camaro convertible the feel of driving the coupe

Rear parking assist is standard on all convertible models, which is a good thing because rearward visibility is usually quite limited in a convertible.

“The launch of the new convertible opens Camaro design and performance to a new set of potential customers,” said Chris Perry, Chevrolet's marketing vice president. Of course, no one ever expected Chevy not to produce a convertible version of the Camaro. It competes directly with the Ford Mustang, which also has coupe and convertible versions. The other big competitor is the Nissan 370Z, which also comes in coupe and convertible models.

In taking the top off the Camaro coupe, GM engineers had to strengthen the car's body, so the convertible model has an “enhanced body structure” designed to keep it rigid even when hitting bumps in the road.

The reinforced structure gives the Camaro convertible the feel of driving the coupe, GM says. We didn't change a strut, bushing or spring rate from the Camaro coupe.”

The result, GM insists, “is a convertible that preserves nearly all the acceleration, road-holding and performance capabilities of the Camaro coupe.”

Engine choices are the same as those in the coupe models.

Base models will have a 3.6-liter, direct-injection V-6 with 312 horsepower and 278 foot-pounds of torque. With the manual, the V-6 model is EPA rated at 17 mpg city/29 highway; with the automatic, it's 18 city/29 highway.

The SS (Super Sport) models come with V-8 engines. The automatic SS models come with automatic cylinder deactivation, which cuts out four of the cylinders during level highway cruising to help boost fuel economy.

Rear-wheel drive is standard, of course, on all Camaro models.

“Other convertible models in this segment still offer convertible tops with dual latches, forcing drivers into two-hand operations reaching across the car.”

There is a folding, one-piece hard tonneau cover on the uplevel V-6 2LT and V-8 2SS models, which completely covers the lowered top and dresses up the car's appearance. Coupe models come with four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes (with four-piston Brembo calipers on the SS models), GM's electronic stability control, OnStar and XM satellite radio.

Other safety equipment includes front seat-mounted side air bags and side-curtain air bags for both rows.

Chevrolet has unveiled a drop-top version of its best-selling Camaro coupe at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The European version of the Camaro Convertible will get a 6.2-litre V8 engine producing a stonking 426 horsepower. What’s more, the power-folding fabric top should retract in an uber-fast time of just 20 seconds. Speaking at the car’s unveiling ceremony, Chris Perry, Vice President of Chevrolet marketing, said: "The launch of the new convertible opens Camaro design and performance to a new set of potential customers.

See pictures of the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible in the gallery below.

The Chevrolet Camaro Convertible was among the most exciting cars to be unveiled at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. The 21st century revival of Camaro is tremendously popular, so it's only natural to expand and elevate the product range in new directions."

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2011 Chevrolet Volt Review

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is a midsize five-door hatchback sedan with seating for four.

This June, the Cruze mules will be retired, and for the first time, the Volt’s powertrain will be mated to the Volt body.

“The beauty of the Volt is the size of the battery,” affirms Posawatz. Weighing in at 400 pounds, the lithium-ion pack allows the Volt to travel as far as 40 miles on electric power. (Having a center tunnel in a front-drive car gives the Volt mule’s cabin the feel of one from a rear-wheel-drive vehicle.) Like most traditional electric cars, the Volt will recharge via a wall plug; the engine is simply to get you to your destination when the charge is depleted. VEHICLE TYPE (Chevrolet Cruze–based prototype): front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door sedan

Although the maximum total power output of the Chevrolet Volt battery pack is 16 kWh, the Volt only uses about 50 percent of the battery’s total power. In the Volt, the battery feeds a 149-hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. The gas engine is never used to charge the battery; the engine turns a generator that directly feeds power to the electric motor. If the engine is revving at 2000 rpm and making 25 hp, the electric motor will be able to make only 25 hp. The upshot: The Volt will be quicker running on battery power than it will be when the gas engine is providing the electricity.

The Premium Trim package adds leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and heated front seats. The Rear Camera and Park Assist package adds a rearview camera and front and rear parking sensors.

The front-wheel-drive 2011 Volt is powered by an electric motor rated at 149 hp (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque. This motor draws power from a lithium-ion battery pack until the battery charge is 70 percent depleted. The battery can only be completely recharged through either a 120-volt or 240-volt outlet, but regenerative braking and the engine generator can replenish it slightly.

Safety features on the "2011 Chevy Volt" include antilock brakes, stability control, front side airbags, front knee airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

The change-over from battery charge to generator power can be difficult to notice, though the pre-production Volts we've driven do have a disconcerting generator noise level; the engine revs regardless of engine speed.

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt ranks 3 out of 19 Upscale Midsize Cars. Amid industry debate (“It’s an electric car!” “It’s neither!”), Chevrolet has rolled out the Volt. The Volt is neither a hybrid car nor an electric car. Chevrolet calls it an extended range electric vehicle. For those buyers, the Chevrolet Volt is largely an electric car.

If you’re fine with leasing and worried about range, the Volt is the better option.

Next to the Leaf, the Volt’s closest competitor is the Toyota Prius. Using only electric power, for the Volt to cover 15,000 miles would cost about $240 in electricity charges – which means that to offset the Volt’s price premium over the Prius would take over 17 years.

The Chevrolet Volt combines an electric motor, which powers the car for the first 50 miles or so of driving, with a 1.4-liter gasoline-powered engine that acts as a generator, creating electricity for the electric motor once the batteries are depleted. To travel solely on electric power, the Chevrolet Volt must have its batteries charged. Because it has a backup engine that generates electric power, the Chevrolet Volt does not have a limited range between charges like purely electric cars do.

The Chevrolet Volt is being introduced in limited markets at first. In 2011, the Volt will expand to other markets.

The Chevrolet Volt is a completely new car with never-before-used powertrain technology.

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2011 Camaro convertible at LA Show

Years after General Motors introduced its hot-looking Camaro, the company has finally moved the Camaro convertible version of its popular muscle car to the front of the line.

U.S. pricing for the "Camaro convertible" starts at $30,000 (including destination).

It’s all fun and games at the Chevrolet stand during the Los Angeles Auto Show, where a bright-red Camaro convertible wears a Hot Wheels tattoo and show goers can get high-speed photos of themselves jumping for beach balls.

Although there will be no Hot Wheels special edition of the new Camaro convertible, we were told, the Camaro/Hot Wheels cross promotion will reap some concrete benefit: free Camaro convertible Hot Wheels toys provided by the El Segundo, Calif., toymaker, which created them especially for the auto show. The pairing of Hot Wheels with the drop-top Camaro is certainly appropriate.

The 2011 Camaro convertible certainly is an attractive toy, easily recalling Camaro’s vaunted ragtop past without looking retro or contrived.

The convertible will be available at Chevy dealerships in February 2011, with prices starting at $30,000.

For 2011, General Motors will add a new level of excitement to this iconic sports car with the introduction of convertible models.

“The launch of the new convertible opens Camaro design and performance to a new set of potential customers,” said Chris Perry, Chevrolet's marketing vice president. Of course, no one ever expected Chevy not to produce a Camaro convertible version of the Camaro. It competes directly with the Ford Mustang, which also has coupe and convertible versions. The other big competitor is the Nissan 370Z, which also comes in coupe and Camaro convertible models.

In taking the top off the Camaro coupe, GM engineers had to strengthen the car's body, so the convertible model has an “enhanced body structure” designed to keep it rigid even when hitting bumps in the road.

The reinforced structure gives the Camaro convertible the feel of driving the coupe, GM says.

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