(Photo by Kurt Niebuhr)
First thing ya know, there's a big screw up with traffic and we need to bring our 2010 Chevy Camaro SS out to the track as a support vehicle for a certain vehicle testing assistant. Next thing ya know, well, the track's all wet, the traction control's off, Josh Jacquot's snagged the keys and the Camaro's all sideways around the skidpad.
Sigh. These things happen.
But really, why doesn't this thing drive like this ALL THE TIME? On dry pavement the Camaro is all grip all the time. You've gotta drop the clutch from like, 5 grand to have any fun. Slam the gas from 20 with the wheel cranked and it just sort turns...quickly...booorrrriiiinnng. That's not what a Camaro should do. At least, that's not what the Camaros (third and fourth gen) I grew up driving did. They went sideways if you werent' careful. It took skill to drive it in the dry and it really took some attention to drive it in the wet. Oh, and I grew up in New Englad...and we drove them in the snow and frankly, we're better men now because of it.
The kids who will, in a few years, end up in used 5th gen Camaros won't have to deal with any of that. They'll just hold the gas down and let the traction control and the wussy gearing keep them safe and coddled.
Driving the 5th gen in the rain was fun. It was stable and controlable, but it finally commanded the respect a 400+ hp RWD car should.
Follow the jump for a quick video...Josh's last lap of about, oh, 12?
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ @ 9,000 miles
lucien4 says:
11:56 AM, 12/25/09
Turn off traction and skid control and it should most likely behave more similar (and less safe of course as well).
greenpony says:
11:59 AM, 12/25/09
That is a sweet photo, Kurt. Nice action shot, with the late evening (or early morning?) light glancing in from the side making it very dramatic.
ddoouugg says:
01:54 PM, 12/25/09
Most sports car are like that these days. You can't really approach the limit on a normal road. Even when you are really pushing it on a mountain road. You really have to use a lot of power to lose grip at all. It takes some of the fun away.
bodyblue says:
05:09 PM, 12/25/09
Just got through reading the Motor Trend top ten handling cars test....Camaro SS came in tenth....it was not considered that great as configured even though they said it had potential. Also the solid axle GT500 came in fifth....guess that IRS is not so necessary after all for excellent handling.
vt8919 says:
08:13 PM, 12/25/09
bodyblue: I guess it's really true when they say, "It's not what you got, but how you use it..."
yellowmiata says:
08:57 PM, 12/25/09
I can appreciate how kicking the tail out on a car is fun. I do question how we rate handling when there are opposing values placed on a car: to be volatile, twitchy and unstable through corners when on the gas VS neutral and able to get on the gas early for a faster exit? Maybe we need to have two separate scales on which to judge "sports" cars.
I remember a previous discussion about what makes a "pony" car - perhaps this is a trait that pony cars need? Also, are "pony" cars also considered "sports" cars? Or are they from different sides of the tracks (perhaps b/c of this handling difference)?
Kevin
mmichael says:
09:28 PM, 12/25/09
@yellowmiata: The E46 BMW M3 could do both with equal aplomb. Good sports cars just require that sort of meticulous engineering.
mmichael says:
09:33 PM, 12/25/09
@ Kurt Niebuhr: Very nice pic!
It could very well have been a still from a Transformers movie. :)
(and before everyone else goes ballistic - i know the camaro in transformers was yellow!)
cr_driver says:
09:44 AM, 12/26/09
Did not know the camaro was that boring, even with traction/stability control off?
estreka says:
05:32 AM, 12/28/09
I'm actually glad cars come with traction control. It keeps everyone's insurance rates down. Defeating traction control should require a little intelligence anyway. That way you don't have morons trying to drift down main street.
chavis10 says:
08:50 AM, 12/28/09
Is this the way people really want to drive cars that cost near $40k? I've never understood the whole "pony car" thing anyway and how those crude cars were found to be appealing. If the Camaro performed like the last generation version, people would be complaining. Instead, it's well behaved and drives with sophistication, but yet they are still complaining? I'm confused.
beermagazine says:
05:01 PM, 12/28/09
Price is not what they are talking about. I understand what they mean when they say with 420hp things should "feel" different. I haven't driven a Camaro, but in terms of power it seems odd sometimes you get in a car that's fairly light and with good power and they don't even try to feel urgent.
I drove a 370Z with 330hp and similar TQ and it didn't feel like it wanted to go faster. My 350Z with Twin Turbo did. So there is something to being able to feel fast.
deathtollwrx says:
07:28 PM, 12/28/09
I think a "Pony Car" is any car that can go fast in a straight line but doesn't have much in terms of handling.
It's got to have a really long hood and a short rear deck and made by an American car company.
Camaro
Mustang
Challenger
canada_rocks says:
10:18 AM, 01/13/10
hey guys and girls. i own a v6 2010 camaro, so my opinions may be biased. but i believe this prodominant understeer leaves the wider tires in the rear to blame, not for 100% of the understeer cause suspension tuning and chassis are also factors. but i recently put winter tires on my car. 225 is the width all around. thats a big departure from the 275 summers several inches of contact patch loss between the two rear tires alone.
BUT i can now easily overwhelm the rear end into oversteer. almost too easily sometimes. and it has made the car much more playful even with these squishy sidewalled winter tires. this 6 cylender can now powerslide with ease. the numb steering makes it a little scary sometimes but i love this car still. good job GM, additionally i expirenced none of the aformentioned problems with this long term test car.