2012 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible – Top notch!

A little less than two years ago, the Chevrolet division offered up its Camaro sport coupe, after an absence of several years. It came back with an extremely modern shape and a platform developed in Australia by the Holden division, the manufacturer’s rear wheel drive  specialist.

Impressive handling, a heck of a silhouette, a very well designed passenger compartment and a very competitive price have helped this model carve out a good part of the market. Moreover, Chevrolet is very proud to say that over the course of 2010, they beat the Ford Mustang in terms of sales by about 7,500 units, or the equivalent of a month of production.

After the coupe was presented at the planet’s main Auto Shows, a universally admired convertible version was unveiled: this car is singularly elegant. However, GM’s financial problems slowed its development, so it’s arriving a few months late. But as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. We’ll see if the wait was worth it.

Charming

The Camaro is a lovely coupe, but the convertible is even better. The hardtop model already features a nice shape, but having a relatively flat and long trunk lid gives it a presence that is the envy of the competition. However, it must be said that what you gain in body aesthetics, you lose in rear visibility... What’s more, since the rear section of the car is slightly larger, you have to think twice when making certain moves, such as parallel parking.

Basically, once the top is down, this Chevrolet cuts a truly fine figure. In the past, a lot of convertibles were disappointing once the soft top was up. The stylists really did a great job since this top, once in place, is not only very elegant, but it doesn’t hinder rear visibility, at least no more than on the coupe. In general, when you opt for the convertible, you aren’t penalized in this regard. In this case, it’s a wash.

Both the coupe and the convertible feature passenger compartments with quality materials and excellent finish. It seems that GM has finally figured out that you can no longer skimp on trim. It has a very unique dashboard that fancies itself a modern version of the original. It’s good overall, but not exactly revolutionary. In a nod to tradition, you can order four small rectangular indicator dials located at the edge of the console, just under the dash. Opinions are mixed on this subject. However, the seats are comfortable and offer good lateral support and are easy to adjust.

As you’d expect, the rear seats are made for average-sized people at most, and only for short distances, but I’d be willing to bet that kids will love them, since it means they get to ride in a convertible. Unfortunately, golfers are going to have to choose between having passengers or their golf clubs on the back seat, given that the top greatly reduces the trunk capacity and the trunk opening is very small. As in life, beauty and sacrifice go hand in hand.

Rigid platform, well-known engines

When the Camaro was developed, the engineers had already planned to build a convertible version. They created a very rigid platform for it, which is used by the coupe and explains its excellent handling. Once the coupe’s top is removed, it retains the same rigidity thanks to reinforcements located in certain critical places, but they don’t have much to do as it turns out. Note that there’s a brace between the two front suspension towers, a support located underneath the transmission and a few other members to insure the desired solidity. And Chevrolet is very proud to mention that the torsional rigidity is better than that of a BMW 3-Series Cabriolet. By the way, the top goes up and down in 20 seconds flat and has only one central anchoring mount on the windshield.

It’s mechanically similar to the coupe version. The basic engine is a 3.2-litre direct injection V6 that produces 312 horses. It comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission while the automatic, also a six-speed, is available on option. Of course, as with any sports car, there’s a V8 engine in the catalogue, too. This entirely aluminum engine is derived from the Corvette’s engine, and this 6.2-litre V8 features 400 horses on the model equipped with the automatic transmission and 426 horses when paired with the Tremec manual transmission. To conclude this technical summary, note that you can order Brembo brakes on option. Moreover, the improvements made to the convertible’s suspension will also be applied to the coupe version of future models.

Excellent touring car

One thing is certain, the convertible’s platform is very rigid and there’s no body torsion, no cowl shake and none of the other problems that we usually associate with convertibles. And if you drive with the top up, you’ll get almost the same soundproofing and comfort as with the coupe. This car excels at taking on both tight and wide curves. We tested this car in the Californian back-country, and it handled itself impressively. Specifically, we drove an SS version, and the only criticism that we have is that the steering is very sensitive to the road’s little imperfections. You really have to watch for it to notice, but it’s worth mentioning.

However, if you love the guttural roar of traditional American engines, you’re going to be disappointed since this V8 is rather silent, at least in relative terms. In fact, this car is so well insulated from exterior sounds that you’ll get the impression that its performances aren’t spectacular. But Chevrolet tells us that the version with the V6 engine can go from 0-100 km/hr in six seconds. That’s very likely the truth, but you’d never guess you’re going that fast when you’re behind the wheel. Same goes for the V8 engine’s performances.

Overall, the Camaro convertible is well designed, well put together and features excellent handling, but it’s somewhat underwhelming when it comes to sensations. We’d have liked a little more feedback. Otherwise, it’s truly impressive.