There aren’t many cars that would deserve a “tough guy” decoration more than the contemporary Camaro and this has absolutely nothing to do with its muscular lines or the firepower hidden under its bonnet. This Chevy can be praised for simply being in the service of enthusiasts who crave muscle and affordability after having such a troubled history.
The Camaro was brought back from a coma that lasted for an entire generation after Ford launched the current incarnation of the Mustang in 2005, which marked the return to retro-inspired design. The fifth-generation Mustang had already received a comprehensive facelift (2009) by the time the Camaro morphed from a concept to production reality.
The Camaro might have arrived late at the revival party, but when it entered the scene, it made sure it would top its eternal rival. While the
Mustang managed to outsell the Camaro in the old days, the new-age muscle car era sees GM's fighter taking the lead.
Not only did the Camaro had to sit on the side and watch the Mustang play ball for seven years, but it also lost its nonidentical twin brother, the Pontiac Firebird.
It was 2002 when the Mustang and the Firebird, which were in their fourth generation, had just celebrated their 35th anniversary, when production ceased. GM subsequently killed the Pontiac brand altogether, which is why the Camaro was the only one that made it back to life.
The previous two generations of the Camaro had to face fierce emissions and fuel efficiency restrictions, which meant that instead of building on the "power to the people" fantasy that saw the model being born, they had to make due with less and less potent engines.
The Camaro was allowed to be a proper monster with no worries for the future only during its first generation, which made its debut in 1967. The aforementioned following generations also managed to make it into the bright side of the automotive history books, but the first Camaro is the one that brings the largest smile on any aficionado's face.
It may have appeared as GM's response to the success of the first Ford Mustang, but the concept car that inspired the Blue Oval to build its pony was, in fact, a reaction to the popularity of GM's Corvair Monza sportscar.
We recently set out to view the world from behind the windshield of a Camaro Convertible. We chose the SS, the naturally-aspirated V8 model that sits in the middle of the range and shares the sales crown with the V6-powered models.
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