Black_Bullitt
06-29-2009, 11:01 PM
And a black one at that!!
So, I was on my way up to the Ford dealer where I ordered my 2010 Grabber Blue Mustang so I could get the VIN on it. (Built last week, should be delivered in 2 weeks.) Anyways, right next door to the Ford shop is he Chevy shop. The day I ordered my Mustang, I had come out there to drive their new 2010 Camaro, which turned out to be a very lame V6 auto. Well today, as I was driving by, I noticed a new black Camaro sitting front and center, and noticed the SS badge in the grill. So I made it a point to stop by after visiting with the Ford folks to see if I could snap some pics and maybe get a test drive in. As it turned out, I had my buddy Reese with me, and he used to go to school with one of the salesmen at the Chevy shop, so I was in like flynn!!
Cutting threw the fat, I got to drive this new SS, and my previous impressions of the Camaro have been changed significantly, for the better. The V6 auto may still be the biggest, most overpriced piece of crap ever offered, but this SS was quite different.
2010 Camaro SS1 package
6.2L V8 rated at 426hp
6 Speed manual
Black in color, no significant upgrades.
The SS1 package is the lower of the 2 SS packages. It has cloth interior, none of the funky console guages, and the standard 20" wheels. The interior still feels like it's closing in on you, visibility is poor out of every possible viewing hole (even though it is still cool looking into the tiny thin side view mirrors and seeing the creased 'hips'). Interior still felt cheap and not very well thought out. You'll notice in the instrument cluster you have the speedo and tach prominently displayed. A bit of repetitiveness comes into play when you see the digital speed readout in the opening between those two guages. And the out dated, old school looking LED displays for both that speedo and the stereo just make you wonder, "They couldn't do any better than this?"
In contrast to the automatic shifter, the 6 speed feels pretty good, though still not as good as the 2010 Mustang's manual shifter. The clutch goes from no engagement to fully engaged in about 2.73 millimeters of movement. I've never felt a clutch like that and I hope I never do again. Starting from a dead stop left you launching forward unexpectedly, and shifting out of gear almost throws your face into the narrow windshield.
On the road, at speed, the Camaro handles well and the ride is comfortable. But you are still reminded you're in a Camaro by the familiar feeling of scrapping your butt along the road as you go - the seats put you very low in the cabin. I suppose that's good for the taller folks out there, but for people of a medium stature, like myself, it just makes seeing over the tall hood even harder, less comfortable.
The power was there, but still felt kind of sloppy in delivery. Chalk it up to having driven Vicki's Brandii (435hp?) for a week in the mountains, but the 426hp of the Camaro lacked that promptness and punch. Even the 2010 GT's delivery of 315hp was much more seat of the pants exciting.
The price on this particular model I drove was a mere $36,200. And if it weren't for all the creature comforts I am getting with the Mustang, I might have actually gone and bought this one.
Overall rating, better than the V6 auto for sure, but not enough to make me change my mind on the Mustang.
Also, while we were there, they were unloading a red SS2 package. Pics included at the bottom.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-32.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-33.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-34.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-35.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-36.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-37.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-39.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-40.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-41.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-42.jpg
So, I was on my way up to the Ford dealer where I ordered my 2010 Grabber Blue Mustang so I could get the VIN on it. (Built last week, should be delivered in 2 weeks.) Anyways, right next door to the Ford shop is he Chevy shop. The day I ordered my Mustang, I had come out there to drive their new 2010 Camaro, which turned out to be a very lame V6 auto. Well today, as I was driving by, I noticed a new black Camaro sitting front and center, and noticed the SS badge in the grill. So I made it a point to stop by after visiting with the Ford folks to see if I could snap some pics and maybe get a test drive in. As it turned out, I had my buddy Reese with me, and he used to go to school with one of the salesmen at the Chevy shop, so I was in like flynn!!
Cutting threw the fat, I got to drive this new SS, and my previous impressions of the Camaro have been changed significantly, for the better. The V6 auto may still be the biggest, most overpriced piece of crap ever offered, but this SS was quite different.
2010 Camaro SS1 package
6.2L V8 rated at 426hp
6 Speed manual
Black in color, no significant upgrades.
The SS1 package is the lower of the 2 SS packages. It has cloth interior, none of the funky console guages, and the standard 20" wheels. The interior still feels like it's closing in on you, visibility is poor out of every possible viewing hole (even though it is still cool looking into the tiny thin side view mirrors and seeing the creased 'hips'). Interior still felt cheap and not very well thought out. You'll notice in the instrument cluster you have the speedo and tach prominently displayed. A bit of repetitiveness comes into play when you see the digital speed readout in the opening between those two guages. And the out dated, old school looking LED displays for both that speedo and the stereo just make you wonder, "They couldn't do any better than this?"
In contrast to the automatic shifter, the 6 speed feels pretty good, though still not as good as the 2010 Mustang's manual shifter. The clutch goes from no engagement to fully engaged in about 2.73 millimeters of movement. I've never felt a clutch like that and I hope I never do again. Starting from a dead stop left you launching forward unexpectedly, and shifting out of gear almost throws your face into the narrow windshield.
On the road, at speed, the Camaro handles well and the ride is comfortable. But you are still reminded you're in a Camaro by the familiar feeling of scrapping your butt along the road as you go - the seats put you very low in the cabin. I suppose that's good for the taller folks out there, but for people of a medium stature, like myself, it just makes seeing over the tall hood even harder, less comfortable.
The power was there, but still felt kind of sloppy in delivery. Chalk it up to having driven Vicki's Brandii (435hp?) for a week in the mountains, but the 426hp of the Camaro lacked that promptness and punch. Even the 2010 GT's delivery of 315hp was much more seat of the pants exciting.
The price on this particular model I drove was a mere $36,200. And if it weren't for all the creature comforts I am getting with the Mustang, I might have actually gone and bought this one.
Overall rating, better than the V6 auto for sure, but not enough to make me change my mind on the Mustang.
Also, while we were there, they were unloading a red SS2 package. Pics included at the bottom.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-32.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-33.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-34.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-35.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-36.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-37.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-39.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-40.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-41.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/black_bullitt/photo-42.jpg