CAMARO Z28 Convertible

THE CAMARO 228 is one
of the last V8-powered
rear-wheel-drive sporty
coupes on the market.

Along with the Firebird and
Mustang, the Camaro holds a
special appeal to those who
remember the early ‘“‘pony’’ cars
of the ’60s and °70s. (1992 is the
25th year that the Camaro has
been in production.) These cars
can be identified by their long
hoods, short rear decks, wide
tires, compact dimensions and
powerful V8 engines.

Pony cars and ‘‘muscle’’ cars
were the inspiration for the origi-
nal TransAm racing series, and in
the early 1970s (prior to the gas
crunch) some of these (street) cars
were available with over 400
horsepower, an astonishing
amount by today’s standards.

Tronically, the Camaro has
become a rather unique

automobile just by being around
so long. Most sporty coupes these
days have front-wheel drive,
four-cylinder engines and
“cabin-forward”’ designs. They’re
usually nimble, fuel-efficient, and
reasonably quiet. The Z28, on the
other hand, is fairly heavy, com-
paratively noisy, and has quite a
thirst for gasoline.

But there's no denying that the
Camaro offers a lot of perfor-
mance for the money. The Z28
has very quick acceleration, grippy
handling on smooth pavement,
and tremendous engine torque aad
smoothness. Handling is limited
on bumpy roads by its non-
independent live rear axle.and the
Camaro’s stiff suspension and
rear-wheel-drive layout make the
Camaro difficult to drive in the
snow.

Otherwise, performance is ex-
tremely good, My fully equipped
Z28 convertible with a standard

46 Recalling “muscle-cars” of the past, the
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 convertible offers a
230-horsepower 5.0-litre V8 engine, rear
wheel drive, aggressive styling, and top-
down motoring. 99

230-horsepower 5.0-litre V8
engine came in under $30,000.
You can buy base coupes, and
convertibles come with a V6
engine or optional 1!70-
horsepower 5.0-litre V8 for a lot
fess money.

The Camaro’s styling has held
up rather well, considering its age.
Its last major redesign was in 1982
and the convertible came along in
1988. 228s have performance
bodywork to enhance their ag-
gressive appearance, including a
front-air dam with fog lights, side

Curb weight:
Ibs

mouldings, rear spoiler and skirt,
and non-functional hood scoops.
The convertible model looks
very handsome with the top down
but rather awkward with the top
up. The bdlack-cloth manually
operated top folds neatly into a
cavity underneath a plastic cover.
The cover lies almost flush with
the rear deck of the car, looking
much better than some tops which
stick up above the trunk-line.
Putting the top up and down is
fairly easy, although there are
about five steps involved. Unlike

1,516 kg/3,343

Price as tested: $30,240

Base price: $26,650

Type: Two-door, four-
passenger convertible coupe
Layout: Longitudinal front
engine/rear-wheel drive
Engine: 5.0-litre OHV V8,
electronic multi-port fuel inyec-
tion

Horsepower: 230 @ 4,400 rpin
Torque: 255 Ibs-ft @ 2,400
rpm

Transmission: Five-speed
manual (four-speed automatic)

Wheelbase: 2,566 mm/101.0 in.
Length: 4,891 mm/192.6 in.
Width: 1,839 mm/72.4 in.
Height: 1,278 mm/50.3 in.
Tires: P215/65 R16 all-season
radials

Fuel economy: City t5.2 1/100
km, 19 mpg; Awy 8.9 L/100
km, 32 mpg.
Warranty: Complete
yrs/60,000 km

Inquire about the Camaro Z28
convertible at Dick Irwin
Chevrolet, 845 Marine Dr.,
North Van

three

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

Greg
Wilson

TEST DRIVE

See Open page 32