Chevrolet Bel Air Reviews

Remember back when Ford and Holden (or FPV and HSV, if the pockets of your cargo pants were deep enough) were duking it out for homegrown performance car supremacy with the Falcon and Commodore?

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Chevrolet's Camaro is the yin to the Ford Mustang's yang, and now both are available in Australia in right-hand drive form.

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The Chevrolet Silverado is an American legend, but does this giant have what it takes to create a similar status in Australia?

Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) has finally confirmed pricing for its new Chevrolet Camaro, which will be available in one variant, the 2SS, checking in at $85,990 plus on-road costs.Production will begin at HSV's new production facility in Victoria this month, where it will convert the American muscle car to right-hand-drive specification.The only option available from launch will be metallic paint, which will add $850 to the sticker price.Only 550 units will be available in the first year, which according to HSV managing director Tim Jackson, will allow the distributor to have a stronger connection with its customers."Our business model has always been to provide a niche offering with strong connection and support to our customers and, with just 550 available in our first model year, we are excited to get the product in customers' hands" he said.Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle tyres, power-adjustable heated and ventilated leather sports seats, a leather flat-bottomed steering wheel, a Bose nine-speaker sound system, power sunroof and keyless start.The dash is dominated by an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, with access to four drive modes – Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice and Track.The vehicle also benefits from a wireless phone charger, universal garage door opener and ambient interior lighting.As reported, the Camaro is powered by a 339kW/617Nm 6.2-litre LT1 V8 engine which is matched exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission.Suspension is handled by twin-tube shock absorbers, and lightweight Brembos front and rear provide stopping power.While customers can sometimes be turned off by conversions, Mr Jackson said he was confident that HSV will maintain the integrity of the left-hand-drive vehicle."This project has been over three years in the making and involved millions of dollars of investment in product development, testing and validation" he said."We set out with the goal of retaining the integrity of the left-hand-drive vehicle through the adoption of extensive engineering, development, and manufacturing processes"."I can't think of another organisation, that is not one of the large OE manufacturers, that has challenged itself to conduct full volume compliance on a passenger vehicle".2018 Chevrolet Camaro list pricingChevrolet Camaro 2SS – automatic – $85,990

General Motors will closely monitor the local sales performance of the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro before deciding whether to produce a factory right-hand drive (RHD) version of the muscle car in the future.The first batch of sixth-generation Camaros will start to roll off a conversion line at Melbourne's Walkinshaw Automotive Group facility this month before going on sale across Holden's Special Vehicles' (HSV) network of 55 dealerships.According to GM executive vice-president for global product development Mark Reuss, the current Camaro was not engineered for RHD production, meaning a factory iteration would have to wait until the next generation.When asked if a RHD Camaro will ever be imported, Mr Reuss said "that will depend on how the current model goes in this market".While the current model has yet to be released Down Under, it has been on sale in the States since 2015, and given the vehicle has an expected lifespan of five-or-so years, the next-generation may not be so far away.With the V8, rear-wheel drive Commodore models long gone, Holden hopes the imported muscle car will help regain traditional HSV customers.Rumoured to wear a circa-$90,000 price tag, the Australian-spec Camaro is based on the 2SS variant that packs a 339kW/617Nm punch thanks to its 6.2-litre free-breathing V8.Although the Camaro's arch-rival Ford Mustang matches its power outputs, the Blue Oval-badged pony car suffers a 61Nm torque deficit.However, with the Mustang produced in factory RHD form, Ford Australia is able to price its V8-powered muscle car from $62,990 before on-roads.The sales performance of the Equinox and Acadia SUVs – both also sourced from North America – will also play a part in GM's RHD market engineering decision.As for Chevrolet's other sportscar, the iconic Corvette, Mr Reuss dismissed questions on whether the two-seater could come Down Under with a definitive "maybe". 

He might be a Hollywood hunk more used to delivering lines than new cars, but that hasn't stopped Mark Wahlberg opening the first of what he says will be many Chevrolet dealerships in the USA.

Fans of the Chevrolet Camaro will be pleased at the sight of a truck-load of brand-new muscle cars being shipped into Walkinshaw Automotive Group’s right-hand drive conversion facility.

The iconic Aston Martin DB5 piloted by James Bond in 1964's Goldfinger has been declared the greatest movie car of all time, according to a new UK survey.