the ceiling as that's the only position that affords adequate forward visibility. Strangely, the wheel and instruments sit very high, never affording the wheel-in-lap arrangement that I prefer, even with the seat all the way up and the wheel all the way down.

That interior is also going to be a bugbear for the Camaro. While the overall shapes are appealing, the materials are mostly cheap plastic, even on the big knobs that you use to adjust the HVAC and stereo (Nav isn't an option). A huge swath of that cheap plastic runs from the steering wheel all the way to the right door. The standard-on-SS auxiliary gauges, mounted down low in front of the gear lever, are largely worthless on the move due to their positioning, but look really cool, providing a false sense of driver/machine integration that just isn't born out in the driving experience. Believe it or not, the 2010 Mustang with a few options is actually a nicer place to spend time.

On initial impressions and despite a spec sheet that strongly claims otherwise, I'd tip the hat in the Mustang's favor when it comes to driving enjoyment too. To create it, Ford engineers essentially took the old model and made it as good as they possibly could. The result is, for the first time, a Mustang that's as much about going around corners as it is about acceleration, which is good, because the Camaro SS leaves it for dead in a straight line. Despite the Mustang's live rear axle, which never really manifests any limitations on the road, the 'Stang is ligher on its feet than the Camaro and has considerably more steering feel. The Camaro's is dead on center, never really manages a huge amount of feel in general and is overly light. It's so light, that it's possible that the engineers that drove it around the Nurburgring did so one-handed.

The much-touted performance of the V6-equipped Camaro doesn't live up to its Mustang GT-killing hype. While GM has gone to great lengths to make it as visceral as possible — the crisp exhaust note sounds almost as good as a 370Z — its flat torque curve leads to a somewhat uneventful feeling of acceleration, especially out of faster corners where the Camaro's prodigious 3,780 Lb curb weight leaves you with foot flat on the floor, wanting for more. Nor does the V6 manifest a handling advantage over the V8, even when equipped with all the RS options. Its steering still lacks feel and it becomes harder to push the car around corners using the throttle.

GM's Hydra-Matic SL50 6L50 6-speed automatic gearbox does however do an excellent job of keeping the V6 on the boil, particularly in "sport" mode. Its one of the quickest-to-shift slushboxes we've experienced and never seems to find itself in the wrong gear. In fact its so good that it renders the steering wheel-mounted shift buttons largely irrelevant. The 6L50 is clearly better than any of the Camaro's domestic rivals.

Look at the value-for-money and the performance numbers of the Camaro combined with its Dragon-tastic looks and you can't help but feel GM has a winner on its hands. It'll beat its competitors hands down, not only in a numbers-based pissing contest, but also in the public's imaginations: an advantage presented by its futuristic-yet-retro styling. It's exactly the car GM should be making, a car that will sell; it's just not the unprecedented new experience that we were hoping for, it's not a real driver's car. With the Camaro, GM has chosen to stick with the muscle car archetype rather than push the limits of what's possible, it's not likely to win many conquests from more adept sportscars like the 370Z, Audi TT and BMW 3-series as Chevy hopes it will. The result, like the new Star Wars films, is a product that will undoubtedly be a commercial success, just perhaps not a timeless classic like the original, a product that will blend in with, rather than stand out from, its rivals.

Photography credit: Wetzel Tucker

We drove both the V6 and V8 versions of the 2010 Chevy Camaro on Monday and, while we can't tell you about that till Friday, March 20th at 6pm (EST), we can take a look at how both Camaros stack up against the competition on paper. Will the clear bang-for-your-buck advantage translate to the driving experience? Check back Friday at 6:00 PM to find out.

All the models featured in this comparison are stock, base-spec vehicles. Where possible, manufacturer's official numbers have been used.




Photography credit: Wetzel Tucker

It would even have held the all-time lap record until lap six of the race, when Dan Gurney in his Eagle broke it with a time of 8 minutes and 18.2 seconds.

The 1967 season was fast, wicked and violent even by the standards of early Formula 1. The cars had just come back into power the year before, when regulations increased maximum engine size from a sewing machine 1.5 liters to a healthy three, and this was the first year when the entire field was made up of 3-liter cars. Speeds were increasing race by race, the cars ran on hard rubber, had no wings, and the tracks they raced on were designed and built in the 1920s.

