Anticipation building for new Camaro
Gill Bouganim, sales manager at Findlay Chevrolet in Las Vegas, knows that when it comes to the rollout of a Pony Car, the waiting is definitely the hardest part.
And that’s for both shoppers and showrooms.
“Everybody wants to see the Camaro redesign,” Bouganim said, citing a waiting list. “It’s all over the Internet. They completely redesigned this one. Even the convertible looks more stylish. It almost looks like the ’69 with the round vents.”
Unfortunately, the 2016 Camaro won’t be galloping into showrooms until later in the year, Bouganim said, explaining that new models are usually trotted out later than others. But that’s just adding horsepower to this Camaro’s charisma.
“It’s just a great car,” Bouganim said. “It’s gonna fly out of the showroom. It’s just beautiful. If you get a chance, look inside, you’ll be blown away. It looks completely different than last year.”
And since no Pony Car review would be complete without mentioning the original, the Ford Mustang, Bouganim sat a little taller in his saddle to discuss comparisons.
“When the (2010) Camaro came out, it blew the Mustang out of the water,” he said. “We’re expecting this one to beat the current Mustang again. The 2010 Mustang had to rethink its whole game plan. They follow each other’s lead. The 2010 Camaro had 305 horsepower in a six-cylinder, and Ford had to go back and rethink their horsepower.”
Bouganim said the new Camaro will sport a V-6 with 320 horsepower, and well as a V-8 with well over 400 horses.
Inside, car buyers in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada can look forward to an 8-inch touchscreen, which is the largest available in the industry. That doesn’t count the Tesla’s oversized screen, which Bouganim said “seems like a TV up there.”
Chevrolet released pricing in August on two popular trim levels, and here’s how they stack up against the Mustang and the Dodge Challenger. (Granted, we’re comparing 2016 Camaro prices to 2015 prices for the Mustang and Challenger, but aside from the Hellcat, none of these prices are expected to move all that much in the coming year.)
The Camaro comes in just a tick under the popular Challenger SXT but more than $2,400 over the Ford Mustang. The SS blows everything else out of the water by a minimum of $4,000. Bouganim said the new model will start at just under $25,000.
The V-6 model is cheaper than last year by $305. But 2015’s entry-level model — the Camaro LT — was just $24,700 and is no longer available.
“For the performance you get on these cars, you can’t find anything to compare,” Bouganim said.
Regardless of whether you consider the entry-level Camaro more or less expensive than last year, the V-8’s price balloons by almost $2,800.
There’s a lot more equipment this year, however. All of this equipment was either not available or optional last year:
• Chevrolet MyLink with Apple CarPlay capability
• OnStar 4G LTE connectivity with Wi-Fi hotspot
• Driver Mode Selector with Snow/Ice, Tour and Sport modes on all models and Track mode on SS
• Remote vehicle starter system (with an automatic transmission)
• Driver information center with color display
• Keyless access with push-button start
• Rear vision camera
• Automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel
• LED daytime running lamps
• Capless fuel filler
• Variable-ratio electric power steering
• 8-way power driver, 6-way power passenger seats
• Electronic park brake
• Driver and front passenger knee air bags
— Senior writer John Kelly contributed to this story. Contact him at jkelly@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0206.
