Chevrolet Bel Air Reviews

This car is a Commodore, but not as we know it. The Aussie family hauler has been tweaked, teased and tizzied into something both retro and futuristic. It's a Camaro.The great looking two-door muscle car is a Chevrolet showroom star at home in the USA, where sales are expected to top 80,000 cars a year, but Americans have no idea that all the hard work on their hero was done down under."The vision for the Camaro was always easy. We had lots of debates about how to achieve it, but the vision was always clear," says Brett Vivian, Holden's vehicle line director and one of the key team members."It's all based on the VE. It's not like it had to be re-engineered, we just adjusted it," says Gene Stefanyshyn, the global vehicle line executive for global rear-wheel drive and performance vehicles.The Camaro was born out of a General Motors' global program that made GM Holden the home base for large rear-wheel drive cars. The idea was to create a homegrown Commodore for Australia, then to use the mechanical platform and cost-effective engineering experience as the basis for other spin-off cars.No-one at Fishermans Bend will talk about the whole program — which many people expected to result in the return of a compact car which could have been called Torana — but the VE is running strongly, there was a successful Pontiac export program, and the Camaro.To get things straight from the start, the Camaro is a terrific car. It looks right and it drives right. There is mean muscle in the bodywork and the car is both fast and quick, but surprisingly easy and relaxed to drive.Hundreds of people worked on the Camaro program on both sides of the Pacific, from the design centre at Fishermans Bend to the Canadian factory in Ontario where the car is built, but it was honed to a sharp edge at the Lang Lang proving ground on the road from Melbourne to Phillip Island.That is where I have come for an exclusive drive in a pair of Camaro coupes as part of the judging process for the World Car of the Year award. Holden has rolled out a regular red V6 and a hot black SS, as well as ace test driver Rob Trubiani and a range of Camaro specialists.They have a story that could easily fill a book but the touch points are easy. The Camaro was born as part of the global rear-drive program, shares its mechanical package with the VE Commodore but is totally tied to a Camaro concept car that was a massive hit at the Detroit Motor Show in 2006. Since then there has also been a Camaro convertible show car, but that's another story ..."We started this project in early 2005. May of '05. By October we had a lot of the proportions locked in. They built the show car and in Febuary of '06 we started on the project here in Australia," says Stefanyshyn, before getting into the heart of the car."We took the rear wheel and moved it forward by something like 150mm. Then we took the front wheel and moved it forward by 75mm. And we took the wheel size up from 679mm to 729mm. Part of the reason we moved the front wheel was to get the bigger wheel size. We also took the A pillar and moved it back 67mm. And the Camaro has a shorter rear overhang than the Commodore."The touchstone for the whole project was the Camaro concept and one of the two cars was shipped to Melbourne while the body was prepared for production. "Any time we had a question we would just go back to the concept car," says Peter Hughes, design manager. "We have an architecture from VE, and then we got to skin it. The architecture is brilliant underneath, proportionally it was spot-on. And we also took the roof down by about 75 millimetres."The key to the car, Hughes says, is the giant rear haunches. The huge side panel includes a sharply-radiused guard which runs all the way from the window line out to cover the wheel. It took more than 100 trial runs on the stamping press to get it right — and ready for production.There are many, many more stories but the end result is a car with an ideal 50:50 weight distribution, a choice of V6 and V8 engines, a cabin with retro-inspired dials, and driving dynamics which are only beaten in the USA by the race-bred Chevrolet Corvette. Best of all, the car looks just right from every angle. That includes the broad channel through the centre of the roof, the raised bonnet, the semi-hooded headlamps and the shape and location of the tail lamps and exhaust.It is clearly inspired by the late-1960s Camaro muscle car, but with a modern twist that brings the design right up to date. "It looks pretty tough on the road. It could sit a bit lower, but that's a personal thing," says Hughes. The Camaro is so absolutely fine that it was chosen to star in a Hollywood blockbuster, the Transformers movie. Twice.DrivingWe already know the VE Commodore drives well. And the HSV Holdens spun from the basic package drives better, and faster. But