2017 Chevrolet Camaro: A More Mature Muscle Car

For several generations the Chevrolet Camaro has represented the pony car segment of driving for Chevrolet that was dynamic and ready to take on all other muscle cars on the road. When you purchased your Camaro you knew right away this was a car that only had one thing in mind, winning on the road or track. Unfortunately most of the time that meant the Camaro wasn’t a car that would give you the drive that would be smooth and sophisticated on any road, but it sure could drive fast, no matter how much it rattled you around or was stripped down.

For 2017 the Camaro is a different animal altogether. This beast of pure sport is now grown up and offers you a sophisticated drive that you’ve never had from the Camaro. this added driving dynamics is the direct result of GM pairing the Chevrolet and Cadillac teams together to have the engine from the Camaro put under the hood of the ATS and the driving manners from the ATS used on the Camaro. This marriage gives us a car that’s ideal for driving and comes in for the 50^th anniversary of the Camaro.

For 2017 not only will the “Fifty” badge be on every Camaro for this model year, but there are two new models added to the lineup, the 1LE which is a track ready car that is the stripped down version you might remember from your younger years and the ZL1 which brings in the power you seriously want to be able to experience on any road. These additions to the lineup and the ride feel that makes this a car that’s pure joy on the track. Where else are you going to find a car with European manners that offers the V8 muscle of the Camaro?

As with any sports car, the conversation must turn to the engine under the hood. For the Camaro there are four choices and all are able to be attached to either a six-speed manual with rev matching for the V8 engines or to an eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters. the ZL 1 is the only model that uses an optional ten-speed automatic to give it even better shift points.

The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that carries in 275 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Stepping up to the next engine we find the 3.6-liter V6 which will give you 335 horsepower and 284 lb.-ft. of torque. The next offering is the SS model which brings in a 6.2-liter V8 and gives you 455 horsepower and 455 lb.-ft. of torque to be a powerful machine for you to love to drive. While the SS is an excellent choice, the top of the scales is reached with the ZL1 model that uses the same size engine but adds a supercharger which boosts the power to a full 650 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque.

While the previous generation of the Camaro did everything to bring back the muscle car looks of old in this classic beauty, this new generation takes it a step farther. This is a car that hasn’t changed is appearance much, but offers a smaller wheelbase and better overall stance to be even quicker in the corners of a track than ever before. the low slung roof adds to the aerodynamics and the ZL1 will show off a deep grill and bumper which are designed to push air into the massive engine, making this the version of the Camaro that is the most track ready and capable for you to love.

The Camaro offers a ton of fun for everyone who drives it. If you want a Camaro but you don’t have a lot to spend, you can still enjoy the base model LT that start out around $27,300. Moving up to the V6 engine will add $1,500 to the price and the automatic transmission increase the cost by the same amount. Of course if you would rather enjoy the V8 power of the SS you will need to pay around $38,000 to start with and the ZL1 will start out around $62,000. Adding a convertible to the mix at every trim level will cost you an additional $7,000. The Chevrolet Camaro celebrates its 50^th anniversary in serious style with the equipment you want to admire and love on your new high powered muscle machine.