Build Your Own Convertible, and an Update on the Convertible Antenna
Chevrolet took their Camaro Convertible Customization tool live today, and it's a lot of fun to play around with. You can go through and build your own custom Camaro Convertible and see how much it will cost, and how it will look. Camaro Convertible Customization Tool.
If, while building your Camaro Convertible you are turned off by the large unsightly antenna on the rear, don't worry, you're not the only one. In fact, so many people have disliked the sight of that antenna that Chevrolet has already announced that they will be fixing that problem before the Convertibles hit the showrooms. In a press release, they addressed the antenna issue and the fact that so many enthusiasts and Camaro lovers have spoken out against it as unattractive, and have reworked it so that it is built in directly to the rear spoiler.
From Chevrolet:
"We responded to a legitimate criticism from devoted Chevrolet Camaro enthusiasts and in 10 months found an innovative way to improve the overall aesthetics of the vehicle without sacrificing performance and quality,” said Gregg Kittinger, the designer of the new antenna.
“Where other automakers have tried and failed, Chevy succeeded,” added his colleague, Don Hibbard. “We hope to take what we’ve learned with the Camaro Convertible, build on it and apply it to future vehicles.”
Complete 2011 Camaro Pricing Guides
Here's the complete Pricing list, including breakdown of cost for all Camaro options, as the dealers are directed to charge. Includes the Convertible Camaro cost at all builds, and all options. All of the items in bold are either new or updated from previous released prices, as of 12/15/2010.
Model Description MSRP inc. DFC
1EE37 Camaro LS.... $23,530.00
1EF37 Camaro 1LT.. $24,730.00
1EH37 Camaro 2LT.. $28,075.00
1ES37 Camaro 1SS.. $31,795.00
1ET37 Camaro 2SS.. $35,145.00
***1EF67 Camaro Convertible 1LT.. $30,000.00
***1EH67 Camaro Convertible 2LT.. $33,500.00
***1ES67 Camaro Convertible 1SS.. $37,500.00
***1ET67 Camaro Convertible 2SS.. $40,500.00
Option Packages
9U7 Bluetooth Package w/1LS..$115.00
SRJ Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Automatic Transmission (Coupe 1LT).. $950.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Automatic Transmission (Coupe 1SS)..$825.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Manual Transmission (Coupe 1LT)..$760.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Manual Transmission(Convertible 1LT)..$655.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Manual Transmission(Coupe 1SS)..$635.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Automatic Transmission (Convertible (1SS)..$530.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Manual Transmission (Convertible 1LT)..$465.00
Convenience and Connectivity
w/ Manual Transmission (Convertible 1SS)..$340.00
W1H Interior Trim Package..$500.00
WRS RS Package w/1LT.. $1,800.00
RS Package w/1LT..$1,900.00
RS Package w/2LT..$1,600.00
RS Package w/1SS or 2SS..$1,300.00
Additional Options
Dealer Installed:
VLI Cargo Mat ..$135.00
VQL Satin Nickel Finish Fuel Door.. $175.00
VRB Red w/Black Stripes Car Cover.. $360.00
VRU Gray w/Black Stripes Car Cover.. $360.00
VRV Quarter Flares.. $325.00
VTD Ground Effect Package ..$2,265.00
VYW Premium Carpeted Floor Mats.. $150.00
VYX Body-Color Painted Engine Cover.. $285.00
VZN 21" Machined Aluminum Wheels.. $4,680.00
VZP 21" Black Painted Aluminum Wheels.. $4,865.00
Floor Mats:B34 Carpeted Front.. $60.00
Heater:K05 Engine Block Heater.. $75.00
Hood and Hockey Stripe Packages:
DSC Black ..$510.00
DSD White.. $510.00
DSF Gray.. $510.00
Interior Trim
AGO Gray Interior with Synergy Green Accent Panels..2SS $325.00
ALM Black Interior with Synergy Green Accent Panels..2LT $325.00
AMO Black Interior with Synergy Green AccentPanels..2SS $325.00
AN7 Gray Interior with Synergy Green AccentPanels2LT.. $325.00
VK3 Front License Plate Bracket $15.00
Paint:
GAQ Red Jewel Tintcoat.. $325.00
GCO Rally Yellow.. $325.00
GCR Inferno Orange Metallic.. $325.00
GHS Synergy Green.. $325.00 *coupe only
Radio Equipment:
UQA Boston Accoustics System $495.00
Rally Stripe Packages
B7W Cyber Gray Metallic.. $470.00
B7X White.. $470.00
C2T Orange.. $470.00
C2U Silver.. $470.00
C3O Black.. $470.00
KAE Hurst Short-Throw Shifter.. $380.00
Spare Tire and Wheel:
N65 Compact Spare Tire and Wheel.. $150.00
CF5 Power Sunroof.. $900.00
E45 Tonneau Cover (Convertible).. $200.00
Transmissions:
MXO.. Transmission, Automatic 6 Speed.. $995.00
MXO ..Transmission, Automatic 6 Speed &2LT or 2SS.. $1,185.00
Wheels:
Q9B 19" Bright Aluminum w/2LT.. $470.00
Q9B 19" Bright Aluminum w/1LT.. $720.00
Q9J 20" Polished Aluminum.. $470.0
Few People Doubt that the Camaro will become a Collectible