the Camaro trumps them all thanks to some key changes which impact heavily on the seat-of-the-pants response of the American muscle machine.The Camaro has a bigger footprint and bigger tyres, as well as a rear axle that is set closer behind the driver. The combination means there is more grip and better feel. Lapping the ride-and-handling course at the Lang Lang proving ground, the Camaro is significantly quicker and - far more important - easier to drive. It feels more relaxed, grippier and more responsive.With GM Holden's ace test driver Rob Trubiani at the wheel it is just plain fast. In fact, it is scary quick as he punches up to 140km/h through a series of fast swerves. But the Camaro is also giggle-me sideways in a slow corner.I have done many laps of the Lang Lang course and I remember the slowest left-hander — copied from a corner in Fishermans Bend - where Peter Brock used to pitch his original HDT Commodores sideways to show what they could do. And the high-speed swerves where Peter Hanenberger once lost control and spun backwards into the shrubbery - in a Falcon.A Commodore copes easily with the course and an HSV monster gobbles the straight bits and has you handing on as it thunders through the curves. The Camaro is different. The SS V8 feels like it is riding on big balloons instead of its Pirelli P-Zero rubber. That's because the larger rolling footprint of the bigger 19-inch wheels and tyres gives a better grip with a bigger contact patch. Look for the same package on a future Holden, although it will take significant suspension tweaking - all done for the Camaro - to make it happen.The Camaro is only the second American car I have driven with genuine steering feel, and the other is the Corvette. It comes from the same retro garage as the born-again Dodge Challenger and the latest Ford Mustang, but I just know it drives way better than them.The six-speed shift is pretty slick and it's easy to get the 318 kilowatts from the 6.2-litre V8 into action. Inside the cabin, I notice the dashboard is set further back than the Commodore, with dials which could only be Chevrolet. And Camaro retro.There are very few signs of Holden inside, apart from minor switches, which proves - again - how much work went into getting the Camaro right. Headroom is crimped and the view over the bonnet is a little restricted, thanks to the styling demands, but it's all part of the Camaro experience. And it's a great experience. It is way more than I expected when I rolled into Lang Lang and easily good enough to have me on the phone to World COTY judges to encourage them to get some time with the car.The only question now is if the Camaro can come home to Australia. Everyone on the team is keen, and there are left-hand drive cars on the road in Melbourne almost every day for evaluation work, but it comes down to dollars and sense. Sadly, passion and the quality of the Camaro is not quite enough this time.

The ‘range-extender’ plug-in electric vehicle, which goes into production later this year and is due in Australia with a Holden badge during 2012, uses a low-emission flex-fuel engine to charge on-board batteries.GM's early testing suggests the Volt's city-cycle fuel economy could be at least 230 miles per gallon - or 1.2 litres per 100km, based on draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for plug-in electric vehicles.GM says the Volt has the potential to travel up to 64km on electric-only propulsion from a single battery charge, with a 480km-plus range with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator.GM CEO Fritz Henderson said the early figures from the Volt would mean the new car is a ‘game-changer’ for the brand. "From the data we've seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas," he said."EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer."According to US Department of Transportation data, nearly 80 per cent of Americans commute less than 64km a day. Mr Henderson said the Volt's high-mileage performance would require plugging the car into the electric grid at least once each day and would also depend on cargo, passengers and air conditioner use.During GM's testing of pre-production prototypes the Volt has achieved 64km of electric-only, petroleum-free driving in both EPA city and highway test cycles. GM expects the Volt to consume as little as 25 kilowatt hours per 161km in city driving, which would cost around 3 US cents per 1.61km, based on the average cost of US electricity. GM says using the US average cost of electricity (approximately 11 U.S. cents per kWh), a typical Volt driver would pay about US$2.75 for electricity to travel 161km.The Volt is powered primarily by electrical energy stored in its 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, but when the battery runs low, an engine-generator produces electricity to power the vehicle.

