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Cars > Chevrolet > Chevrolet Camaro Convertible 2011

 By Ketan Patel View Comments

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Chevrolet Camaro Convertible 2011

Chevrolet will lift the covers off the all-new Camaro Convertible 2011 at the LA Auto Show starting later this week on 19th November. The Camaro Convertible will be manufactured at Oshawa in Canada starting January 2011 and will be available at dealers in later part of 2011. The top is built by same manufacturer as the Corvette convertible top and operates in similar fashion. Made of thick and durable canvas, the top folds in a simple 'Z' pattern and takes about 20 seconds. Camaro is a beauty with strong performance and driving dynamics, which has led it to be one of the best selling coupe in its segment for US market.

The exterior framework of the elegant convertible is quite aerodynamically stable and prevents the shaking of the steering wheel even under harsh driving conditions. This has been made possible by utilizing braces placed at appropriate positions in the body of the convertible. A major advantage of strengthening the Camaro convertible’s structure is that the performance and handling is comparable to that of the Camaro Coupe without the need to alter the suspension. The Camaro beats nearly all of its major rivals like the BMW 3-series convertible in the structural stability department as it has excellent torsional stiffness and bending.

Under the Hood, the Camaro Convertible 2011 will be equipped with a V6 engine unit with direct fuel injection which gives a power output of 312 Horsepower. The striking feature of this model is its fuel efficiency as it gives a decent mileage of 6.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. If you want a more powerful engine then you can choose the SS model that is powered by a 6.2 liter V8 engine which generates 426 HP. The power is transmitted to the wheels through the six-speed manual gearbox but one can also opt for the automatic transmission.

The production of the Camaro convertible will start in January at their Oshawa plant and is scheduled to hit the markets in February. The stylish convertible is expected to be priced at 33,995$ with an option to choose from nine different body colors.

A bit of earlier news... Did you know how long did it take to sell the 2011 Neiman Marcus Edition Camaro convertibles at $75,000? All 100 of the special edition Camaro were sold in just 3 minutes.. [Picture Update: Jan 18, 2012]

  • Camaro Convertible unveiled at Los Angeles Show
  • Well-tailored fabric top with acoustical headliner for quietness and easy-to-use single latch
  • Robust, reinforced structure supports a sports coupe-like driving experience
  • Better torsional stiffness than BMW 3-Series convertible

Chevrolet has lifted the lid on the all-new Camaro Convertible. The iconic droptop goes into production in January and will reach European markets, including the UK, later in 2011. It includes an enhanced body structure and well-tailored top mechanism – a combination designed to deliver sports coupe-like driving fun and precise quality.

“The launch of the new convertible opens Camaro design and performance to a new set of potential customers,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing, at the cars unveil at the LA Auto Show. “The 21st century revival of Camaro is tremendously popular, so it’s a natural to now expand and elevate the product range in new directions.”

The convertible will be offered in similar model configurations as the Camaro coupe. For Europe, that means a 6.2-litre V-8 engine producing 426 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission will be standard, with an optional six-speed automatic.

Camaro is now the best-selling Coupe in its segment in the US market, and its popularity is backed up by the fact that the right to purchase one of the first convertibles was recently sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $205,000, with all proceeds donated to charity. The 2011 Neiman Marcus Edition Camaro convertibles, a group of 100 exclusive cars with custom-designed elements and priced at $75,000 each, sold out in only three minutes.

The Camaro convertible delivers great refinement, along with uncompromising, coupe-like driving dynamics. Its enhanced body structure helps prevent cowl or steering wheel shake, for a strong, confident feel in all driving conditions. The top has a smooth, tailored fit, with acoustical foam in the headliner that helps deliver a quiet ride with the top up.

Strong structure

The Camaro’s architecture was designed to accommodate a convertible model, which means customers enjoy the fun of top-down cruising with coupe-like driving dynamics. Four strategic reinforcements enhance the already-stiff body structure to eliminate common convertible maladies of cowl and steering wheel shake. They include:

  • A tower-to-tower brace under the hood
  • A transmission support reinforcement brace
  • Underbody tunnel brace
  • Front and rear underbody “V” braces.

“Our goal in development was to make the convertible match the coupe as closely as possible in ride quality, handling and overall performance,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer.

A telling example of the Camaro convertible’s strength is evidenced in its suspension tuning – specifically, the lack of changes between the convertible and coupe models.

“To compensate for the reduced structure of an open car, engineers often will make the suspension softer, making the convertible a boulevard cruiser,” said Oppenheiser. “Instead, we took the more difficult, but better path of bolstering structure rather than softening the suspension. We didn’t change a strut, bushing or spring rate from the Camaro coupe.”

The result is a convertible that preserves nearly all the acceleration, road-holding and performance capabilities of the Camaro coupe.

Additional safety structural reinforcements are designed to improve noise and vibration characteristics, while also contributing to the elimination of cowl/steering wheel shake. They include a hydrofromed tube in the A-pillars, an inner reinforcement bracket in the windshield header, a reinforced front hinge pillar and reinforcements inside the rockers.

The structural changes to the Camaro convertible body give it superior bending and torsional stiffness than its closest competitor, and better torsional stiffness than the BMW 3-Series convertible.

