5:29 pm, July 1, 2010
CHEVROLET dealers will soon have a sting in their tale – Bumblebee is coming to their showrooms!
The manufacturer has announced the American muscle car – made famous as the talking yellow Transformer in the hit movies – will be in dealers in February 2011.
Costing from around £35,000, the V8-engined monster will be an ideal halo car for Chevrolet dealers – and one they’ve wanted to sell for some time.
Car Dealer Magazine reported back in February the move was likely when we spoke to the marque’s MD Mark Terry who told us he’d ‘love’ to bring the Camaro to the UK.
And it seems the boss got his own way… well, almost.
Terry originally wanted a specific right-hand drive model developed, but this was canned, so only left-hand drive models will be available.
Back in February he told us: ‘You can add a couple of zeros to the volumes if it’s right hand drive. But dealers get people asking for the Camaro all the time, as do we when we’re at shows.
‘The demand is certainly there, but it’s about doing it in a way that works for our business.’
The Camaro will be available only in top level V8 trim – with a 6.2-litre 426bhp powerplant. It promises a top speed electronically limited to 155mph, and a 0-60mph time of less than five seconds
TEST DRIVE
Car Dealer recently spent a week with a Camaro in the States and can confirm it’s an awesome machine – what’s more it’s the perfect motor to haul Chevy’s UK image skywards.
On the road it does feel a bit big and wieldy – even compared to similar US barges – but you soon forgive it that when you mash the throttle. There’s tonnes of power under the bonnet and the sound it makes is simply sensational.
It’s got traffic-stopping looks too, even in its home market, so when it arrives over here it’s likely to be even more imposing.
Inside it’s by far and away one of the most comfortable cars we’ve ever driven and is packed with technology. Our car was US-spec but it came with CD player, digital radio, and call-centre operated sat nav plus lots of other toys. UK spec is yet to be decided.
Seats are comfortable and supportive, the steering wheel chunky to feel and the auto box super smooth.
The only real downside over here will be that left-hand drive spec. However, we think there’s still scope here to generate a real cult following for the car and it’s the ideal model to banish buyers’ memories of Daewoos gone by…
by JAMES BAGGOTT
