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2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

GM takes the roof off its popular ponycar

by Gary Witzenburg
Reviews - 2012 - autoMedia.com

Those fortunate enough to have driven or ridden in a late-‘60s Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will be forgiven a nostalgic tear. Following Ford’s iconic, class-defining Mustang by about 2-1/2 years, those first ’67-’69 Camaros raised the bar a notch and kicked off an industry “ponycar” war.

Now this new 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible arrives equally cool and infinitely better. It follows the reborn all-new Camaro coupe—which was already outselling Ford’s also-excellent modern Mustang—by a couple of years, piles on the sexiness of a disappearing top, and sacrifices next to nothing in the process.

Like the coupe, the convertible boasts a standard 312-hp direct-injected 3.6L V6 that delivers 18 EPA mpg city and 29 mpg, while SS models pack a sonorous 6.2L V8 good for 16 city and 25 highway. With a starting sticker of $30,000, a six-speed manual gearbox is standard, a six-speed automatic optional.

Structure

Typical coupe-derived unibody convertibles suffer from some level of structural wonkiness, which affects ride and handling and makes their cowl (the cross-car member supporting the dash and windshield) tend to shiver and shake on rough roads and railroad crossings. (Slice a section out of an eggshell and see how strong the rest of it is.)

But not this one. “Our goal in development was to make the convertible match the coupe as closely as possible in ride quality, handling and overall performance,” says Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser.” So the new Camaro’s architecture was designed from day one to accommodate a convertible model, and four strategic reinforcements are added to enhance its already-stiff structure. They connect the two front shock towers and reinforce the transmission support, the drive shaft tunnel and both front and rear underbody sections. Additional reinforcements that also reduce noise and vibration are applied inside the windshield pillars and header, on the front hinge pillars and inside the rocker panels.

As a result, Chevy says the 2011 Camaro Convertible body has superior bending and torsional stiffness compared to archrival Mustang and better torsional stiffness than BMW’s 3 Series soft-top. The only downside is that all this added bracing also adds some weight. At roughly 3700-4000 lb. (depending on engine and trim), the ragtop is a couple hundred pounds heftier than a comparable coupe. Still, model for model, it performs nearly as well.

While automakers typically tend to soften a convertible’s suspension to compensate for its weaker structure, Oppenheiser adds that the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible’s suspension rates—and therefore its handling dynamics—are virtually identical to the coupe’s. “We took the more difficult, but better, path of bolstering structure rather than softening the suspension,” he says.

Soft-Top Refinement

Another major challenge for convertible engineers is the top itself and its operating mechanism. For lower cost and weight, and to preserve as much usable trunk room as possible, Chevy went with a soft top rather than a complex retractable hard top and succeeded in eliminating the appearance of support ribs by using composite (instead of aluminum) knuckles, extending the material below the belt line and revising the stitch lines. The result is the same smooth, taut, carefully tailored appearance as the coupe. We think it looks as good top-up, maybe better. And flat-out gorgeous top-down.

The top power retracts in about 20 seconds once unlatched via a single central handle—vs. some competitors’ dual latches—on the windshield header. A single button lowers the windows along with the top, and re-erects them when you run out of top-down weather. Made of thick, durable canvas with an acoustical headliner, a glass rear window and a rear window defogger, the cloth top provides a surprisingly quiet cabin when it’s up. A one-piece folding tonneau cover (standard on uplevel models) adds a more finished appearance, and a dealer-available windscreen installs behind the front seats to limit wind buffeting.

Features

One much-appreciated feature is standard rear park assist. Also standard are XM Satellite Radio and OnStar capability, and—because the combined OnStar/XM/AM-FM antenna is mounted on the coupe’s roof—it had to be relocated on the convertible. SS and RS package-equipped LT models have a rear spoiler with the AM/FM antenna hidden inside it, plus a small OnStar/XM “shark fin” antenna on the decklid, while models without a rear spoiler get a decklid combination antenna.

The trunk lock has been moved from the rear panel to between the rear-seatback cushion and the driver’s side interior panel to clean up the ragtop’s rear appearance, though the keyless remote provides quicker, easier access to the small (10.2 cu. ft. top up, 7.9 top down) trunk. (Not that you can squeeze much through the Camaro’s unfortunately tiny trunk opening.) Also relocated from the trunk to between the rear-seat cushions is the sound system’s standard eight-inch (or the available Boston Acoustics system’s 10-inch) subwoofer.

Driving Impressions

While we love Ford’s somewhat smaller and lighter Mustangs and appreciate Dodge’s larger Challenger coupe, we love this new Camaro’s exterior styling even more. Less appealing to us are its quirky instruments and steering wheel, which are trying too hard to look like modern versions of the (not so great) ones in those early-‘60s models.

Beyond styling, the proof of any ponycar lies in its performance, and that’s the best part. As promised, this 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible offers outstanding driving dynamics with impressive refinement, all best appreciated top-down on twisty two-lane country roads. Roll on the gas exiting a turn, and the standard 312-hp 3.6L DI V6 snarls like an angry leopard and launches the car forward as briskly as your nerve allows. As good as this engine is, we wondered why anyone would opt for the more expensive V8.

Then we drove an SS with a six-speed manual on similar roads, and understood. Step on this 426-horse 6.2L bad boy’s go pedal, and the sensation is worlds better. It pins you back in your seat, eyelids wide open, serenades your senses with beautiful V8 music, and launches you from rest to 60 mph in a tick less than five seconds. Suddenly, it’s 1969 and you’re 20-something again. The 400-hp version in automatic-equipped models -- with Active Fuel Management (AFM), which saves fuel by shutting down half of its cylinders during light-load conditions -- pumps out fewer ponies but feels no less eager.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible does come across from behind the wheel as a bit too big and wide for narrow two-lanes, yet its velcro grip on the road makes it feel much smaller and lighter than it is at speed. Completing this impressive dynamic package, the steering is precise and responsive and the brakes powerful and sure at all times. Should you get a chance to drive one like we did (responsibly and carefully, of course), be forewarned: You just may end up having to buy it, because you won’t want to give it back. www.chevrolet.com