Chevrolet Camaro V (2009–2015)

How the 2006 concept became the 2010 Camaro

After production of the fourth generation ended in August 2002, Chevrolet had no Camaro for seven model years. The revival started as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2006, styled by Sangyup Lee. Its retro shape, with a long bonnet and short rear deck, set the look of the production car.

GM's Australian division Holden is credited with leading the final design and engineering work on the rear-drive Zeta platform, coded GMX521 for the coupé and GMX511 for the convertible. Production was pushed back from 2008 and finally started in 2009 at the Oshawa Car Assembly plant in Ontario, which was converted for the car. The convertible followed, with production starting on 31 January 2011.

Compared with the last F-body Camaro, the new car was wider and at least 240 kg heavier, and even its base V6 out-powered the 205 kW (275 hp) LT1 V8 of the early fourth generation. Its main rival was again the Ford Mustang, and how it fits into the wider family is covered in the overview of all Camaro generations.

Trims, special editions and the 2014 facelift

The core range was LS, 1LT and 2LT with the V6, and 1SS and 2SS with the V8. Chevrolet added a long run of special editions, which matter for buyers because their numbers are known:

• 2010: Transformers Special Edition (about 1,916 built), Synergy Special Edition (2,425 sold) and 294 Indianapolis 500 pace car replicas based on the 2SS automatic.
• 2012: 45th Anniversary edition and the first ZL1; 69 COPO drag-race cars (67 coupés, two convertibles).
• 2013: the 1LE package for manual SS coupés, and a Hot Wheels Edition of 1,524 cars.
• 2014: a facelift with new front and rear ends and new lamps, a functional bonnet vent on the SS, a colour head-up display on 2LT, 2SS and ZL1, and the return of the Z/28.

Fifth-generation Camaro engines and gearboxes

The V6 changed from the LLT to the more powerful LFX for 2012. V8 buyers got different engines depending on the gearbox: the manual SS used the LS3, the automatic the L99 with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation.

Manual V6 cars used an Aisin AY6 six-speed, while the SS and ZL1 had a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed. The six-speed automatics were the Hydra-Matic 6L50 (V6), 6L80 (SS) and 6L90 (ZL1).

ZL1 and Z/28: two different flagships

The ZL1 was unveiled at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show and went on sale for 2012, with 1,971 built in its first model year. It combined the supercharged LSA V8, running about 0.48 bar (7 psi) of boost, with Magnetic Ride suspension. Chevrolet reported a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap of 7:41.27 in autumn 2011.

The 2014 Z/28 took the opposite approach. Revealed at the 2013 New York show, it used the naturally aspirated LS7 developed with Corvette Racing, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and an interior stripped down to the point that air conditioning became an option. evo quoted 1,732 kg (3,818 lb) and a Nordschleife lap of 7:37.47 set in less than ideal conditions. MotorTrend named it the Best Driver's Car of 2014. The name goes back to the original 1967–69 Camaro Z/28, built for Trans-Am racing.

Fifth-generation Camaro dimensions

Figures are for the US coupé; kerb weights varied from about 1,697 kg to 1,775 kg (3,741–3,913 lb) depending on trim.

The Camaro in Europe

An export version with European lighting and mirrors arrived in November 2011. UK buyers got the SS only, as a coupé or convertible with stiffer suspension. In its 2012 review, Auto Express quoted 426 bhp for the manual LS3, an average of 20 mpg (about 14.1 L/100 km) and 329 g/km of CO2. It praised the V8 and the looks but criticised the left-hand drive, the heavy manual clutch and thick pillars that limit visibility. European cars received the MyLink radio from late 2013.

Crash tests and the 2014 ignition-key recall

NHTSA results depend on the model year, because the agency changed its test programme for 2011:

The 2010 scores come from the pre-2011 programme and cannot be compared with later ones. No IIHS crash-test rating for the 2010–15 Camaro was found, and Euro NCAP never tested it; in Europe it came with stability control and six airbags as standard.

The best-documented fault is the June 2014 recall of 2010–14 cars: a driver's knee could knock the key fob and move the ignition out of the run position, cutting engine power. GM recalled 464,712 cars in the USA and 511,528 worldwide. The remedy separates the key from the fob, so check that the work has been done. No independent reliability survey for this generation was found.