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The 2010 Camaro returns with budget-friendly V6 and performance V8 models. See more pictures of the Chevrolet Camaro.

Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet’s ponycar comes back in early 2009 as a coupe that will flip its lid by the end of the year. It’s a great nostalgia trip, but will there be a market for it?

What We Know About the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

As it was then, so it is now. The Camaro, born 40 years ago as Chevrolet’s reply to the pioneering Ford Mustang, is coming out of retirement (since 2002) for a new fight with the namesake ponycar. It’s set to bow for 2010 in at least two coupe models-V6 and V8, perhaps called RS and SS, respectively. Some reports say the V6 cars will be offered in LS or LT trim, but Chevy hasn’t yet divulged all the details. Convertible versions join up about nine months later. Chevrolet confirmed these plans after splashy concept previews at the 2006 and ‘07 Detroit Auto Shows. Recalling the days when the Big Three were still big players, Dodge is reviving its Nixon-era Challenger (1970-74) for 2008.

General Motors decided to bring back Camaro when the redesigned 2005 Mustang fast proved a hot seller. But Mustang sales have lately cooled, despite the addition of potent pump-primers like the Shelby GT500. Blame record gas prices and renewed public concern over what thirsty vehicles do to the environment. Ford Motor Company’s many well-publicized travails are another factor. All this leads some industry-watchers to think the new Camaro could end up chasing a vanishing market, especially as GM still has troubles of its own. Nevertheless, the project is a go. And though GM has reportedly hit the pause button on several other new rear-wheel-drive cars, it’s unlikely to delay this one, let alone cancel it, after two years of making so much noise about it.

Convertible or coupe, the reborn Camaros will be much like the concepts, only less exaggerated. Wheels, for instance, will probably be no larger than 20 inches max, versus the show cars’ 21s and 22s. Trim and paint will be toned down too. Otherwise, styling will be the concept blend of today’s Chevy Corvette and cues from the 1969 Camaro, resulting in a more-modern look than either the current Mustang or upcoming Dodge Challenger. The new Camaros should also hew closely to concept dimensions. That means about 7.5 inches more wheelbase than the 2002 models, a similar amount trimmed from overall length, and about 5.5 inches more width. These changes should produce a roomier four-seat cockpit, though space in back (and in the trunks) will remain tight.

Also per ponycar tradition, the new Camaros will offer at least one, and possibly two, budget-friendly V6 engines and one performance-oriented V8. Models using the V6 may employ GM’s newer 3.6-liter twincam design with or without direct injection, as found in the Cadillac CTS. The V8, as on the concepts, should be the 6.2-liter base-Corvette engine equipped with GM’s gas-saving Active Fuel Management cylinder-deactivation. If gas prices keep rising, GM’s Bob Lutz has suggested the company may look at powering the Camaro with turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. If Chevy decides to offer the four, it might not be available at the start of production. Chevy may also offer a lower-power, lower-cost V8, as Mustang does. In addition, the latest buzz says an ultra-performance Z28 version might appear for 2011. It would use a version of the supercharged 6.2-liter “LSA” V8 from the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V with horsepower in the 480-500 range. All Camaro engines should team with six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmissions. Four-wheel ABS disc brakes and traction control will likely be standard. Stability control should be included on V8s, optional on V6s. Coupes will likely have front torso side airbags and curtain side airbags. Ragtops may come with jumbo seat-mounted front side airbags providing both torso and head protection.

We said “ragtops” for a reason. For the sake of affordability as well as tradition, Camaro convertibles will retain a folding soft top. A trendy hideaway hard-shell roof would have cost too much for GM’s price target, and might have caused reliability and production headaches. As on the concept, the top powers up or down from a flip-up panel behind the cockpit-no need for a fiddly flexible tonneau to look your best, as on the last drop-top Camaro.

A Notable Feature of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro coupes and convertibles will be built at GM’s plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, which has long ranked high in independent audits of vehicle quality, among the best in North America. Let’s hope that record continues with the new Camaros.

Buying Advice for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Convertibles never sell as well as sister coupes, and the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro convertible should be no exception. Even so, it’s no more likely to be a future collectible than the fixed-top Camaro, especially if demand comes close to GM’s projected 100,000-unit yearly total. And even if that proves optimistic, resale values of all new Camaros will probably depreciate like those of any volume-production new car. Buy one to drive and enjoy, but don’t expect to make money on it in the foreseeable future.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Release Date: Dealers should have new Camaro coupes by March 2009. Convertibles are due around the end of 2009.

First Test Drive: We think media previews will be staged in late fall or early winter of 2008.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Prices: They’re a bit hard to predict, what with an on-sale date nearly a year away. But GM has said Camaro will be a premium car, and it won’t compete with the Ford Mustang on price. Our guesstimate: The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6 coupe will start around $22,000 with the V8 model around $28,000. Convertibles will likely start at around $28,000 for a V6 model and range up to $35,000 for a V8.