Review: Chevrolet Camaro SS

What is it?

This is the V8 version of Chevy’s muscle car Camaro brand, known as the SS. We had a brief go in it late last year and were impressed, with a few reservations – the paddle shifts seemed slow, the outward vision still limited and the new central info screen oddly tilted forwards – but have been waiting until now to get some proper seat time in it, to see how it works in everyday life.

Just quickly to recap, this Gen 6 Camaro now rides on the all-new multi-mode actively damped platform that also underpins the superb-handling Cadillac ATS-V. But the SS goes one better than the smallest V by installing the same V8, the LT-1, as fitted in the base Corvette instead of the twin-turbo V6.

Manual or Auto?

We drove an auto as we wanted to see if the shift delays when using the paddles were still there. And the short answer is they are not. Whatever was afflicting the early cars we drove first has been cured. It’s still not the most lightning of shifts, but it’s totally fine now.

What about the vision and the screen?

You can raise and play around with the seat and mirrors – and use the range of sensors and cameras – to get an acceptable level of vision. It’s still far from expansive. But that’s the way Chevy wants it, so suck it up or buy something else. Likewise with the screen. The whole tilting thing is not an issue. After a couple of hours of driving you completely forget it. So it works.

What about that V8?

As much as we respect the V6 and 2.0-litre turbo variants of the Camaro, the V8 really is only engine that brings the whole car into focus and gels all the looks, handling and noise. The first grin starts on first ignition, when the pipes bark – just loud enough to be noticed but not anti-social – and it just gets better from there.

How?

With 455bhp and a big barrel of torque to draw on, the V8 growls and roars like a proper muscle car should while shoving you and the car down the road at a fabulous rate of knots. And the really special thing about this car, is the SS chassis can handle everything the engine makes, translating it all into rapid straight-line, cornering and sideways fun. I know I said the chassis was a bit too polished for a proper muscle car last time. But having now spent a few days with this car, I take that back.

Really?

Yes, really. The V8 has enough power to allow you to overwhelm the chassis when you want to. You just have to give it a lot more than you might first imagine as the chassis is so good. And I mean proper hooligan standard good. Bend it into a corner and, where the old car would have given up and chucked you into a ditch, this one suggests you might like to try it even a little faster next time. All while banging out that V8 soundtrack and filling your wake with white smoke.

Sounds like fun, but it’s not better than the V8 Mustang GT, is it?

Haven’t driven them head to head, but this Camaro is undoubtedly way faster and better handling than the Ford Pony car. Rolls less, hangs on longer and is generally more composed. It’s actually more on a par with the GT350 than the standard GT. And I suspect even that would have trouble keeping up with this V8 Camaro in Track mode.

So should I buy one?

Find your own way around the looks inside and out – but do yourself a favour and get a go in one of these soon if you can. The Dodge Hellcat is still the biggest bruiser on the block, the GT350 still stupidly expensive, but this Camaro SS is the new muscle car sweet spot. Enjoy…

Camaro SS prices: from $37,295/as tested: $52,500.