With 29 miles per gallon and 304 horsepower, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will be a game changer

2010 Camaro LT/RS V-6.  Photo © GM Corp.

29 miles per gallon.  Let me say that again… 29 miles per gallon.  That’s what the Environmental Protection Agency says 2010 Chevrolet Camaros will achieve on the highway, provided their drivers opt for the base V-6 engine and a judicious right foot.  For those wondering why I sound so excited, consider that this base V-6 Camaro LS still comes with power equipment like windows, locks and cruise control, still comes with safety equipment like anti-lock brakes, stability control and enough airbags to float the Titanic, still comes with a fully-independent suspension, 18-inch wheels and a six-speed manual transmission, and best of all, still packs 304 horsepower.

Actually, I lied just then.  Best of all is the price, which checks in at $22,900 for the exact car I just described.  I’ll take mine in black with red rally stripes, please.

2010 Camaro Interior.  Photo © GM Corp

What we have here then is a potential game changer in the newly-revitalized muscle car wars of Motown, and it hasn’t been this exciting since the days of Purple Haze.  In the Blue Oval corner, there is of course the Ford Mustang, the only true survivor from the original muscle car era, having not missed a single year of production since it first appeared in 1964. In Shelby GT500 guise, the 2010 Mustang is the undisputed performance champion, out muscling both Chevrolet and Chrysler by over 100 horsepower.  Of course, that power also comes at a significant price bump--$46,325 to be exact.  By comparison, that’s $4000 more than a Dodge Challenger SRT8, and a whopping $12,000 more than a Camaro SS.

Dodge of course has the Challenger, which has taken the retro pony-car world by storm with its looks and traditional Hemi V-8 power.  As with the Mustang, the Challenger still tops out well over the top-of-the-line Camaro SS in price, with an MSRP of $42,600 for an SRT8 that offers 425 horsepower, nearly identical to the SS ‘maro.

But this piece didn’t start out talking about high-end cars, so let me get back to why the 2010 Camaro LS is going to be a game changer. 
 

"Bumblebee" concept Camaro and star of the movie Transformers

The only reason the Mustang survived unbroken was because it had scores of V-6 buyers supporting the relative few who opted for V-8-powered GTs or SVT Cobras. When GM retired its F-body line of Camaros and Firebirds in 2002, V-6 Mustang sales alone were more than the General’s entire F-body lineup combined.  With figures like that, it’s hard to deny the appeal of lower-priced pony cars; they seldom get the glory, but these bread-and-butter editions are why cars like the Shelby, SS and SRT editions exist.  Ford had the formula pretty good with the last-generation Mustang, but GM is about to rewrite that formula because nothing—and I mean nothing—from Ford or Chrysler’s entry-level lineup will be able to touch the raw power of the Camaro V-6.  To find a true performance comparison from Ford you need to jump up to the Mustang GT, which only gives you an extra 11 horsepower from its V-8 while costing $5000 more.  The Challenger SE V-6 is a bit better at 250 horsepower, but it still sees Camaro taillights on a regular basis.  And then there’s the phenomenal fuel mileage of 29 miles per gallon on the highway, which also dominates the domestic competition.  Performance enthusiasts generally won’t admit this, but having something with cahones that also saves money at the pump is an ego booster as well.  Just ask the six-speed ‘vette guys.

Low price of admission, retro-good looks, Hollywood fame (how many Camaro buyers do you suppose are going to name their car Bumblebee?), class-busting fuel economy and class-obliterating performance; add it all up and you come to a pretty convincing conclusion.  Halo cars like the Camaro SS, Shelby GT500 and Challenger SRT8 bring the people into showrooms, but their entry-level siblings pay the bills and GM is looking to turn this segment into a one-trick pony.  Don’t take my word for it though; according to General Motors, 14,000 pre-orders have already been taken for the 2010 Camaro and yes, most of them are for the V-6. 

As I said… black with red rally stripes, please.