1:54:00 PM
Six-cylinder engines are legitimately desirable in imports—BMWs, Jaguars, Porsches—yet in pony cars they’ve always been plagued by the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome. As the old Camaro/Challenger/Mustang rap goes, V-8s are for those serious about performance, V-6s are for secretarial pools and rental fleets.
While Dodge and Ford both offer V-6s with 300 or more horsepower, the home of the Hemi and the house of EcoBoost don’t have their hearts in those engines. This gives Chevy the opportunity to indulge in the joy of six with its freshly revitalized Camaro. We don’t have secretaries anymore, and during our most recent 10Best trial, we noticed that the 3.6-liter, 335-hp LGX V-6 the Camaro shares with four Cadillacs is a palatable alternative to a honking V-8. Times have indeed changed.
The bad news is the cave that the Camaro’s interior has become. While the sixth generation’s cockpit excels in functionality, the exterior designers hiked up the trousers and cocked the Camaro’s beret to leave little more than peepholes for spotting traffic. The front buckets provide excellent lateral and thigh support, though the slide into them includes a buttocks bite by the outboard seatbelt anchor. The front belts also serve as tripwires for those brave enough to attempt rear-seat entry. That’s a pity because the back perches are comfortable—except for their shortage of head, knee, and foot space.
Most of the interior is finished in hard, black plastic but executed nicely enough not to be oppressive. At least there’s no hassle using the reconfigurable instrument cluster, infotainment system, and climate controls. Twisting the oversized vent registers sets cabin temperature. A parking brake that automatically releases when you drive off is handy, and the options list includes a wireless charging pad and a head-up display.
While Mustang fans might look wistfully in the direction of the new Camaro’s numbers, Ford fan defections are unlikely. That said, this car’s gutsy V-6 should draw a few import owners to the Chevy fold.
:) :)
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