www.guardianonline.co.nz
Friday, April 13, 2018
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New-style Yankee muscle T hey say “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Well. So this is the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro; a refresh of the current model and a continuation of the Alpha platform that debuted in 2015. Chevrolet label it “bold” in their press release, and they’re certainly not wrong. The Camaro’s styling has come under scrutiny all day, as it’s clearly a hefty departure from the previous model, as well as the Aussie-designed fifth-gen model before that. It adopts a corporate face that Chevrolet are clearly marching forward with. You can also see it slapped on the all-new Silverado and Suburban – an integrated grill and headlight fascia that takes up plenty of vertical and horizontal real estate, while sweeping from one side of the car to the other. The announcement showcases the visual differences between the ‘lower tier’ models and those that come with higher pricing. Entry-level cars get two distinctly separate grill areas, the bottom of which curls around to form vents in front of the front wheels. Big daddy models connect the two areas into one huge gaping mouth, helping optimise air flow among other things. If you’re looking at these models wondering why those with the dual grill look familiar, it’s because we got a sneak peek of the look in the most recent Transformers action flicks. Little did we know that a next-generation Camaro was hiding in plain sight. The dominating discussions on looks are a bit of a shame, given that they overshadow what’s possibly one of the world’s greatest performance bargains; the new Turbo 1LE [pictured above]. That naming convention won’t be anything new to bow-tie fans, but what is new is pairing it with the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It comes with 205kW, 400Nm of torque, and no automatic option. Yup, it’s manual only, and that’s a huge sign of confidence in product given America’s lack of interest in manual cars. With less weight, a stick, FE2 suspension coupled with revised dampers, stabilizers for
lateral stiffness, and a beefier Brembo brake package, the Turbo 1LE could be the track weapon of choice. New Zealand won’t be getting it, though. Not for now anyway, though given how few four-cylinder Mustangs sell in New Zealand compared to V8s. What we will get is the 2SS, which sports the more aggressive new face out of the pair revealed today. American specs showcase an output of 332kW and 617Nm (compared to the new Mustang GT’s 339kW and 556Nm). Now we wait on pricing. If leaks over the ditch are anything to go by, expect our high-spec 2SS to be priced close to the $100,000 mark. And with HSV SportsCat and Silverado pricing now out of the bag, it’s just a matter of time before the Camaro follows suit.