2020 Chevrolet Camaro

Just like its American muscle car counterparts, the Chevrolet Camaro has roots extending to a bygone era when fuel was cheap and straight-line power mattered far more than handling. First introduced in 1967, the Camaro evolved through four generations before production stopped in 2002; the fifth-generation resumed seven years later, and the current iteration, last updated for the 2016 model year, marks the most potent and refined Camaro to date.

A dizzying array of trim levels await Camaro shoppers, offering no fewer than four engines and three transmissions. Interior treatments range from bare-boned, rental fleet specs to reasonably well-appointed, leather and Alcantara-trimmed cabins. To further complicate the shopping process, performance options like the 1LE Track Performance package adds beefier engine cooling and braking, a sport-tuned suspension, a limited-slip differential and other options to four- and six-cylinder models. Bundled performance features can be added to the RS package’s 20-inch wheels and spoiler. 

While the interior experience varies dramatically depending on trim level (which starts in the mid-$20,000 range for coupe models and soars all the way to a starting MSRP of $66,190 at the top), the Camaro’s underpinnings remain consistently familiar: a muscular body with a mean, glaring face, a high door sill that hides a relatively low seating position, and an enveloping cabin with predominantly masculine overtones that allows little natural light due to the car’s wide, low proportions. At least an optional electronic rearview mirror offers a clear rearward image despite the limited view through the back window. Convertible models feature a glass rear window and all the visibility in the world (at least with the power top folded down), a welcome alternative to the somewhat claustrophobic coupe. Ragtop Camaros start at $31,995 with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and climb to $72,190 in ZL1 convertible trim.

Choosing a Camaro weapon of choice depends largely on budget (of course), but more crucially on philosophical attitude toward performance. While the base four-cylinder engine has recorded zero to 60 mph in as little 5.1 seconds in independent testing, there’s more to a muscle car than mere statistics. In this case, the naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine produces more grunt, but it also rewards the driver with a more soulful character. Eclipsing the V6 in personality, however, are the eight-cylinder versions. The naturally aspirated 455 horsepower V8 is a marvelously charismatic powerplant that offers a crispness and responsiveness that belies its massive 6.2-liter displacement. 

With a dual-mode exhaust capable of quieting or amplifying the sonorous engine, the Camaro is capable of hushing itself for long journeys or barking an evocative rumble on command. An available magnetic ride control system noticeably alters the suspension damping, enabling the ride quality to go from cushy to firm depending on the driver’s setting. And while the SS was only available with a six-speed manual gearbox for the 2019 model year, both the manual and a 10-speed automatic are optional for 2020. The two-pedal setup, though it offers a seemingly excessive amount of gears, works surprisingly well in delivering a balance of smooth shifting comfort and efficiency, and quick, sharp gearchanges with rev-matched downshifts when required. The steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters feel a bit cheap and flimsy, but they dispatch the transmission quite well. 

Muscle car enthusiasts tend to focus more on acceleration and horsepower stats, and the supercharged ZL1 (currently available as a 2019 model) delivers significant shock and awe with its 0 to 60 mph time of 3.5 seconds and an automatic gearbox Chevrolet says shifts faster than Porsche’s dual-clutch PDK unit. But the Camaro’s performance gets surprising on twisty roads. Thanks to significant suspension refinements and nearly 400 pounds of weight loss introduced in the 2017 model year, this rear-wheel drive sports car handles with far more agility and responsiveness than its exterior proportions might suggest.

The four-cylinder model, for instance, weighs only a claimed 3,354 pounds— remarkably, precisely the same weight as a base model Porsche 911. Combined with outstanding suspension chassis tuning and good steering feel, the Camaro becomes a joy to maneuver on challenging back roads or road courses at technical tracks. That handling capability is a marked improvement over earlier Camaro models, and proof positive that even the most conventional of sports car marques can reinvent themselves into something virtually unrecognizable from its original iteration.

While current Camaros are outstanding within the context of the model’s more than 50 years of history, they face a burgeoning threat from two fearsome arch-rivals: the Ford Mustang, which recently launched its 760 horsepower GT500 model, and the Dodge Challenger, which claims up to 797 horsepower from its supercharged V8. Though the Chevrolet Camaro has shown significant improvement in recent years, the model is also overdue for another redefining moment to rise to the top of the American muscle car heap.