- convertible 35,459
- Madison, WI
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- autoshopper.com
1997 chevrolet camaro review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A remarkable performance bargain. introductiondue to their relatively low sales volumes, sport coupe redesign intervals generally extend well beyond the shelf life of a mainstream sedan. Which means they have to look good and perform well for a long time. And that prescription accurately describes the chevrolet camaro and its corporate cousin, the pontiac firebird. More practical concerns, such as room for rear-seat passengers, cargo capacity or fuel economy, are not really addressed with these cars. Moving up the price ladder from there is the rs trim level and above that the high-performance z28. Trim levels for the pontiac variant are the standard firebird, the formula and the hot rod trans am, all starting substantially higher than their chevy counterparts. the base engine for both cars is gm's excellent series ii 3800 v6. That's equivalent to many v8s, especially those of the not-too-distant past, without the cost, fuel economy penalty or extra insurance premium often associated with a v8. With 285 horsepower and a standard six-speed manual transmission, it makes the camaro or firebird a genuine high-performance car that's capable of 150 mph-plus. if that's not enough, order the camaro ss with forced air induction or firebird ws6 with ram air and the horsepower goes to 305, accompanied by further suspension upgrades. Base price was $16,215, plus destination of $525. In addition, it had the $1231 preferred equipment group 2, (option code 1sc), which includes cruise control, remote hatch release, fog lamps, power doors, windows and mirrors, leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote keyless entry and theft deterrent. The option code y87 performance package was another $400, 16-inch alloy wheels added $275, the p235/55r16 tires were $132, the am/fm cassette uplevel sound system was $215, a rear window defogger added $170, power driver's seat was $270 and carpeted rear mats were $15. The front seat passenger has about the same seating position, except the engineers placed the engine's catalytic converter so that it creates a hump in the passenger's footwell, which could be an annoyance to some. And when the passenger seat is empty, the seatback flops forward under hard braking, a perennial annoyance in these cars. the tiny rear seats are shaped with deep buckets in the cushions, and they're suitable only for small packages or really small people who don't complain. Cargo space is also limited. Open the rear hatch and there's a modest crosswise bin behind the rear axle, and a higher shelf that's behind the rear seats. We're talking groceries for two. The low driving position and low center of gravity contribute to a hunkered-down, responsive feel. This enhances handling, by moving weight from the front to the rear. The front suspension is upper and lower control arms, not struts. And the rear axle is suspended on coil springs with a system of links that keep it properly located. with the optional performance package, the camaro (or firebird) becomes a remarkably good handling car-- better, in fact, than many that wear the 'sports car' label and cost a good deal more. Driven conservatively the ride is smooth enough for reasonable sports car expectations and well controlled. It's obviously not as fast as the v8-powered z28, but it's fast nonetheless, drives great, and hits several targets on the affordability scale. summaryobviously, these kinds of cars aren't for everyone. Interior room is modest at best and the responsive performance entails some compromises. And lookin' good all the way. assembled inste. Therese, quebec, canada. options as testedpreferred equipment group 2 (cruise control, remote hatch release, fog lamps, power locks, power windows, power mirrors, leather steering wheel, keyless remote entry, anti-theft); performance package; alloy wheels; p235/55r16 tires; am/fm/cassette stereo; power driver's seat; rear floor mats; rear defogger. model testedcamaro coupe. Power Windows✔ Power Mirrors✔ Power Locks✔ AM/FM✔ Air Conditioning✔ Cruise Control✔ Alloy Wheels
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