The Chevrolet Camaro might be built and sold in the USA, but it was designed, developed, tested and approved down under as a spin-off from the VE Commodore. It is named this week among the 31 finalists for the World COTY (see gallery above for full shortlist), and will be judged by a global panel of 60 motoring journalists before the winner is named at the New York Auto Show in April next year.The finalists carry badges from Audi to Toyota and are as diverse as the latest green-power Honda Insight and Toyota Prius to the super luxury Porsche Panamera."The list came from the manufacturers, who sent us their eligible cars for the year. There may be one or two more yet, because a couple of companies might have some extra models before the end of the year," says WCOTY co-chairman, Peter Lyon. "For example, there is the Mercedes SLS Gullwing. We don't know yet when it will go on sale."Apart from the World COTY contest, the same judging panel also decides the World Performance Car of the Year (see gallery), World Green Car of the Year and World Car Design of the year.So far there are 18 potential winners in the performance category, from the Aston Martin V12 Vantage to the Renault Clio 3 Renault Sport. Judging on all fronts now advances to the semi-finals, three cars in each case, which will be named at the Geneva Motor Show at the start of March. Then it is over to the judges to drive, assess and vote."This year we have 60 judges altogether. We've capped at that number, after adding a couple of new judges this year," says Lyon. "Originally we had about 44 judges. But 60 is the basic number of the North American, European and Japanese COTY awards and that seemed like the right number.""We've got judges now for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We've basically covered 25 or 26 countries, from Australia to Russia and everywhere between."Lyon says the basics of the award have not changed for the sixth judging and he makes no apologies for the list of contenders. "The German and Japanese cars are romping it in again. It's basically a reflection of the quality of car manufacturing today. The Japanese and Germans are making the best cars in the world, full stop," he says."But we think, of all the Car of the Year awards, this is the most natural. There is no pressure on any of the judges. They just vote for the best cars as they see them in their countries." 

The VE Commodore-based retro coupe is coming as a private import and cars will be available in the back end of the year. They won't be cheap, but the man who plans to land the first Camaro says he can deliver a right-hand drive car to match the original Chevrolet quality. The job is done by Performax International, which has been operating for more than 20 years and specialises in importing and conversion on a wide range of popular American vehicles. Its biggest seller is the Chevrolet Silverado pickup but the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang are both popular. The first Camaro — a top-line SS V8 — is already sitting on the docks in California and Nick Vandenberg of Performax cannot wait to get it to Australia and start the conversion and compliance work. "The Camaro is an exciting car. It's a car that people know a lot about. It's a buzz car and people are talking about it," Vandenberg says. "There is already quite an anticipation created by GM Holden doing the car. Since they have made their decision not to do right-hand drive we can at least supply a small number for Australia. We think we'll do a few cars a year and that will justify it." Performax, which is based on the Sunshine Coast at Gympie in Queensland, has its conversion team on standby and Vandenberg says the work will be done with a state-of-the-art setup. "We have invested hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in this business," he says. "We can do a 3D scan of a dashboard, then get it digitally onto a CAD drawing and reverse engineer it into a three-dimensional mould for our plastic injection moulding machine. "We have a team of three guys to handle all of the compliancing. And one of those is the CAD man who does all the computer work. "It's almost the quality of original equipment. And we are the only people in Australia with this equipment. It will be a seamless right-hand drive conversion with full Australian Design Rule compliance and a factory warranty." Vandenberg is expecting the Camaro to generate a lot of interest but the biggest question cannot be answered yet. It's the price. "The thing that determines the cost is the cost of the conversion. Until we get the car here we can only give an approximation. "For a top-line car SS as a manual or auto it's going to be somewhere between $120,00 and $150,00. We sold a convertible Corvette the other day for about $200,000, so it will definitely be cheaper than a Corvette." Vandenberg says the Silverado is a solid base for the business but it's muscle cars which generate the real following. "We've done quite a lot of Corvette conversions. We do the Ford Mustang as well. We only got compliance for that early last year and we were flooded by people," he says. The timing for the Camaro is still not set but the plan is locked and loaded, based on low-volume compliance. "The car is currently sitting on the docks. It will take four or five weeks to get here, so it will be towards the end of the year before it's ready," Vandenberg says.