A couple accolades were given to the Camaro this week that are based entirely upon predicting the future. Of course, we know that nobody can predict the future, but selecting the Camaro for these accolades seem like safe bets. The first of these, given out by the Friends of National Automotive History Collection selected the 2010 Camaro as this year's new vehicle (13 new vehicles in all were created this year) which will be a collectible down the road. Members of the organization, which supports the Detroit Public Library's world-famous collection of American automotives, vote annually for their "Collectible Vehicle of the Future" award, from a vehicle pool comprised of the year's new American-built cars and trucks. Previous winners of the award are:
|
2009 |
Ford Flex |
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2008 |
Dodge Challenger |
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2007 |
Dodge Viper SRT10 |
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2006 |
Pontiac Solstice |
|
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2005 |
Ford Mustang |
|
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2004 |
Chrysler 300 |
|
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2003 |
Dodge Viper |
|
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2002 |
Ford Thunderbird
|
In addition to this award, Wired also named the 2011 Camaro Convertible a sure fire instant classic. That award seems a little premature, as the number of people who have been able to drive the Camaro Convertible is still very very small and selective, but, based purely on looks alone I can honestly say that I can't argue with Wired. The Camaro Convertible is as gorgeous a car as there is on the roads today, and the Camaro's as great a car as there is, so the awarding of this by Wired does make sense. Here's what Wired had to say about the Camaro Convertible:
It's hard to know what cars will be future classics. Oh sure, some of them are obvious — damn near any exotic will certainly go up in value eventually, and it's hard to go wrong with a limited-edition ride like the Porsche 911 Sport Classic.
But what about the cars that aren't so obvious? What models sitting in showrooms might be the next 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350? The guys at Hagerty Insurance Agency think they know. Each year the company, which bills itself as "the world leader in collector car insurance," takes a look at everything in showrooms and compiles its "hot list" of 10 future collector cars you can buy now for less than $100,000.
"We have fun each year looking at which new vehicles embody the characteristics of collector cars, to help predict which ones might have classic appeal in 15 to 20 years," CEO McKeel Hagerty said in a statement. "The Hot List is our prediction for which cars manufactured this year will hold their value and consumer appeal long enough to one day be regarded as collectible."
Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
The drop-top retro ride offers a 6.2-liter V-8 producing 426 horsepower. By the way, if you haven't read Dan Neil's review of the Camaro SS, do so now. It's the best car review ever.
The other cars that made the list:
- Camaro SS Convertible
- BMW 335is
- Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
- Dodge Challenger Drag Pak
- Fiat 500
- Ford Mustang Boss 302R
- Honda CR-Z
- Infiniti IPL G37 Coupe
- Mini Countryman
- Porsche Boxster Spyder
Previous winners are:
|
2009 |
Ford Flex |
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2008 |
Dodge Challenger |
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2007 |
Dodge Viper SRT10 |
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2006 |
Pontiac Solstice |
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2005 |
Ford Mustang |
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2004 |
Chrysler 300 |
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2003 |
Dodge Viper |
|
|
2002 |
Ford Thunderbird |
Camaro Convertible Video Round-Up
Well, the Camaro Convertible is here. You all know that much, of course. With all of the news of the Convertible coming out and inundating the internet over the last few weeks, I figured I'd do a visual round-up. So, here you go, a video round-up of some of the best footage of the Camaro Convertible that can be found online, all in one place for your viewing pleasure.
2011 Camaro Convertible Development
2011 Camaro Convertible Driving
2011 Camaro Convertible outside the NYSE
More 2011 Camaro Convertible Driving
There you have it: lots of footage of the gorgeous Camaro Convertible from all different stages and places. Hope you enjoyed watching and not reading this time around!
Camaro T-Top Conversion Kit
Drop Top Customs, who beat everyone else (including Chevrolet) to the punch on the Camaro Convertible have created a new custom Camaro package. This time, they're offering a Camaro T-Top Conversion kit for $6500. My first car ever was a T-Top, and I have a special fondness for them, so seeing this come to fruition with my favorite car is great. The T-Top Camaro looks sleek and stylish, and should be a great middle ground between the Convertible and the Coupe for someone who wants a little extra wind in their hair while driving without having to sacrifice vehicle performance and flex.
