By Anthony Sovinsky + Vaughn Lowery
The 2018 Camaro 2 SS defines the modern day muscle car. It thrusts power with a new focus on aerodynamics and handling. Its overstated presence remains true, but with enhanced design features – it has the auto world watching.
The vehicle features the 1LE track package finished in a silver ice metallic coating with a prominent front grille ending at a point. It sports a sleek black mesh grille and vents that are strategically positioned on the hood to enhance the breathing and cooling mechanisms. The stance is wide and athletic, thanks to the 20” forged aluminum wheels, in combination with aggressive sized fenders for increased handling capabilities.
Let’s take our attention to the rear of the vehicle. The taillights are streamlined to accent the masculine contours and racing additions. This includes a black finished spoiler and chrome polished quad pipes that sing the sweet melody of a manually shifted 6.2 liter V8 putting down 455HP to the crank.
As of late, 360 MAGAZINE had the opportunity to pilot the Chevy on a variety of escapades around Los Angeles county. To begin, the team traveled to the first annual Brunch Life Festival in Long Beach. The fest featured a variety of different restaurants from Long Beach, Orange County and LA serving anything from gourmet burgers to delectable desserts.
At Sneaker Con LA held in Anaheim, 360 had the pleasure of interviewing the design manager for Global Chevrolet Color and Trim, Brett Goliff. Sneaker Con was the perfect location to meet Brett as his love for sneakers and street wear is unparalleled – a passion that has blossomed since 1993. Before his career at Chevrolet, Brett worked as a shoe designer for New Balance. His design philosophy is simple. “Form follows function,” said Golliff. “Successful design is nothing without a purpose and reason for being. It should always be routed in function. Once you have the function you are solving for, make it look beautiful.”
Before his current role, Golliff focused on Chevrolet performance vehicles. His most recent work can be seen on the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro and seventh-generation Corvette, including the new 2019 Corvette ZR1, the most capable Corvette made to this date.
Driving a manual car in traffic can be frustrating, however the Camaro’s smooth clutch and short shifter made the repetitive shifting in stop-and-go traffic a breeze. In addition, it is more spacious than a coupe, as a group of four can fit with ease. The versatility to function as both a pure sports vehicle and luxury vehicle make the Camaro an ideal commuter car.
The Camaro 2SS’s 1LE track package will cost an additional $7,000USD. It highlights a variety of performance additions, including magnetic ride control, beefed up 20” wheels (Summer tires only), Recaro performance front bucket seats, electronic limited slip differential, dual mode performance exhaust, suede finished flat bottom sport steering wheel and shift knob, satin black blade spoil, satin black hood wrap, satin black front splitter and Brembo performance brakes with red calipers – talk abut bang for your buck.
With no access to a track, the trip shifted to a driving hotspot, Mulholland drive – a road which can expose the inadequacy in handling with some of the most elite vehicles in production. When put to the test, the beauty performed as intended, handling narrow twists and turns of the canyon with grace. Thanks to magnetic ride control, body roll is virtually absent staying extremely flat in back-to-back turns almost as if it was riding on rails – a feeling usually experienced in its European counterpart. Moreover, with the rev matching feature activated, the 6.2L V8 will keep power consistent when down shifting heading into a turn that provides more acceleration and traction while exiting. This is a neat feature for those who have not yet learned the intricacies of a manually shifted vehicle, making it enjoyable for even the novice enthusiast.
The interior is simple, allowing the driver to focus on what really matters – the road. It features a Chevrolet Mylink audio system with navigation ($495USD) on an 8-inch diagonal touch screen that is also compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Drive. Furthermore, one can opt for the performance data and video recorder ($1300USD) that can record several metrics and provide feedback on the driver’s performance.
Valued at $42,000USD for the base model and an additional $7,000USD for the 1LE track package plus extra features available upon request, the total comes to a modest $51,790USD for a full blown track super star. The noteworthy 2018 Camaro is a steal for anyone looking to acquire an entry level sport vehicle.