Add to this the utter madness of the most famous of those tracks: the old Nürburgring Nordschleife. Where trees lined a thin strip of tarmac and these slender aluminum tubes with no downforce skirted right up to the edge on every lap. One would imagine it was not only the Eagle’s exhaust manifolds which were made of titanium but Gurney’s balls as well.

The cars took an incredible beating and the Grand Prix turned into a race of attrition. Gurney, who would go on to break the lap record again with a time of 8:15.1, had to retire from first position with a broken halfshaft. Denny Hulme in the unremarkable but reliable Brabham-Repco won the race and went on to become World Champion.

And yes, the cars took to the air on every lap at the very appropriately named Flugplatz.

As you can see, the new Camaro SS is quicker than the Pontiac G8 GXP around the 'Ring but, predictably, slower than both the Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1. At a fraction of a cost it's hard to complain about the performance.

Pontiac G8 GXP Around The Ring In: 8:30

Camaro SS Around The Ring In: 8:19

Cadillac CTS-V Around The Ring In: 7:59

Corvette ZR1 Around The Ring In: 7:26

Heck, now Automobile shouldn't even try their muscle car comparison they're setting up on the West Coast — they'll just get beaten to the punch by the forums. Why even try anymore? We're just happy to know someone got the exclusive on it — and it wasn't AutoWeek. Still, we're thinking we should be expecting a few less breathless and more in depth reviews to be coming in the next couple of months. [CamaroZ28]

Dear Chevrolet Dealers:

Design. It is the number one reason people purchase a sports car. It is the reason the Camaro concept was a smash hit. And it will be one of the primary reasons the 2010 Camaro will be such a success starting in 2009.

To honor its design, Chevrolet has provided Detroit’s own College for Creative Studies (CCS) the opportunity to purchase the third 2010 Camaro model produced when regular production starts in early 2009 (currently scheduled for February 16, 2009). In turn, CCS will auction this very special model as part of its primary fundraising event – the Detroit International Wine Auction.

Starting October 15, 2008 at 9 p.m., CCS will list their Camaro on Ebay. The auction will run until Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 9 p.m. The model is a 2010 Camaro SS featuring 6.2L V8 engine with over 400 horsepower and a GM estimated 23 MPG highway (official EPA ratings will be released closer to the start of production in early 2009). The winning bidder will have the option of adding factory installed optional equipment and selecting the exterior color and interior trim.

Located in midtown Detroit, the College for Creative Studies is a world leader in art and design education. A private, fully accredited college, CCS enrolls more than 1,300 students pursuing various Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees including Product Design and Transportation Design. Many members of GM Design are alumni of CCS.

Last year, the Detroit International Wine Auction (DIWA) raised $1.4 million with the proceeds underwriting undergraduate scholarships and high-quality art and design education programs to high-risk Detroit Youth. 98 percent of CCS students received some form of financial assistance and over 3,000 Detroit youth participated in CCS’s community outreach programs.

CCS is deeply grateful to Chevrolet and General Motors for the opportunity to both honor Camaros beautiful design and their investment in our future designers. If you are interested in attaining the certified third Camaro model produced when regular production starts, you are encouraged to visit www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu/diwa and click on the Ebay link to register and come back at 9 p.m. on October 15 to begin bidding. Please call the College at 313.664.7464 with any questions.

Hurry, the auction ends 9:00 p.m. Saturday October 25, 2008.

Nina K. Holden
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
College for Creative Studies

[GM]

• The base price of the 2010 Chevy Camaro LS will start at $22,995
• The base price of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS will start at $30,995

At that price, we'll take two of the SS versions of the Aussie-engineered 'merican muscle car. One in red and one in black. Well, as long as we're able to get credit.

Chevrolet Announces Pricing for the 2010 Camaro

Lineup Includes Fun and Efficient V-6 models rated at 27 mpg and High-Performance Camaro SS

DETROIT – Chevrolet today announced pricing for the all-new, 2010 Camaro. It starts at $22,995 MSRP for the V-6-powered LS model, and $30,995 for the V-8-powered Camaro SS (all prices include $750 destination charge). Customer ordering opened on Oct. 13, with production scheduled to start in first quarter of 2009.

