First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

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Dropping its top solves a bunch of the Camaro's critiques By John LeBlanc SAN DIEGO, California - In one fell swoop, Chevrolet has fixed one of the biggest flaws in its Camaro coupe. Simply tug on a release header latch, push a button — et voila! — the existing hardtop’s horrendous lack of rear visibility has been erased. You now enjoy a full 360-degree view with the clothtop lowered on the new-for-2011 Camaro convertible. In fact, even with the new 2011 Camaro convertible’s top up, the car is easier to see out of than the existing coupe, with its wider C-pillar and gun-slit rear window. After a series of delays (there was that little “issue” of GM’s bankruptcy and the culling of several brands and dealerships last year) the long-anticipated, open-air version of the resurrected Camaro muscle car goes on sale in Canada next month. This will come almost two years after the fifth-generation hardtop Camaros started rolling out of GM’s Oshawa plant in March, 2009, and almost nine years after the last Camaro convertible model was made at the automaker’s now-closed facility in Sainte-Therese, Que. The improved visibility and obvious open-air motoring benefits of the new 2+2 convertible muscle car come at a financial cost, though. Bypassing the base $26,995 LS trim available in the coupe, the Camaro convertible will be offered in V6-engine LT and V8-engine SS packages only, starting at $33,995 and $43,255, respectively. While Chevrolet makes references to the BMW 3 Series Cabriolet as a “rival” in some of its marketing materials, the only real competition comes from (where else!) Ford’s venerable Mustang Convertible, which is $2,000 cheaper with a V6 and $356 less with a V8. At a media event here in convertible-friendly southern California, Chevrolet’s engineers were eager to boast that the new Camaro convertible was engineered with the goal of offering the same driving experience as the hardtop version. Admitting that Camaro convertibles from the past were less than stellar when it came to structural integrity — which creates the dreaded cowl shake found in most ragtops from the past, and the subsequent softening of the suspension to make up the difference — the engineers trotted out various charts and diagrams to show that the Camaro lost little in structural integrity by having its roof chopped off and that it remains stiffer than the aforementioned Ford and BMW convertibles. If the goal of the new Camaro convertible was to bless it with “coupe-like handling,” then mission accomplished. In fact, the convertible not only matches the coupe, but also in some ways is a much nicer car to drive. All 2011 Camaros get a revised suspension, with new shock settings for better on-centre feel and less understeer. Although the Camaro convertible still doesn’t turn into tight corners as sharply as the smaller and lighter Mustang, it feels more settled when being hustled than the last RS coupe I drove, with long arcing, high-speed sweepers being its forté. Chevy hasn’t deep-sixed the Camaro’s deep-dish and hard-to-use steering wheel. But at least there seems to be more road information filtering up through the steering rack. And just as Chevy didn’t soften up the Camaro convertible’s suspension, it still possesses a firm-but-refined highway ride. The convertible gets the same transmissions and engines combos as the Camaro coupe. That means a 312 hp and 278 lb.-ft. of torque 3.6-litre V6 and two versions of a 6.2-litre V8: 426 hp and 420 lb.-ft. when equipped with the accurately shifting six-speed manual, and 400 hp and 410 lb.-ft. when equipped with the slow-to-react automatic with the same number of gears. If you’re buying the convertible Camaro to drop the top and better enjoy the aural delights of the engine bay, take note: surprisingly, the V6’s exhaust note sounds far sportier than the V8, especially when the bigger motor is combined with the autobox. In general, the “convertible” part of the new Camaro works just fine. To put the top down, simply twist a centrally mounted header latch, hold a button, and in a little over 15 seconds the top is stowed behind the rear seats. Once the top is down, you can attach the optional tonneau cover and a folding wind deflector. But you’ll have to be traveling light to so. The Camaro convertible’s roof nuts and bolts reduce the already small hardtop’s trunk space from 320 litres to just 289. Drop the top, and that space shrinks further. If you’re planning on a dirty weekend away with a loved one, you’ll more than likely end up filling the Camaro ragtop’s rear seat with your overnight bags. Putting up the roof is less convenient. Unlike a Mazda Miata, you won’t have time to raise the Camaro’s roof at a traffic light. Getting out of the car to remove the tonneau, placing it in the trunk, powering up the top, latching it to the header and (finally!) powering up the windows takes nearly twice as long compared to the lowering process. Most likely, people who purchase this Camaro convertible won’t bother to pick these nits. The ragtop is easier to see out of, drives nicer, and delivers more feel-good vibes than the sometimes-brutish Camaro coupe. In the case of the Camaro, removing its roof has ended up as a case of less is more. 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible RS/SS WHAT I LIKED: Stout chassis; refined highway ride; V6 growl; muscle car performance. WHAT I DIDN'T: Slow shifting automatic; not as nimble as the Mustang; disappointing V8/auto sound; tiny trunk space. PRICE: $33,995/$43,255 ENGINES/POWER: 3.6-litre V6/6.2-litre V8; 312/400-426 hp; 278/420-410 lb.-ft. TRANSMISSIONS: Six-speed manual/automatic FUEL ECONOMY: V6 man 12.4L/100 km city, 7.1 hwy; V6 auto 11.4-11.2 city, 6.9-6.6 hwy; V8 man 13.2 city, 8.2 hwy; V8 auto 13.3 city, 8.0 hwy. COMPETITION: Ford Mustang Convertible.

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