I had never driven a true American muscle car. So I jumped at the chance to drive this year’s Camaro. It has 400 horsepower, an iconic retro look and an old school 6.2 liter V8 under the bonnet. In the States it costs under €20K, in the Netherlands it is nearly 5 times as expensive at €95k. You can buy a Cayman R for that kind of money. Quicker and better equiped. The Camaro has to do without sat-nav, climate control or even adjustable seatbelts. The Camaro is a simple, blunt tool of force. With a serious drinking problem. You could dismiss it, but for a single feature that is not in the Chevrolet brochure. It is a car that puts a smile on peoples faces. Kids look at it. Think it is Bumblebee (of Transformers fame) repainted. The bluntness and naivety of this car make it accessible. Easy to talk about. Sympathetic. And walking up to it and opening the drivers’ side door is a treat. The sound when you start it or rev it up is a bit of a disappointment, but push the accelerator down like you’re linedancing and the kick it gives is addictive. Anyone who buys this car must be embracing his inner child fondly.
And give him one hell of an allowance.