2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Soul of a Sports Car?

I have no idea what you're talking about. Does it not have enough power? Not handle? Too heavy?

Please elaborate because I'm just confused here.

An H3 seriously? I get where you are going with this post, but you could have picked a way better example than the anemic (unless it was an Alpha) and cramped H3. I've never envied anyone who drove a Hummer. You should envy the person driving an old Cherokee or Wrangler.

Mike, please finish the post.

I'm confused. Are you suggesting that the Camaro lacks the heritage of the past, drives like a truck....or both?

I understand what the point you're trying to make, but you really need to offer some specific examples to back up your opinion.

Without details this comes across as slightly crazy.

Jordan, go back to trolling school.

@esoterica: Trolling school, that's good! He needs to take some lessons from Kissell... maybe he is Kissell.

He says it drives like a truck and doesn't have the soul of past F-Bodies, which were actually pretty fun to drive. This new car is a collection of parts put together to satisfy some marketing guy's image of a Camaro and nothing more.

Doesn't seem too hard to understand. Then again, I doubt those of you who disagree have actually driven one.

Sorry kurt_ most of us don't work for a company that reviews cars, so we have to rely on others to tell us what a car is like.

I think Chevy focused too much on the look and the numbers with the new Camaro and forgot about said soul. Too bad.

I don't think it has near the towing capacity of the truck.

@ kurt

the fact that i haven't driven one is exactly why i wish he'd be more specific.

never said i agreed or disagreed with his opinion; just wish it was more informative.

without specific details, it isn't very useful to those of us who have not driven the car.

Is it worse in this way than the G8? Because in the G8 you are also getting the heart of a Silverado. At least the Camaro SS gets the good engine. Everyone seems to love the G8 though, so what is different?

If the G8 is a fun ride and the Camaro is a slighter lighter version of the G8 with more power, then what is the problem?

compliance and chavis - one thing off the top of my head is that you can see out of the G8! It also doesn't make any pretensions to being a sports car, but a sport sedan, which is why it is okay for it to weigh as much as it does, and not be quite as fast.

What the deuce

"He says it drives like a truck and doesn't have the soul of past F-Bodies, which were actually pretty fun to drive. This new car is a collection of parts put together to satisfy some marketing guy's image of a Camaro and nothing more."

What sould of the F body? Cheap interiors? live axle? huge front overhangs? please. They were affordable and fun cars, but they weren't good cars.

This is a real modern sports coupe for adults. That is why it's selling. Its not surprising that it doesn't appeal to IL editors who dream about the 135i, WRX and Miata but there are many people who like what the Camaro offers.

As chavis said, how could you dislike this car so much after praising the G8 for a year.

fuhteng- I'll agree with you on the visibility. I've sat in one (but did not drive) and it feels like the bat-cave. However, your pretentions arguement doesn't hold water. It seems everyone is smitten with the G8's dynamics. Whether it's a four door or two door, a good handling car is a good handling car. I think the people in the press are the only ones hung up on such pretensions. Most buyers who aren't brand snobs will simply by the car they like and not use unreasonable criteria to make a decisions.

BTW- The previous F-Bodies were horrible if you ask me and I wouldn't be caught dead driving either the Camaro or Firebird. I'm glad this new car has nothing to do with those crude contraptions. If/when GM swaps in a more attractive instrument cluster, the Camaro will be a home run in my book.

It's easy to see why if the G8 and Camaro have similar driving dynamics one would be praised and the other criticized. One is a full-size sedan with room for five adults, and the other won't even carry a tall adult in the front seat under its sunroof.

A sporty car is and should be held to a higher standard than something in the Toyota Avalon class.

In my opinion, the G8 does a MUCH better job being a full size four door sedan than the Camaro does being a sporty two-door sedan. I guess something got lost in the translation with the Camaro.

Say what you will about the 4th gen F-Bodies, but they were a ton of fun. I still miss mine.

whats funny is Jordan likely will not elaborate any further on this article.

I would like, as other readers to better understand his point.
I'm curious, but doubtful these writers even read comments

Since when has this car been considered a sports car? GT yes. Sporty coupe yes. Sports car? The four seats beg to differ.

I agree with Chavis. It was time for GM to move past the old "soul" and finally modernize the camaro. There's a reason they stopped making them in 02 and that the demand is huge for this car now. Personally I like the dash, guages, and yes, even the steering wheel.

I'm getting a little sick and tired of these "Car has no soul" comments. WTF is soul in a car exactly??? Anybody?? How about the car is fast, it looks great, and is a good track performer? Where the hell does the "soul" come in, other than as a way to complain about a car that you can't find anything technically wrong with?

The Camaro I think has some soul but most of it was sold to the Transformers people.

all this silly debate could be cleared up very simply if the author would choose to give us some examples. saying that a v8 coupe based on a capable chassis is comparable to a heavy duty truck or H3 without providing any rationale is pretty dumb, frankly.

giving opinions about life with the long-term cars is great. however, "why" is an important part of these opinions. seems like many of the editors could do a better job lately of backing up their observations/opinions with actual evidence or examples
...just a thought.