His 1929 Chevrolet International sedan features more legroom in the back than a modern German saloon, it rides plush despite old cart-spring suspension and there is even a long panic rail on the back of the front bench seat. "Some people call it the `oh shit' rail because when you go around a corner that's what you shout," says the 65-year-old retired builder of Tarragindi in Brisbane's south. Conwell bought the American beauty in 1996 for $18,000 and wouldn't part with it, despite a couple of offers. "I pestered the former owner for four years to sell it," says Cornwall who is the vehicle's fifth owner. The right-hand-drive Chevy arrived as just a motor and chassis from the US with the coachwork produced in Port Adelaide by Holden. It was the first of the six-cylinder models featuring a 194 cubic inch (3179cc) plant that pumped out 47 horsepower (35kW) at 2500rpm. Conwell says it will do 80km/h on the highway and return about 13-14 litres per 100km fuel economy. The car is in original condition except for reupholstering, repainting (it was originally white), indicators and a radio. "My wife doesn't like vintage cars and I'm usually by myself so I need a radio to keep me company," he says. "That is except when I take elderly people for a drive to get them away for a while. "I had a 93-year-old lady recently who had an oxygen mask with her and she was as sharp as a tack. She said the Chevy brought back some wonderful memories." Conwell also owns a 1961 3.4-litre, six-cylinder Jaguar Mark II which his wife, Margaret, inherited last year. It's worth about $15,000. "It's like a rocket after being in the Chevy," says Conwell. His first vintage car was a 1927 Model T Ford Roadster he bought in 1989 for $12,000 but is now in a museum near Crows Nest on the Darling Downs. Conwell's first car was a two-door 1955 Morris Minor he bought for 320 at the age of 17. "It was a top car and about all I could afford at the time," he says. After two years he upgraded to a 1962 Austin Lancer and two years later to a 1958 FC Holden which he sold to build his house. He then bought a 1958 Morris Major followed by an FC ute, then a 1968 Morris Mini Minor which he kept for 23 years. Conwell now owns a 2001 Ford Laser wagon and a 2001 Mazda Bravo ute. His dream car is a Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI because he once owned a 1977 Benz 300D which he found reliable and economical. "The new diesels are a lot better, though," he says. The Queensland Vintage Vehicle Association member has also been an RACQ member since 1974, evidenced by the historic RACQ badges on his Chevy which are worth up to $300 each. He has shown his car in the RACQ's annual Motorfest since 1995 which was the second year when it was still called Motoring of Yesteryear. Motorfest is on again tomorrow (JUNE 28) at Brisbane's Eagle Farm Racecourse and Conwell's Chevy will be there. It will be joined by Queensland's largest showcase of more than 800 vintage, veteran, classic and special interest cars, bikes and trucks, including the world's fastest electric car, the Tesla Roadster. There will also be fashion parades, wine tasting, carnival rides, a performance by Australian Idol finalist Chrislyn Hamilton and an appearance by V8 Supercar driver Fabian Coulthard. Proceeds from the event go to the RACQ Helicopter Rescue Network, with last year's event raising almost $18,000 for these vital community services. Visit: www.racq.com/motorfest or call 131905.

"Corvette Summer, Burt Reynolds, Smokey and the Bandit and those muscle car movies of the '70s inspired me when I was a teenager," says Robert Maxworthy, now 44, of Murrumba Downs. But it was another quarter of a century before he realised his teen dream.This Corvette Coupe is one of a limited edition of 6500 made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the sporty Chevrolet. "Every year Indy 500 invites a different car manufacturer to contribute the pace car for the event," explains Maxworthy. "It was the 25th anniversary of Corvette in 1978, so they invited them. "This is the only colour you can get and it had the L-82 longer-stroke 350 Chevy V8 engine in it."Maxworthy has updated the suspension and fixed some of the very-70s silver upholstery but has yet to restore the original paintwork and signwriting. "With the Australian 30-year rule you can keep it left-hand drive so my search started with 30-year-old models," says Maxworthy who bought it from a New York owner over the web."I like a bit of a story and I fell in love with it because it is a little bit different."But I wouldn't recommend it (buying a car over the web) to anyone. "You hear horror stories and you do get some surprises. "I was pretty fortunate. He was a good guy who sent us pix of his family and helped with transport."Maxworthy paid $US18,000 this time last year when the Aussie dollar was worth 92 cents. It took a week to get to LA on the back of a truck and six weeks on a boat to Australia. "Then there was the task filling out all the import approval papers and red tape," he says. "I got Geezers — these Gold Coast car importers — to help me with the paperwork and transport."After paying them, the