Test Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS V6

2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS V6 . Click image to enlarge

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Review and photos by Jil McIntosh

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2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Oshawa, Ontario – When it comes to General Motors’ portfolio, it’s common to hear critics complain that the company doesn’t have enough small, fuel-efficient cars or hybrids, and that it’s making a huge mistake by bringing a muscle car out in the current economic and environmental climate.

And yet, of all the GM cars I’ve ever driven – and I couldn’t easily estimate how many that is – I have never, not once, garnered as much attention in one as I did with the 2010 Camaro.

Never mind that my tester carried the V6 engine, rather than the fiery V8 that can reach 426 horsepower with a manual transmission, or that mine used a six-speed autobox rather than the stick. I took it to a cruise night, where I parked it alongside a new Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang, and if you don’t think that’s the Holy Trinity sitting right there, then we have nothing to discuss. And a number of car enthusiasts who normally wouldn’t cross the street to spit on a car newer than 1948 came over to see.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS V6 (right) with Mustang and Challenger. Click image to enlarge

Will the Camaro single-handedly save GM? Of course it won’t, but that isn’t its reason for being. There are many consumers who simply want something that will take them from A to B, and they often don’t even know the name of their car’s model. But there are also buyers driven by passion, and while many will be forced by their pocketbooks to leave in something more practical, they need a reason to walk through the dealership door in the first place. That’s the Camaro’s job. It’s a halo car, a concept that many naysayers don’t understand, but it’s also a brilliant halo. The Corvette has traditionally held that position at GM, but it starts above $66,000. By contrast, you can get into a Camaro for as low as $26,995.