Chevrolet Camaro Cars

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About Camaro

The Camaro was Chevrolet's answer to Ford's wildly popular Mustang, and while its first-year model, in 1967, was two years late to the pony-car party, Chevrolet worked hard to build a strong competitor that would take back the spotlight, with a powerful range of engine options and styling to rival anything the Mustang had to offer. Five generations have been built since 1967, with a lapse in production from2003 through 2009. The SS, RS, Z/28, and IROC-Z, are all well-known among American car collectors, and interest remains high, with excellent examples of early cars still bringing top dollar.

1967-1969

GM's belated reply to Ford's super-successful Mustang, based on the Chevy Nova chassis and mechanical package. By the time it arrived on the showroom floor in 1966, the heyday of the "personal coupe" had already passed, but even so, GM sold 220,000 Camaros in the first year alone.

Various states of tune were available, the most extreme being the Z28 (602 in 1967); SS (Super Sport , 96,275 built); and the RS (Rally Sport, 143,592 built). These are now among the most prized of all first-gen Camaros, and they attract big premiums. Convertibles are also more desirable, but good examples are harder to find.

1970-1981

Its own purpose-designed monocoque body distinguished the Camaro of the 1970s, and it was a big- dollar earner for GM, with almost two million sold. Less subtle styling was used, which was said to be GM's take on the Ferrari 250 SWB.

With emissions regulations becoming increasingly more stringent, these cars were nowhere near as powerful as the original series, even in Z/28 form, which is among the most desirable of 1970s Camaros. About 250,000 Z/28s were built, so they're not especially rare, but that also means they can generally be bought for reasonable money.

1982-1992

The Camaro's third generation was a complete technical departure from the car it replaced, with much more angular lines, overdrive transmissions, and modern fuel injection all now part of the package.

Engine options started with a wheezy 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine (offered due to fuel economy concerns caused by the energy crisis of 1979), and culminated with tuned-port-injected 5.0-liter(305-ci) and 5.7-liter (350-ci) V8s.

Most notable of the group was the IROC-Z, named after the popular International Race of Champions, which was offered starting in 1985. It featured an upgraded suspension as well as special decals, and included the high-performance, tuned-port injection system from the Corvette.

1993-2002

The fourth-generation Camaro was similar in size to the 1982-1992 models, but it featured a completely new design inside and out. 1993 marked the first use of dual airbags in a Camaro, and the Z/28 was given the LT1 Corvette small-block V8, making 275-hp.

In 1996, the SS package returned, offered as an SLP modification and sold through Chevrolet dealers, featuring a unique cold-air induction system and special suspension tuning. 1998 saw the introduction of the Corvette's LS1 in place of the LT1, making 305-hp in Z/28 models and 320 hp (325 hp starting in 2001) in SS coupes and convertibles.

2010-2011

The all-new Camaro was introduced as a 2010 model, picking up where the fourth-generation car left off when it ceased production in 2002. Like the fifth-generation Mustang, the new Camaro featured throwback styling, including lines that reminded buyers of the first-generation cars built from 1967 to 1969.

Based on GM's Zeta platform, the new Camaro was designed primarily by Holden in Australia, and is offered in five different trim levels: the LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS, and 2SS. The base model is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 making 304-hp, while the SS, when fitted with the 6-speed manual transmission, makes 426-hp from its 6.2-liter LS3 engine.

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