Chevrolet Camaro LZ1 test drive since 2012
Chevrolet Camaro. Beauty in American
It is difficult to surprise someone with a sports car in Dubai, if not impossible. Porsche and Ferrari are so much here that Rublevka never dreamed. Therefore, even the ships of the desert to the roar of the engines of expensive supercars are treated with a fair amount of melancholy. However, Chevrolet Camaro with its aggressive look is able to sow confusion in the soul of anyone: from Sheikh to a camel Chevrolet Camaro. Price: Not defined. On sale: since the summer of 2012
Vladimir Makkaveev, 34 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience of 15 years, personal car - Volvo C30; Roman Rusinov, 29 years old, motorist, driving experience 11 years, personal car - Audi TT
Against the backdrop of the dominance of aerodynamic forms of most modern Camaro supercars, it looks an alien from another planet. However, in this raid of Chevrolet Camaro vintage, its American charm lurks. Aggressive, muscular, with a clearly expressed individual design and hint of the legendary predecessor of the seventies, Camaro's dream of any boy and an integral part of the American dream. So it was already so, probably, it will be for a long time ... but on the other side of the Atlantic. We have the dreams of domestic Americanophiles about the legendary Yankek mobile still incarnation only in the supply of gray dealers, and the purchase of a used overseas technique. And now, after so many years of doubt, Chevrolet finally matured to official output of her sports flagship to the Russian market. On the eve of the Camaro summer debut in the Russian reservation, we went to Dubai to get to know the American miracle closer.
Needless to say, the new Camaro looks amazing! It is impossible not to admit: this is one of the most athletic and charismatic sportsmen on a planet, carrying into the people not spoiled by evolution, an extremely perfect American style. It attracts real men, not to mention women, much more than streamlined forms of applied European competitors.
The interior decoration also largely tribute to traditions, organically combined with the trends of the modern world. The square edges of the dash wells and the original wave-like layout of analog appliances on the central console, which peek out from each other in the manner of cards in the library catalog, borrowed from the 1969 Camaro, make the Camaro salon to the highest degree individual.
And all this beauty in the American in the States is sold at a price starting with only $ 22,805. Well, is this not the perfect car! For that kind of money in the United States, you can get a real American supercar exactly like that, with a capital letter, albeit with a rag interior and plastic interior sheathing. However, put Yankees in Camaro another five thousand, and at the exit they will receive an almost perfect car with decoration with noble materials and a bunch of options. Believe me, the best car with such an amazing appearance for this money simply cannot be found. Is it worth it to be surprised that in the states of Camaro scattered like hot pies: in the first year of Savrolet Camaro sales, a 100 -thousand -high circulation was dispersed throughout the country, having captured 45% of the market in the segment of sportsmen. However, this is in America. European expansion will cost fans of Camaro in a penny, Russian and more expensive.
Classic American uniform lanterns
It is assumed that since the summer of 2012, two will be available in Russia, naturally not the cheapest ones, Camaro configurations with V6 engines (3.6 liters, 323 l., 377 Nm) and V8 (6.2 liters, 404 liters. S., 556 Nm) and 6 -speed automatic transmission. Prices have not yet been announced, but if you believe unofficial information, the 6 -cylinder Camaro will cost from 2 million rubles, and the eight is more than half a million more. Needless to say, with our customs duties, the beauty of American will cost a lot ...
Is the game a candle? In Dubai, we tested almost all the test Camaro and, I must admit, were a little upset. They were upset by the lack of cars in Russia with a mechanical gearbox of the very ones that conquered America. On the mechanics, and even with the V8 motor, which has advanced channels in the heads of the semi -blocks of cylinders, providing the engine with a high torque at low speeds and decent power at high ones, Camaro is good and surprisingly economical: 14.7 liters per hundred for 6.2 -liter The engine is almost ridiculous.
You can only accommodate from behind only diagonally
We will not, however, to cunning, to the stunning dynamics of real European supercars, of course, is far from him. Even with disconnected auxiliary electronics, you are unlikely to be able to tear off the wheels into a slip on dry asphalt, as well as to disperse the Yankees to a hundred faster than 5 s. Another thing is the desert! This is where Camaro is able to arrange a real storm! Unlike European classmates, rubbing the bottom on asphalt, the American is not so moody. Of course, he is not on the shoulder marks, but in the smooth sand of the Dubai desert, Camaro feels like a fish in water, allowing him to enjoy his excellent controllability, power and crazy sound in something, and in sound special effects there are no equal to the Americans.
Rushing the walls of sand in the turns, the Camaro snake slides along the desert. However, you should not get carried away: with this creature you need to hold the ear in vain and try not to twist the engine. Each touch of the tachometer of the border of the red zone is surrendered by the arrow of the border of the red zone, as if an American stumbles upon an invisible wall. This is perhaps the only minus of the mechanical transmission. What can not be said about the machine. Despite the promising steering wheel petals of gearboxes, the attribute of any modern car with a sports slope, the American automatic transmission is verified quite slow and does not give the full sensations from driving. On the racing highway, Camaro will clearly not be able to compete with European supercars. In the city, in the conditions of daily use, at the melancholy of the American machine gun you can also look at the opposite angle ... The beauty of American, in the end, should imply a fair amount of American comfort!
We do not love
The shoulder straps are very elegant and practical. Practical
Sports brakes Brembo 355/365 mm. Reliable
Lanterns of a classic American uniform. Stylish
Driving
On the American-American road, abusive and spectacular. And on the racing highway, it openly loses to expensive European supercars.
Salon
Some vintage raid and tribute to traditions do not spoil the interior.
Comfort
The suspension is sports, but American is comfortable.
Safety
4 pillows and safety curtains to protect the heads of all passengers.
Price
Compared to America, it is simply sky -high.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
A very impressive and fairly comfortable sports car, powerful and very economical motors, good handling.
Not the fastest automatic transmission, high price.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions 4836x1918x1376 mm
Gasoline engine, V8, 6162 cm3, 404 l.C./5900 min-1, 556 nm/4300 min-1
Automatic transmission, 6 -speed
Dynamics 250* km/h, 5.5 s to 100 km/h
Fuel consumption is 14.7 l/100 km in the fun. cycle
Competitors Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Nissan 370
Our opinion
In the States, at a price of 2334 thousand dollars, Camaro is positioned as a solid sports car for every day, affordable even wealthy students of prestigious universities. So he is essentially. However, if we have the same car costs 5060 thousand euros, it will hardly fly away like hot American pies.
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [January 2012]