“The wait is almost over,” said Ed Peper, GM North America vice president, Chevrolet. “The return of the Camaro gives sports car enthusiasts a reason to rejoice. It’s a 21 st century sports car with a distinctly American legacy.

More than 600,000 enthusiasts have requested information on the Camaro since its production was announced. Chevrolet is reaching out to give them the opportunity to be the first to order one.

The Chevy.com/Camaro Web site carries information regarding early ordering, along with vehicle packaging information, a specification sheet and anticipated frequently asked questions about the ordering process.

Production is scheduled to begin in mid-February at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario production facility, with dealership deliveries shortly thereafter. Complementing the Camaro’s introduction is a range of performance, appearance and convenience accessories – including 21-inch wheels and tires; ground effects and stripe kits; and even a classic-styled Hurst shifter – that customers can order and have installed at their dealership. In some cases, the cost of the accessories and their installation can be rolled into the monthly payments.

“My Own Worst Enemy”

Enthusiasts will see the new Camaro this fall as part of NBC’s new drama, “My Own Worst Enemy.” It stars Christian Slater as a man with two personalities – a suburban dad and covert spy – with the Camaro featured prominently, along with the new Chevy Traverse crossover. The show premiers Oct. 13, the same day ordering opens for the Camaro.

Camaro’s supporting role on “My Own Worst Enemy” follows its big-screen debut as the Autobot named Bumblebee in the blockbuster 2007 movie, “Transformers.”

World-class performance, American heritage

Built on GM’s new, global rear-wheel-drive architecture, the Camaro is offered in V-6-powered LS and LT models, as well as the V-8-powered SS. All models and powertrain combinations are matched with fuel-saving six-speed transmissions. Advanced technologies, including engines with direct injection and Active Fuel Management, enable a satisfying balance of exhilarating performance and good fuel economy.

Camaro product highlights also include:

* Sleek styling with heritage cues and 10 available exterior colors
* Four-wheel independent suspension system, including a 4.5-link rear suspension
* Four-wheel disc brake systems standard on all models, including four-piston Brembo calipers on SS models
* StabiliTrak stability control system and traction control standard on all models
* Family of 18-, 19- and 20-inch wheels
* Six standard air bags, including head curtain side-impact air bags and front seat-mounted thorax side air bags
* RS appearance package available on LT and SS, including HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, specific taillamps and 20-inch wheels
* Bluetooth phone connectivity
* USB connectivity
* Remote vehicle starting system
* OnStar
* XM Satellite Radio

Under the hood, Camaro LS and LT use a 3.6L engine with variable valve timing to optimize performance and fuel economy. It is rated at an estimated 300 horsepower (224 kW) and 273 lb.-ft. of torque (370 Nm). A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the 3.6L engine; a Hydra-Matic 6L50 electronically controlled six-speed automatic, with TAPshift control, is available. LS and LT models are estimated at 27 mpg in highway driving, for great fuel economy to complement their fun driving experience.

The high-performance Camaro SS is equipped with a powerful 6.2L V-8, with a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmission-equipped models receive the LS3 engine, estimated at 422 horsepower (315 kW) and 408 lb.-ft. of torque (553 Nm). It is paired with a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

A new, L99 V-8 engine is used on automatic transmission-equipped SS models. It is based on the LS3, but also includes GM’s fuel-saving Active Fuel Management feature. It is estimated at 400 horsepower (299 kW) and 395 lb.-ft. of torque (535 Nm). It is matched with a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed transmission that helps delivers an estimated 23 mpg on the highway.

Chevrolet is one of America’s best-known and best-selling automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and the leader in sales of vehicles priced $35,000 and above. Chevrolet delivers more-than-expected value in every vehicle category, offering cars and trucks priced from $12,120 to $103,300. Chevy delivers expressive design, spirited performance and great value with standard features usually found only on more expensive vehicles. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevrolet.com.