This is definitely a particularly cryptic blog entry. I think what he is trying to convey is that for all of the spec's and numbers to suggest an enviable American GT, but driving it and living with it...there's just no passion to it. For all of it's performance spec's, it somehow fails to stir the soul of the beholder? I have to admit that I, too, am a bit mystified by this impression. Afterall, how could a car of this caliber *not* be an inspiring driving experience? Having never driven one, I remain in disbelief, but maybe there is some truth to it? I dunno!

Maybe it is like pining after the ultimate girl in your town, and then finally you get to bed her. While it was a technically competent performance, you could somehow tell she wasn't really into the experience with you? The end result ends up not being nearly as mind-blowing as you had anticipated, after all of this time?

^ Nice way of putting it.

I think I read somewhere on this site that the Camaro is more like a two door sedan than a coupe. That really sums up the vehicle in my mind.

My daily driver is actually a Pontiac G8 GT. It's an excellent sports sedan, maybe a little more body roll than I'd like, but otherwise, a great handling car...for a large sedan. That car is also insanely practical, it swallows up five six footers and their luggage, visibility is excellent, driving position gives a great view of the round. I wouldn't call it sports car nimble, though.

The point is, the Camaro SS for all it's drawback should easily out handle the larger vehicle. Otherwise, you might as well be driving a large sedan.

The facts back it up. Here are some test numbers straight from Edmunds:

Braking 60 - 0 mph.
G8 GT: 109 ft
Camaro SS: 109 ft

Slalom.
G8 GT: 65.7 mph
Camaro SS: 68.6 mph

Skidpad
G8 GT: .85g
Camaro SS: .88g

Curb weight as tested
G8 GT: 4,106 lbs
Camaro SS: 3857 lbs

Price as tested
G8 GT: $32,745
Camaro SS: $35,380

Clearly these writers are overpaid, they write a quick blog entry, nothing to back it up, it is half-ass and needs clarification and then don't even bother to respond.

Wow, you're trying hard to be an a-hole by bashing a fan favorite car without actually saying anything specific about it. Thinking of a job at "the truth about cars" are we?

@testuser3

I bet with a few suspension mods you could make a G8 handle better than the Camaro. Of course the same could be said of the Camaro but you still have practically to factor in.

Due to the title of the blog entry and the picture of the truck, I think that it is safe to say that this blog entry is about not feeling like you are driving a sports car when you are driving the new Camaro. I experienced this feeling myself during my test drive. The tall dash, the super quite ride, the tiny windshield, the side glass that was narrow and shoulder height; all of this diminishes a lot of the sense of speed and fun you should experience when driving this type of car.

I suspect that there will be many cryptic blog entries for this car saying that it lacks a certain something. You just have to drive the car to understand it...

Due to the title of the blog entry and the picture of the truck, I think that it is safe to say that this blog entry is about not feeling like you are driving a sports car when you are driving the new Camaro. I experienced this feeling myself during my test drive. The tall dash, the super quite ride, the tiny windshield, the side glass that was narrow and shoulder height; all of this diminishes a lot of the sense of speed and fun you should experience when driving this type of car.

I suspect that there will be many cryptic blog entries for this car saying that it lacks a certain something. You just have to drive the car to understand it...

EDMUNDS SHOULD START DRUG TESTING IT'S WRITERS BECAUSE YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH. I OWN A NEW SS, I HAVE 3200 MILES ON IT AND JUST CANT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT, THIS CAR ROCKS. I'VE ALSO OWNED A '95 Z28, A '71 BIG BLOCK, A '69 SS/RS AND A '68 CAMARO AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS CAR HAS JUST ENOUGH SOUL AS THE OLD CARS BUT IT HAS BEEN POLISHED AND REFINED. MY ONLY ISSUE IS THE REAR VISIBILITY.
BUT WHAT A FUN CAR TO DRIVE, NOT TO RETRO, GREAT RIDE, COMFORTABLE SEATS AND GREAT GAS MILEAGE TO GO WITH ALL THAT POWER. THIS WAS GOING TO BE MY WEEKEND CAR AS I HAVE A NEW ESCALADE FOR COMMUTING BUT I HAVENT STARTED IT IN 2 WEEKS. I'M ACTUALLY ENJOYING MY COMMUTE TO AND FROM WORK, I CANT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THAT HAPPENED. THE NEW CAMARO IS ALOT MORE THAN I EXPECTED, WHAT A NICE CAR.

The review is inane.

Actually, I've driven the Camaro SS manual as well as al the earlier models, going back to the '60s cars. This one actually feels and drives more like the '60s cars than any of the other, in terms of the clutch and engine sensations and the view over the hood. It has the general sensations of being in and driving a big-block Camaro.

I don’t understand anything about this post. The car is attractive, powerful, handles well for its weight and is affordable. Do these posts not go through editorial review or is Edmunds just that out of touch with people who actually buy cars?