Interactive Review: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT Convertible RS

[Drew Dowdell]

Interactive Review:

2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT Convertible RS

It's still a bit cold to take our top off, but joining us this week is a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible LT RS. Being a V6, it's a step down in power from last week's Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, but not many 4-seat cars below the CTS's price range can match it's power output anyway. Two of my first impressions are these:

1. You can feel the weight gain over the standard coupe.

2. This car needs a reverse parking camera more than the CTS Coupe does mostly due to the undersized mirrors that are a styling necessity on this car.

Media Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

[Robert Hall]

So I assume the rearward visibility is worse than the coupe (w/ the top up). How's the trunk space w/ the top down? How's the noise w/ the top up?

[Croc]

Top down, it actually doesn't look like ass. Nice.

[Drew Dowdell]

So I assume the rearward visibility is worse than the coupe (w/ the top up). How's the trunk space w/ the top down? How's the noise w/ the top up?

Yes, rearward visibility is worse than the coupe. GM would do well to offer lane change warning/blind spot warning in this version of the car. I actually had difficulty pulling out into traffic at one intersection today because it's at an odd angle. I experienced no such problems with the CTS-V Coupe.

Trunk space is minimal either way..... but it's microscopic with the top down.

Noise... well it's no Buick Lacrosse inside. It's mostly muted, but there were two occasions where a train came by and I thought one of the rear windows was down.

[AAS]

Is structural rigidity really as good as other reviews claim (on par with the coupe)?

Does the car look bad/cheap without the tonneau cover hiding the folded top?

[Drew Dowdell]

Is structural rigidity really as good as other reviews claim (on par with the coupe)?

Does the car look bad/cheap without the tonneau cover hiding the folded top?

I wouldn't call it on par with the coupe, but it's better than other convertibles.

See for yourself... I don't have the tonneau cover hiding the folding top in any of the pictures. It actually looks very clean.

[ocnblu]

The top itself, how's the material? The headliner? The folding operation? Does it seem nice?

Drove a Miata yesterday, and maaaan, the body quivers in that thing made me ill, in an '04 with 55k miles. I hope the Camaro feels better over bumps than the MX-5.

[ZL-1]

1. About the weight gain being noticeable: is it more noticeable in straight line performance or in turns?

2. Much has been written and said about the interior: How does build/material quality help or detract from the car's appeal?

[Drew Dowdell]

1. About the weight gain being noticeable: is it more noticeable in straight line performance or in turns?

2. Much has been written and said about the interior: How does build/material quality help or detract from the car's appeal?

1. More in the straight line. I haven't clocked 0-60, but I wouldn't be surprised if other outlets refer to it as "leisurely"

2. The build quality, fit and finish is really tight on this one (as was the last), but at $36,000 no automatic climate control? no full color DIC? the speedometer is still hard to read, thank god for the HUD.

[Drew Dowdell]

The top itself, how's the material? The headliner? The folding operation? Does it seem nice?

Drove a Miata yesterday, and maaaan, the body quivers in that thing made me ill, in an '04 with 55k miles. I hope the Camaro feels better over bumps than the MX-5.

Folding operation is superb, I'm going to try and get a video of it.

Material quality on both sides of the seems sturdy.

[SAmadei]

See for yourself... I don't have the tonneau cover hiding the folding top in any of the pictures. It actually looks very clean.

I'm glad to see that GM is using some of the space wasted by making the rear so high to hide the retracted top... it looks good, even without the cover.

How is the headroom with respect to the structural parts of the top? Is most of the area above the driver's head cloth? Or is there any pesky bars that will make themselves evident as soon as you drive over a bump?

I assume the side window height it the same, so getting under the roof is the same limbo as the hardtop.

[Drew Dowdell]

headroom actually feels slightly better in the convertible

[A Horse With No Name]

Top down, it actually doesn't look like ass. Nice.

Bingo...my thoughts e

The top itself, how's the material? The headliner? The folding operation? Does it seem nice?

Drove a Miata yesterday, and maaaan, the body quivers in that thing made me ill, in an '04 with 55k miles. I hope the Camaro feels better over bumps than the MX-5.

Folding operation is superb, I'm going to try and get a video of it.

Material quality on both sides of the seems sturdy.

...'blu....try an 05 up...much more stalbe in the Miata...

and as for the convertible Camaro...much higher quality stuff than the MX-5....but a 33k car rather than a 21k car...what I'd expect....