final figure to get it here was about $22,000." The fibreglass-bodied Corvette sits on 15-inch wheels with wide 255mm rubber and a high 60 per cent profile which fills out the flared guards.Maxworthy fires up the big Corvette in his garage where it kicks into life with a boom followed by a truck-like V8 exhaust note. He reckons it gets about 12 litres per 100km but he's not sure as he hasn't driven it enough. "I just use it for club events and weekends. "It's reliable and fast but I can't tell you how fast as the speedo isn't working."It's not only hot to look at, but also to drive. "They get really hot in the cabin. They tend to suck the heat in through the firewall," he explains. The limited edition pace car is not the first Corvette Maxworthy has owned.In 2006, he paid $30,000 for a right-hand-driver 1984 C4 which he still has. "I got into the Corvettes Down Under Car Club which was a great resource about the brand and I met people I could ask detailed questions," he says.At the age of 17, Maxwell had a ride in his girlfriend's father's Corvette and fell in love — with the car. However, his first car was a little less sporty. "It was 1969 XR Falcon family station wagon hand-me-down from dad with the big bus steering wheel. "In went the curtains and out came the back seat straight away."He then bought a HQ Kingswood four-door that was "tricked up to look like a Monaro". "After that I went off cars and my wife Tammy and I had 4WDs for years and got into fishing and 4WDing.""When I took over the family business in 2004 we got the opportunity to do a few things that we wanted to do and then the toys started to come." 

Company chairman and managing director, Mark Reuss, said the yesterday local operation was one of three "vital subsidiaries in the Asia-Pacific" and a key part of the "new GM" empire.GM-Holden is bolstered by its close association with GM-Daewoo and Shanghai GM in China, two areas of GM's old empire that continue to grow.After months of speculation over its local operations, a clearly relieved Reuss, was upbeat about the future as GM filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday.“We are safe, we are part of the new GM," he said.Reuss said no more jobs would be lost in Australia ‘right now’."This is an opportunity for the parent company to restructuring and create the `new GM', of which Holden is a vital part of."Reuss said GM-Holden was cashflow positive and "we're on the verge of turning a profit here this last month, even in a down business".He said Holden had been operating as a "stand-alone" business here and created its own luck.As part of the "new GM" the company will now more aggressively seek new export markets for its cars after the axeing of the Commodore-based Pontiac G8 export program to North America and downturn in Middle East business.Reuss said GM-Holden had a viable, sustainable business here in the long term despite continuing concern by some analysts of how a smaller, leaner General Motors would impact the local company when it traded out of bankruptcy protection.GM expects to move out of bankruptcy protection in 60 to 90 days.Reuss said 50 per cent of GM-Holden's business was export.Of that percent 85 per cent were cars shipped to the United States.With GM-Holden confirmed as one of the ‘good GM’ corporate entities, Reuss reaffirmed the move to actively seeking new markets for locally built Holdens, including possibly the Commodore and Statesman.An export hatch version of Holden's new Cruze four-cylinder could also be on the cards when local manufacturing starts in Adelaide early next year.Reuss was reluctant to talk about specific markets but confirmed the company is "going to recoup our export losses with new programs". GM-Holden had expected to export 30,000 Pontiac G8s to the US when the deal was announced in 2007.However, sales fell well short of forecasts. At the end of last year only half of the 24,000 exported cars were sold. Over the past 18 months Holden has reduced its workforce and production capacity in response to the downturn in car sales.GM-Holden current builds 310 cars a day at its Elizabeth plant in Adelaide, about 66,000 vehicles a year, which will increase when the new small car comes on line. The factory has a capacity of about 100,000 vehicles a year. Apart from that there are another 2500 V6 engines out of Melbourne that will be allocated to Mexico to go in the Cadillac SRX.

GM needed the support of 90 per cent of the bondholders to swing the deal – which would have given them 10 per cent of the auto giant — but reports overnight suggested acceptance was in the ‘single digit’ region.The failure was a serious setback for the carmaker, after United Automobile Workers union leaders recommended their members agree to a deal that would slash GM’s debt to a retiree health care trust fund.Under that arrangement, GM would have given the UAW 17.5 per cent equity in a restructured company, later rising to 20 per cent if the share price improved, with the addition of another US$6.5 billion worth of preferred stock and a US$2.5 billion note.It is expected that GM will make a move before the June 1 deadline for restructuring.         

