First impressions
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Registered User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 553
From: British Columbia, Canada
First impressions
So it turns out that Wood Wheaton Chevrolet in Prince George, British Columbia had a one-day only date with the Camaro. Given I'm living in Terrace, 6 hours away for work, and had days off, I made the trip. I was not disappointed.
There was a substantial crowd in the showroom at noon when the car was revealed. Everyone in there had their jaws on the floor, even my good friend Chelsie who was shaking her head at me as I giggled like a schoolgirl.
First thing I noticed was the gaps in the panels was barely noticeable. The fit and finish of the car was amazing from the outside. The yellow caught me off guard as it was more rich in person than we have seen; photos do not do the colour, let alone the car justice.
People from all walks of life were there to see it. Children, seniors, middle aged men, M*stang fanboys who were promptly chased out, or told to remove their offensive jackets... And the big thing that caught my ear was when people asked how much it would cost, and the salesmen said that a car optioned exactly like this one would be $47k CAD, they were shocked! Moreso, people were making comments about how the speedo can ONLY go up to 300km/h. People were clearly impressed.
Getting up close and personal, I was able to appreciate a lot of the little details on this car. From the Chevrolet door sill plates that has the bowtie logo in place of diamond plating, to a bow-tie under the hood, to the tire storage/inflator storage in the trunk. The leather was soft, yet the seats were firm and supportive. The rear seat was wider and more accomodating, and there were visible spots for people to attach a car seat should they need to. The windows were very short, vertically due to a high belt-line, which means we won't be able to climb into the car Dukes of Hazzard style, but that in itself is a deterrent to would-be thieves. Also the door handle is really low and forward in the door, which would be a pain for thieves to get at.
Sitting in the car, everything seemed to be exactly where it was supposed to be. As much flak as the interior takes, it is well-thought out and functional. The visors, as mentioned in other threads, are really narrow and my father had a heck of a time trying to figure out where the seat release is to climb into the back seat (On the rear of the seat, near the headrest, centre of the seat back). The seats take a bit of effort to move forward using that release, but I suppose that is so people don't get smacked in the face accidentally.
The car started up with an amazing roar, and then purred, barely noticeable over the background noise... Until you revved the engine.
I didn't have much time to spend with the car but I did snap some photos. For reference, British Columbia requires front license plates so we'll have to deal with that black box again.
If I had to find fault, my biggest concern would be the hinges for the trunk. There seemed to be too much lateral flexibility in the mechanism; the bars seemed to wobble side to side even though their range of motion was up and down. I could see a stress fracture potentially developing near the lower section of the arm. I didn't get to play with the seats either but my head was close to brushing with the roof. I'm sure that can be changed.
So, without further adieu, here are some pics!
There was a substantial crowd in the showroom at noon when the car was revealed. Everyone in there had their jaws on the floor, even my good friend Chelsie who was shaking her head at me as I giggled like a schoolgirl.
First thing I noticed was the gaps in the panels was barely noticeable. The fit and finish of the car was amazing from the outside. The yellow caught me off guard as it was more rich in person than we have seen; photos do not do the colour, let alone the car justice.
People from all walks of life were there to see it. Children, seniors, middle aged men, M*stang fanboys who were promptly chased out, or told to remove their offensive jackets... And the big thing that caught my ear was when people asked how much it would cost, and the salesmen said that a car optioned exactly like this one would be $47k CAD, they were shocked! Moreso, people were making comments about how the speedo can ONLY go up to 300km/h. People were clearly impressed.
Getting up close and personal, I was able to appreciate a lot of the little details on this car. From the Chevrolet door sill plates that has the bowtie logo in place of diamond plating, to a bow-tie under the hood, to the tire storage/inflator storage in the trunk. The leather was soft, yet the seats were firm and supportive. The rear seat was wider and more accomodating, and there were visible spots for people to attach a car seat should they need to. The windows were very short, vertically due to a high belt-line, which means we won't be able to climb into the car Dukes of Hazzard style, but that in itself is a deterrent to would-be thieves. Also the door handle is really low and forward in the door, which would be a pain for thieves to get at.
Sitting in the car, everything seemed to be exactly where it was supposed to be. As much flak as the interior takes, it is well-thought out and functional. The visors, as mentioned in other threads, are really narrow and my father had a heck of a time trying to figure out where the seat release is to climb into the back seat (On the rear of the seat, near the headrest, centre of the seat back). The seats take a bit of effort to move forward using that release, but I suppose that is so people don't get smacked in the face accidentally.
The car started up with an amazing roar, and then purred, barely noticeable over the background noise... Until you revved the engine.
I didn't have much time to spend with the car but I did snap some photos. For reference, British Columbia requires front license plates so we'll have to deal with that black box again.
If I had to find fault, my biggest concern would be the hinges for the trunk. There seemed to be too much lateral flexibility in the mechanism; the bars seemed to wobble side to side even though their range of motion was up and down. I could see a stress fracture potentially developing near the lower section of the arm. I didn't get to play with the seats either but my head was close to brushing with the roof. I'm sure that can be changed.
So, without further adieu, here are some pics!
Last edited by Rob V; Mar 23, 2009 at 02:48 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,123
From: Melbourne, Australia
I've been to Prince George a couple of times... once when the temp hit -30*C! It was the coldest day of my life. Literally.
Oh how I miss Canada!
Anyway, nice read, nice pics and a pleasant surprise to see so many people keeping the faith.
Btw, is CAD $47K considered reasonable for such a car? Our LS3 HSVs are $75K here but with MRC suspension standard. We pay too much for our cars compared to our NA friends.
Oh how I miss Canada!
Anyway, nice read, nice pics and a pleasant surprise to see so many people keeping the faith.
Btw, is CAD $47K considered reasonable for such a car? Our LS3 HSVs are $75K here but with MRC suspension standard. We pay too much for our cars compared to our NA friends.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,308
From: Oshawa - Home of the 5th-gen
Well, that's pretty much the highest price possible for a Camaro, but considering that car is the 2SS w/auto & the sunroof, then it's got pretty much EVERY paid option available! 
The base price for an SS is $36,900 (CDN$) which, IMO, isn't bad. Considering that I paid $38,xxx for my 2002 seven years ago, and the top-of-the-line SS at the time was around ~$45k, the price of the 2010 hasn't really gone up, especially when you consider the content of the new Camaro vs. the previous one.
The base price for an SS is $36,900 (CDN$) which, IMO, isn't bad. Considering that I paid $38,xxx for my 2002 seven years ago, and the top-of-the-line SS at the time was around ~$45k, the price of the 2010 hasn't really gone up, especially when you consider the content of the new Camaro vs. the previous one.
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