The T-Top kit, while great looking, is not without its flaws and questions, though. Drop Top Customs removed the reverse Mohawk top of the Camaro, which has become one of its most immediately synonymous features, with this kit. The T-Top is also only being shown in roof continuation styling, and I'd like to see a glass-top option instead. Also, with the $6500 price tag, one has to question what sort of warranty is included. Do they guarantee against leak protection, or offer warranty in case of issue with said leakage, or a locking/clasp mechanism malfunction? Hopefully these, and many other answers, will be answered at this year's SEMA when Drop Top Customs highlights their Camaro T-Top Conversion Kit.
More Camaro Z28 Spy Footage
Camaro5 has done it again by providing the Camaro-loving world with another great video of the Z28 on the Nurburgring. The sound in this video is even more impressive, too. The Camaro sounds absolutely fantastic and looks great tearing up the track. It appears powerful and responsive through some of the Nurburgring's tightest and most dangerous corners, and looks great staying flat through some of the sweepers. The LSA sounds awesome opened up, too. I liked the sound in the first video, but it's even more impressive in this one. If you're not in love already, you're doing something wrong.
There's also another great video of what happens when you take a pure muscle-car like the Camaro SS and allow Neiman-Marcus to get their hands on it. The Neiman-Marcus Camaro is meant to provide a presentation of a muscle car as it can be transformed in to a $75,000 luxury vehicle. The modifications are really only visual and luxury based, but they appear nice, and should make for a really interesting Camaro when they're done.
Camaro Convertible Release Information
Chevrolet is planning on publicly unveiling the 2011 Camaro Convertible at the LA Auto Show next month. The high profile event should provide a lot of press for the vehicle and make pre-ordering it an easy, albeit slow going, task. I imagine there will be a pretty long wait-list for a while with the vehicle as, already, its profile is pretty big.
Before the show, though, Chevrolet has released some pertinent information concerning the vehicle:
- The Camaro Convertible will arrive at dealerships in February of 2011
- The starting price for the Camaro Convertible will be $30,000
- On top of the $30,000 cost there will also be an $850 delivery charge
- The Convertible will be available in both RS and SS versions
Lots of Camaro Convertibles Spied on Trucks!
Ok, so, someone out there saw all of these various images of a Camaro convertible being spied here or there and thought to themselves, "This isn't enough. We need to take the Camaro Convertible spy photo to the next level, and try and get, I don't know, 7 of them at once". Well, the person who thought this then went out and did exactly this, and now we have this set of pictures of two vehicle hauling trucks leaving the Camaro plant, loaded down with convertibles. There are multiple different color combination's here, too, including some Tan top Camaros to check out. My favorite of the bunch is the Silver with Black Top, but that's all personal preference. Check the pictures out and tell me what you think.
Edit: The images didn't properly load, as my image hosting client's having some issues at the moment. As soon as I can, I will load up the images of these Camaros for you to see! Sorry for the inconvenience!
New Camaro Taillights?
Someone recently grabbed some (very shaky) spy footage of a 2012 Camaro Convertible driving around the Oshawa Plant with some very different tail lights on it. The tail lights, which are sunglass style, are the same as were seen on the original Camaro Clay Concept Model. Is this a future Camaro facelift change, or maybe a future Camaro option, or is this something solely for the convertible? There's no telling, honestly. All we can do is speculate, look at the tail lights, and try and figure out if we think they look good. So, sound off, what do you think of these different Camaro tail lights?
Convertible Re-Affirmed for March 2011
The projected release date of the 2012 Camaro Convertible had originally been set at March of 2011, but recently that date changed. Following some issues concerning plant turn-over in preparation for the vehicle, GM had officially pushed their projected market release date back to the second Quarter of 2011. That move seems now to have just been a careful action, made by GM to keep their PR positive, as the due date has been reaffirmed now to be March of 2011. Whatever issues had been holding up the Camaro Convertible seem to be solved now. With the Camaro Convertible set for release, we can expect to see Camaro sales numbers continue to climb and outshine its Mustang and Challenger competitors. This is great news for GM, who has also--intelligently--highlighted that their Camaro has over-all outsold the Mustang since its release with no more than one basic model with two builds, while the Mustang has had a popular convertible model and multiple different power builds. With the Camaro line-up growing to accommodate all levels of consumers (especially with the eventual release of the near supercar Camaro Z28) we can expect to see the vehicle sales and popularity continue to grow.