It copped the chop this week when General Motors decided Pontiac, Hummer and Saab had to be sacrificed as part of a survival plan that is going to cost 20,000 jobs, 4000 dealerships and a couple of production lines.The last of the Aussie-made G8 sedans and utes will go to America some time next year, perhaps even earlier. Pontiac will be gone by December 2010.There is still a chance the Holden Commodore could continue as a major export for Australia.Whispers around Fishermans Bend point to a plan to keep the G8 program running by switching the Pontiac badge for a Chevrolet one. The ute would look great as a born-again El Camino.Even Industry Minister Senator Kim Carr can see the potential, but he is a man with rare vision on the motoring front.“There will be a place for Australian-made cars in the American market, whatever the badge. The Government is working closely with the industry to open new export opportunities,” he said this week.The G8 decision is a tough one but it was the only direct hit on GM Holden. White-collar layoffs are still likely as the company is “right-sized” for its future in the contracted GM world.And that proves Holden is doing a top job, as a company and as an international asset.Designers from Fishermans Bend do work for Europe, Asia and the US. Local engineers created the Chevrolet Camaro from the VE Commodore (it became a huge hit in America) and work on global projects and cars from South Korea.The list of Aussie exports runs from GM China boss Kevin Wale to ace designer Mike Simcoe in Detroit, sales chief Megan Stooke at Hummer and even a lawyer in India. There are dozens of them.It will take a while for Holden to adjust to the Pontiac decision but the best news on the production front is new boss Mark Reuss has fast-tracked the compact Cruze for the Adelaide factory.It is capable of taking up a lot of the slack from the second half of next year and is almost certain to go overseas as a new export star in Asia and South Africa.

DAVID Reynolds is finally confirmed with Walkinshaw Racing in  the team's fourth Commodore for this year's V8 Supercar championship. The car for the Carrera Cup graduate is predominantly red, with a giant Bundy bear on the side and a grey tail with support from Holden Special Vehicles.After seven straight second places Chad Reed finally broke through for a win in the latest round of the AMA-World Supercross championship in the USA. Reed finally got a good start in Indiana on his Suzuki and beat home James Stewart, putting the pair equal on points heading to the 10th of 18 rounds in Florida this weekend.THE Indianapolis 500 will have a major Australian connection this year, but not just because Ryan Briscoe and Will Power will be racing for the crack Penske team. The race will be paced by the all-new Chevrolet Camaro coupe, which will be sold in the USA but has been developed in Australia using the mechanical package of the VE Commodore.Jason Bargwanna is gone, back to the V8 Supercar championship with Sprint Gas Racing, but his Mini Challenge team will continue in 2009. Bargwanna Motorsport will continue to field his cousin Scott in this year's one-make series with backing from Rock Energy Drinks and with Brendon 'BJ' Cook joining him as team mate.VETERAN motorsport commentator Barry Oliver will be back at the microphone this year after being dumped last season as the official V8 Supercar track announcer. Oliver, who is also a winning co-driver with Jim Richards in a range of road rallies in Australia, will be calling the Biante Touring Car Masters as the official on-track commentator from the start of the series at the Clipsal 500 meeting in Adelaide.CHRIS Wootton has won a $100,000 scholarship to compete in the 2009 Formula BMW Pacific series, including starts in supporting races at the Malaysian and Singapore F1 grands prix. The young Queenslander was a kart start before moving into Formula BMW and hopes to follow earlier graduates from the series who have made it to Formula One, including Timo Glock, Adrian Sutil and Sebastian Buemi.TWO-time Australian rally champions Simon and Sue Evans have switched to Mitsubishi following the closure of the factory Toyota team which took them to their titles. The pair had originally expected to switch to a Subaru Impreza after taking second at their final Toyota start, Rally Tasmania, but will drive a Lancer Evo IX in a family team alongside Eli Evans, who will continue in a Subaru.