2010 Chevrolet Camaro
Don't count on the Chevrolet Volt to rescue General Motors. The extended-range electric car is a fascinating science project and great for wowing policy makers, but few car enthusiasts are that committed to saving the planet. What most of us want is a sexy-hot ride that doesn't cost a fortune. Enter the reborn Chevy Camaro - the ultimate red-blooded, blue-collar fashion statement and GM's best hope of driving itself out of the ditch.
The Camaro's six-year absence really did make hearts yearn for a Ford Mustang foil. Dodge's Challenger revival eased some of that ache, but true Chevy fans would sooner pine for the old days than defect. After GM announced that the Camaro concept wasn't a tease, 14,000 believers affirmed their faith by placing orders.
Now that GM's Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant is cranking out cars, we've test-driven V-6 and V-8 versions of the fifth-generation Camaro. Our first revelation: Chevy has mounted a classic Trojan horse offense. Under its 1969-esque cover, the Camaro is armed with such 2009 weapons as direct injection (V-6 only), an independent rear suspension, and six speeds in every transmission. Chevy's strategy is to reward the faithful and to lure fresh recruits away from imports.
The irony is that true import flavor is part of the Camaro's recipe. Four years ago, Bob Lutz and GM design chief Ed Welburn cooked up this car as a buzz builder and Chevy brand resuscitator. After their 2006 Detroit auto show concept rocked the car world, the business case supporting a production model gained momentum. GM's Holden division in Australia offered two vital resources: a can-do attitude and a global rear-wheel-drive chassis code-named Zeta that arrived here last year beneath the Pontiac G8.
To deliver a Camaro that held true to the Lutz-Welburn inspiration, GM engineers in Michigan and Melbourne hewed a tight coupe out of the large G8 sedan by moving the Zeta rear axle forward six inches. To clear the room needed for twenty-inch wheels and tires, the front suspension was moved forward, track widths were increased, and the windshield was shifted rearward and given a more upright stance. After revised suspension geometries, larger brakes, and other changes were added, the Camaro's Zeta Two underpinnings shared little with the G8's Zeta One blueprints other than common engineering.
Concurrently, the V-8-powered concept was expanded into a full range of meek-to-mean Camaros. The menu includes LS, LT, and SS series with two trim levels, three engines, four transmissions, and two suspensions, plus an RS package consisting of twenty-inch wheels and tires, HID headlamps, and a rear spoiler. Prices run from $22,995 for the stripped LS V-6 to more than $37,000 for a well-equipped SS V-8.
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Tips for Saving Fuel
Revive the Classics
The biggest fuel savings comes not from hybrid technology but from the old standards: car pooling and public transportation. If you and just one friend or neighbor trade off commuting to and from work, you cut your fuel usage by about 50 percent. No other step will save you as much money. Also, if you have two vehicles in the family motor pool, leave the thirstier one in the garage as often as possible.
Public transportation saves fuel, and possibly money. It also decreases congestion, which saves everyone fuel. Help yourself and everyone else; be part of the solution.
Get the Lead Out
Weight is fuel economy's natural enemy, so removing unnecessary items — or people — from your car can translate to real fuel savings.
Get the Leadfoot Out
You can save fuel immediately in whatever you drive by going easy on the accelerator. Jack rabbit starts and full-throttle acceleration boost fuel consumption dramatically. It's all a matter of degree: Light acceleration saves more than moderate acceleration.
Top speed also plays a part. Most vehicles are most efficient when cruising in their top gear at a relatively low speed. For example, a car with a five-speed transmission would be most efficient in 5th gear at 40 to 55 mph. Wind resistance increases exponentially with speed, so as your pace increases from this point, fuel economy drops dramatically. Onboard trip computers that show instantaneous and average fuel economy are remarkably accurate. Keep an eye on this and you'll learn how to drive in a miserly fashion.
An Ounce of Prevention
Keeping your tires inflated properly and your engine running right is critical to efficient motoring. Underinflated tires can lower your fuel economy by full miles per gallon. (Get the proper inflation pressure from the sticker on your car's doorjamb or the owner's manual, and not the tire's sidewall.) Even if your car seems to be running well, that perplexing Check Engine light could represent a dead oxygen sensor or some other emissions control problem that causes the vehicle to waste several miles per gallon.
Open Windows or Air Conditioning?
This is an age-old conundrum. (Unlike a car's heater, which uses free engine heat to warm the cabin, the air conditioner robs engine power and lowers fuel economy.) So which approach is better? Sorry, but it's not as simple as one or the other.