Exceptional top refinement

At the outset, designers and engineers sought to eliminate the common appearance of convertible top support ribs and they succeeded, using composite knuckles rather than aluminium ones, as well as extending the top material below the belt line and revising the top’s stitch lines. The result is a top that has a smooth, taut and carefully tailored appearance that also retains the sleek roofline of the coupe.

The power-folding top retracts in about 20 seconds. It is built in partnership with the same manufacturer as the Corvette convertible top, and operates in a similar manner. That means it folds in a simple “Z” pattern and latches with a single, convenient handle located at the center of the windshield header. Other convertible models in this segment still offer convertible tops with dual latches, forcing drivers into two-hand operations reaching across the car.

Once the latch is turned to the open position, the push of a single button lowers the windows and activates the top. The car doesn’t have to be parked for the top to be activated, allowing for spur-of-the-moment lowering while stopped at a stoplight.

The top is made of thick, durable canvas and it features acoustical headliner material that provides a quiet, coupe-like ride when the top is up. It also incorporates a glass rear window and rear window defogger.

A folding, one-piece tonneau cover is standard on 2LT and 2SS models and optional on 1LT/1SS. It covers the folded top for a finished appearance. An accessory windscreen is available from Chevrolet dealers. It installs behind the front seats to limit wind buffeting when driving with the top down.

SPECIFICATIONS (Please note, these refer to US Specification models)

Overview

Models: Chevrolet Camaro convertible
Body style / driveline: four-passenger, front-engine, rear-drive convertible
Construction: unitized body frame, one- and two-sided galvanized steel
Manufacturing location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Engine

3 6.2L V-8 (LS3, L99)
Type: 6.2L V-8
Displacement (cu in / cc): 376 / 6162
Bore & stroke (in / mm): 4.06 x 3.62 / 103.25 x 92
Block material: cast aluminium w/ cast-in-place iron bore liners
Cylinder head material: aluminium
Valvetrain: overhead valve; two valves per cylinder; roller lifters; Active Fuel Management (L99)
Ignition system: coil near plug ignition
Fuel delivery: sequential fuel injection
Compression ratio: 10.7:1 (LS3); 10.4:1 (L99)
Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm):

426 / 318 @ 5900 (LS3)*

400 / 298 @ 5900 (L99)*

Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ rpm):

420 / 569 @ 4600 (LS3)*

410 / 556 @ 4300 (L99)*

Recommended fuel: premium recommended not required
Maximum engine speed (rpm):

6200 (L99)

6600 (LS3)

Emissions controls: evaporative system, close-coupled catalytic converters, positive crankcase ventilation, electronic throttle control
EPA-estimated fuel economy (city / hwy) US Measurements:

16 / 25 (auto)

16 / 24 (man)

Chassis / Suspension

Front: double-ball-joint, multi-link strut; direct-acting stabiliser bar; progressive-rate coil springs; fully adjustable camber, caster and toe
Rear: 4.5-link independent; progressive-rate coil springs over shocks; stabiliser bar; fully adjustable camber and toe
Steering type: variable-ratio rack-and-pinion
Steering ratio: 16.1:1
Steering wheel turns, lock-to-lock: 2.5
Turning circle, kerb-to-kerb (ft / m): 37.7/11.5

Brakes

Type: four-wheel disc w/ ABS; ventilated front and rear discs; single-piston front callipers and single-piston alloy rear callipers (LS, LT); four-piston fixed Brembo aluminium front and rear callipers (SS)
Disc diameter, front (in / mm): 14 / 355
Disc diameter, rear (in / mm): 14.4 / 365
Disc thickness, front (in / mm): 1.26 / 32
Disc thickness, rear (in / mm): 1.1 / 28

Wheels / Tyres

Wheel size and type: 20 x 8-inch aluminium (front)
20 x 9-inch aluminium (rear)
Tyres: P245/45ZR20 summer (front)
P275/40ZR20 summer (rear)

Dimensions

Exterior

Wheelbase (in / mm): 112.3 / 2852
Overall length (in / mm): 190.4 / 4836
Overall width (in / mm): 75.5 / 1918
Overall height (in / mm): 54.7 / 1389
Track, front (in / mm): 63.7 / 1618
Track, rear (in / mm): 64.1 / 1628 (LT)
63.7 / 1618 (SS)
Kerb weight (lb / kg): 3986 / 1808 – LT w/ automatic
3995 / 1812 – LT w/ manual
4168 / 1891 – SS w/ automatic
4116 / 1867 – SS w/ manual
Weight balance (% front / rear): 52 / 48

Interior

Seating capacity (front / rear): 2 / 2
Headroom (in / mm): front: 37.8 / 960
rear: 35.7/ 908
Legroom (in / mm): front: 42.4 / 1077
rear: 30 / 760
Shoulder room (in / mm): front: 56.8 / 1444
rear: 42.4 / 1079

Capacities

Convertible
Cargo volume (cu ft / L): 10.24 / 290 (top up)
7.85 / 222 (top down)
Fuel tank (gal / L): 18.8 / 71.7
Engine oil (qt / L): 6.2L: 8.9 / 8.5

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible 2011

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