The article was originally produced on March 6, 2012, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

It took a full five years before the roofless version of the Chevrolet Camaro rolled out on the roads from the time the spy photos first appeared. Quite a long time it may seem, and to find out if it was worth it, a trip to a chilly but sunny Switzerland was necessary. To the regions where all the ancient watch brands have their headquarters and factories, but also where the racing driver Louis Chevrolet came from, and since the brand is celebrating a hundred years, it was only logical that we were in this particular place.

 

The Chevrolet Camaro, now in its fifth generation, arrived in 1966 as an answer to the Ford Mustang. In the United States, the car type was called "pony car". The Camaro is a model that is seen a lot on the white screen. Among other things through the black Camaro i As good as dead with John Cusack and later in the Transformers movies where it plays one of the main characters, Bumblebee. From being a yellow rice heap of the second generation Camaro Z28, the car undergoes a transformation in one of the scenes and becomes the new version. This was in 2007 but the model only went on sale in April 2009 and despite sluggish car sales, the model became a bestseller. It didn't come to Sweden until 2010 and now it's time for the cabriolet version. 

Even though it is just below zero, the roof must be down, it is mandatory if the sun is shining and the car is of the roofless type. With the heating fan on full blast, we take on the beautiful Swiss morning landscape in the bright yellow Camaro. Under the hood sits a classic American 6.2 liter V8 with 432 horsepower delivered to the rear tires. It can be had with either an automatic transmission or, like the one we drive, with a manual. The "automated" Americans strangely have a penchant for muscle cars with manual gearboxes. That is why, for example, the BMW M5 was available with a manual gearbox in the US. 

The whole car shakes as the V8 comes to life and from behind comes a lovely bloody sound from the pipes. 

The look and feel of the materials have clearly taken a much needed step in the right direction when it comes to cars from the great country of the west. The Camaro Cabriolet is no exception and the interior feels quite okay if you don't compare it to a German car. Something that has really received a boost is the exterior appearance of many of the new American muscle cars and with the retro interpretation of the Ford Mustang, even models such as the Charger, Challenger and Camaro have been given a really tough outfit. But you need to be of the right kind to appreciate this look. You won't be driving around town unseen in a Camaro, that's for sure.

Something that has also never been the Yankees' strong point when it comes to muscle cars is the behavior on roads of the curvier type. The Camaro Cabriolet is no exception and should probably be used mainly as a cruising wagon along the beach, with the convertible top down. With a weight of almost 1900 kilos, the turns on the winding mountain roads are quite tight, a performance a European car would have handled better. But when the amazing sound of the V8 hits your eardrums, all is forgiven. Who cares about cornering when you can listen to an orchestra like this. 

+ Cool American muscle car with lots of lovely V8 song.

– Not optimal for curves or the environmentally conscious.