Motor Trend's Alex Nishimoto offered up an engaging and enthralling feature on the
blog this week about this year's Camaro
SS, and his experiences during testing. He begins poignantly by remembering
the Camaro's launch in 1966, when it was then available with a two-speed
automatic transmission. Just 3 years later, there were two different 3-speed
options, and after turning the pages of time forward 5 decades, you can now
obtain a 2019 Chevy Camaro SS with 10 gears. He first clearly states that he
believes there was nothing at all wrong with the 8-speed automatic, but with
the 10-speed co-developed with Ford, GM now sees it fit to spread the gearbox
that saw its first appearance in the ZL1 to more models across the Camaro
lineup.
The refresh for 2019 involves much more than just
the uppage in gears: this updated pony also adds forward collision warning as
an option and scores an available 8.0-inch touchscreen. On the outside, the headlights
have been redesigned with new LED accents that do a great job of flowing
visually into the grille, and the taillights have now returned to the classic
quad round lamp arrangement. There is more difference between the trim levels,
and the new SS look has been by far the one that has been asked about most here
at O'Rielly Chevy of Tucson.
After a few days of driving, Alex felt as if he
was really beginning to grow to like the front end, which has been the subject
of much talk and controversy over the winter. We absolutely agree that the very
large, blacked-out grille with Z/28-sourced flowtie badge looks appropriately
menacing, and the bursts of body-color bits that jut into the grille can make
the front end appear a bit like a spartan helmet.
As far as the drive, the first aspect that was
greatly appreciated was the transmission. There were no instantly jerky shifts
felt with the unit, and “hunting for gears” was not an issue. The lift-foot
gear hold feature trickles down from the 10-speed Camaro ZL1 and is designed to
prevent excessive upshifts or downshifts during driving on the quicker side of
things. While situated in Normal mode, the throttle response from the
direct-injected engine is already lightening-fast, but flipping the switch to
Sport sharpens the engine to a zone of sheer automotive brilliance and
aggression that has already been hailed by many as “The only way to enjoy the Camaro”.
During acceleration testing, the SS automatic
posted a 4.1-second 0-60 mph time, which was closely-shaven to the last T and
matched with the result of a 2018 Camaro SS 1LE equipped with the six-speed
manual. Road test editor Erick Ayapana heaped the largest kind of praise on the
transmission for “nice crisp shifts” during the run down the dragstrip, and braking
tests yielded in a 60 to 0 mph stop in 103 feet, with no signs of any type of
fade or wear after even six runs. The burly V-8 engine sound only gets more
pleasing as the rpms delve higher, and we were fully excited to see more
positive words and praise about our favorite track-conquering and
ten-speed-equipped road warrior!
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