If your car has been sitting in the sun and is hotter than the outside air, drive for a few minutes with the windows open to cool it off. Then, if you're hitting the highway, close 'em up and turn on the A/C. Aerodynamics are more important at high speeds, so if you're not exceeding 35 or 40 mph, open windows won't make as much difference. It also depends on the vehicle. The detriment from driving with the windows down is greater, say, in a Chevy Corvette, which has excellent aerodynamics, than in a Hummer, which has ... none. The same applies to convertibles; you'll burn less fuel with the top up.
Keep It Sleek
Speaking of aerodynamics, roof-top carriers and bike and ski racks don't do you any favors — even when they're empty. If you keep all your cargo inside the car, you'll slip through the wind better. Also, strip off any aftermarket add-ons such as bug deflectors and window and sunroof wind deflectors. By design, these items work by wrecking your aerodynamics. Sure, bug entrails on your windshield are gross, but they aren't known to cost you any fuel.
Premium or Regular?
Lower octane costs less, but should you use it? Most modern cars that call for premium fuel can run on regular gasoline without knocking or any long-term penalty. Technically, this makes the car less efficient, but not to a degree that negates the cost savings from the cheaper fuel grade. NOTE: This is true of cars for which premium is recommended, not required. If in doubt, look for terms such as "for best performance" and "recommended" as opposed to "only" or "required." If your car has a turbocharger or supercharger, you probably should stick with premium fuel. Of course, if your car calls for regular gasoline, there's no reason to run it on anything higher in octane.
Papa John's founder pays $250K for beloved Camaro
With the help of a $250,000 reward, the founder of the Papa John's pizza chain has finally reunited with the muscle car he sold years ago to help keep his family's business afloat.
John Schnatter sold the gold-and-black 1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for $2,800 in 1983. The money helped save his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind., and he used the rest to start what would become a worldwide pizza business.
But he still missed his beloved Camaro and spent years searching for it. He created a Web site on the search, held promotional appearances and eventually offered $250,000 to whoever found it.
It turns out he didn't have to leave Kentucky, where the pizza chain is based in Louisville. The car only changed hands twice from the original buyers, ending up with Jeffery Robinson in Flatwoods, about 165 miles to the east.
Do It Yourself
Wipers!
Most of us take for granted many of the wonderful technologies that we have today. One example would be the windshield wipers. Can you imagine not having windshield wipers? Even after the windshield wiper was invented in 1903 it was not electric. Instead, the driver had to reach out the window and do it by hand. This could be kind of tricky and dangerous to do while driving down the road. In 1910, the windshield wiper became a standard item on cars, but was still not made electric for years.
Even though the windshield wiper is a great feature to have, they can still be irritating. It's amazing how often windshield wipers need to be replaced. This great little invention seems to wear out quite quickly. The rubber wears quickly causing the blade to not properly clear the windshield. Of course the one spot that seems to quit working first is right in the driver's line of vision. For most people this is quite irritating, and causes a trip to the store for a new set. Here are a few things that will shorten the life of your windshield wipers and have you making the trip even more often.
One cause of quick wear on windshield wipers is when they are used to remove hard snow. How many of us get in the car in the morning, start it, and turn on the windshield wipers? I know that I've been guilty of this one. You don't have time to start the car, or clear the windshield properly, so you just use the wipers. This may clear your windshield for you, but it is hard on your wiper blades. The blades are just rubber and using them to scrape the hard snow off the windshield can cause them to become deformed.
Another cause of quick wear would be trying to use your wiper blades to scrape the ice off the windshield. When it's that cold outside who wants to stand outside and scrape the ice off their windshield? It can be especially damaging if you just squirt a little windshield washer fluid on the windshield to get the ice wet, and then use the wiper blades to scrape it off. This little trick seems to work pretty good, and quickly too. The problem with this is it will also cause your wiper blades to become deformed and not work properly.
Winter is not the only time your windshield wipers may become damaged. Some people use their windshield wipers to get dirt or sticks or other debris off their windshield without using the windshield washer fluid. Using your wiper blades on the dry glass is not good for them. If you need to get debris off your windshield you should use the windshield washer fluid first so that the blades can move easier. The fluid allows the blades to glide smoothly across the windshield instead of scraping and making that horrible noise they make when it's dry.
When your windshield wiper blades start to chatter when you use them, or start to leave streaks you may want to invest in a new set. Just remember what causes extra wear on your windshield wiper blades, and try to avoid doing it.
Make sure that your automobile is up to date on its service schedule.
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