2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS 35th Anniversary Edition

The Anniversary edition has two-tone upholstery, logo'd floor mats and seat backs, power accessories and a 500-watt Monsoon sound system.

While no one will ever accuse any Camaro of being overly sophisticated in the suspension department, the current-generation match of control arms up front and a live rear axle deliver a solid—in this case, some might argue a bit too solid—combination of control and responsiveness. While the power steering is a bit on the heavy side, the car tracks crisply and cleanly below the limit through even the most serpentine of confines. Press it to the max, and the initial front-end push in tighter corners can be deftly countered with a bit of well-timed trailing throttle or brake. And speaking of brakes, the healthy four-wheel power discs with ABS do a commendable job of halting this red rocket with a minimum of distance and drama.


As might be expected in a farewell exercise of this nature, this car has a number of "legacy elements" present that hearken back to classic Camaros of yesteryear. These include things like functionally undersized side-view mirrors, T-tops that tends to creak in place whenever the car encounters rough pavement and doors that still outweigh the average prep-school linebacker, all of which tend to make themselves known pretty early on in the 35th Anniversary experience. To a lesser extent, the model-specific badges and logos also display a bit more rough-and-tumble edge than one might expect to find on a $30K-plus vehicle. Despite these shortcomings, there's no denying that this is a package that dyed-in-the-wool Camarophiles will be able to seriously embrace.

All 2002 Camaros have a 35th Anniversary badge on their dashboards, but only those with the Anniversary Package get the full commemorative treatment.

In final analysis, the departure of Chevy's legendary F-body is an incontrovertible testimony to the changing tastes of the American car-buying public. It's currently being outsold by longtime-archrival Ford Mustang on roughly a 5:1 basis, an imbalance that began tipping in the wrong direction for Chevy back in the mid-'90s when the Blue Oval Boys opted to build a kinder, gentler pony car. But as the Camaro prepares to take its ultimate checkered flag, the 35th Anniversary Limited Edition proves this valiant road warrior is indeed still ready and willing to rage—even if in vain—against the dying of the light. (www.chevrolet.com)