Chevrolet Camaro vs Aston Martin DBS

What's the difference?

The Camaro 2SS is a real-life Hot Wheels car. This beast looks amazing, sounds incredible and is not overpowered, making it usable as a daily driver.

Now about that score. The Camaro 2SS lost big marks for not having AEB, lost more marks for the short warranty and no capped-price servicing and also some for its price, because compared to the Mustang it’s expensive. It’s also impractical (space and storage could be better) and uncomfortable to drive at times, but this is a muscle car, and a great one at that. It's not for everybody, but  truly perfect for some.

The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is an instant classic, likely heading over a high-end auction block in years to come with a final price far higher than the 2020 ask. But don’t buy it as a collector's item, although it is a beautiful object. Buy it to enjoy. Stunningly fast, thoroughly engineered, and beautifully made, it’s a phenomenal car.

As was the case with Ford’s Mustang, something seemed to go bizarrely weird in the styling of the Camaro in the early 2000s, but by 2005 the arrival of the fifth generation saw a design that re-imagined the original (and I reckon the best) 1967 Camaro. Now this sixth-generation car is a sharper resolution of that, yet not without causing a bit of controversy.

Along with styling changes, such as redesigned LED headlights and taillights, the front fascia was also given a tweak, which involved repositioning the Chevy ‘bow-tie’ badge from the upper grille to the black-painted cross bar that separates the top and bottom sections. The reaction from fans was enough for Chevrolet to quickly redesign the front and move the badge back.

Our test car was the version with the ‘unpopular’ face, but I reckon it gets away with the look, thanks to the body colour being black, which means your eye isn’t drawn to that cross bar.

Here’s some pub ammo for you – Chevy calls the ‘bow tie’ on this Camaro a ‘Flow Tie’ because its hollow construction means air can pass through it to the radiator.

Big on the outside but small inside, the Camaro’s dimensions show it to be 4784mm long, 1897mm wide (not including mirrors) and 1349mm tall.

Ford’s Mustang is elegant, but Chevy’s Camaro is more macho. Big haunches, long bonnet, flared guards, nostrils. This is one mean-looking monster. Those high sides and ‘chopped’ roof design may also make you assume the cabin is more cockpit than lounge room.

That assumption would be right and in the practicality section further down I’ll tell you just how cozy the interior is, but for now we're just talking about looks.

I’m not sure what David Hasselhoff’s apartment looks like, but at a guess I reckon it would have a hell of a lot in common with the interior design of the Camaro 2SS’s cabin.

Soft, black leather seats with SS badging, giant metal air vents, door handles that look like chrome exhaust tips and a display screen that is oddly tilted towards the floor.

There’s also an ambient LED lighting system that lets you choose from 1980s-neon colour palettes, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Ken Done’s outstanding depiction of a Koala family sitting down to a barbecue lunch.

I’m not knocking it, I love it, and even though the guys in the office thought it would be hilarious to set the lighting to hot pink, I kept it that way because it looks awesome.

The term Superleggera (Italian for Superlight) is normally associated with Italian automotive coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring, which has historically applied its fine eye and hand-crafted aluminium body technique to a host of local brands, including Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lancia, and Maserati.

As well as some American, German, and British liaisons, the latter covering classic Aston Martin and Lagonda models through the 1950s and ‘60s (your Silver Birch DB5 is ready for you 007).

But rather than hand-beaten aluminium, here the body panel material is carbon-fibre, and the look and feel of this DBS is the product of Aston Martin’s head of design, Marek Reichman (his name might sound German, but he’s a Brit through-and-through), and his team at the brand’s Gaydon HQ.

Based on the DB11 platform the DBS is a fraction over 4.7m long, just under 2.0m wide, and less than 1.3m tall. But it’s only when you’re close to the Superleggera that its intimidating muscularity comes into focus. 

A giant, black honeycomb grille defines the car’s face, and the single-piece forward-hinging ‘clamshell’ bonnet includes a raised central section defined by longitudinal strakes either side, with deep vents above the front axle line to aid the exhaust of hot air from the engine bay below.

Broad ‘shoulders’ around the front wheel arches are balanced by powerful rear haunches to give the car a beautifully proportioned and imposing stance. But there’s scientific function behind this purposeful form, too. 

The Aston vehicle dynamics team went all out with wind tunnel testing, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, aerothermal and performance simulations, as well as real-world track testing to refine this car’s aero efficiency. 

The DBS Superleggera’s overall drag coefficient (Cd) is 0.38, which is commendably slippery for a brawny 2+2 GT. But it’s the fact that in parallel with that number it’s able to generate a humongous 180kg of downforce (at 340km/h VMax) that’s remarkable.

The aero trickery includes a front splitter and airdam working in unison to accelerate airflow under the front of the car, delivering downforce and cooling air to the front brakes. 

From there the ‘open stirrup and curlicue’ device at the top of the front wheel wells vents air to reduce lift, and create vortices which reattach the aero wake from the front wheels to the side of the car.

The ‘C-Duct’ starts with an aperture behind the rear side glass funneling air through the underside of bootlid to a subtle ‘Aeroblade II’ spoiler at the rear of the car. A close to flat underside also feeds air to an F1-inspired double diffuser under the rear end.

No gaudy wings or giant spoilers, just a subtly effective and thoroughly engineered aero profile.

Slim but distinctively Aston Martin LED tail-lights combine with a series of horizontal character lines across the rear to enhance the car’s visual width, and giant 21-inch dark rims fit the car’s proportions perfectly.

Slipping behind the wheel is the full hand-in-leather glove experience. The broad dashtop is split by a vaguely teardrop shaped centre stack with the classic ‘PRND’ transmission buttons and an illuminated push-button starter in the centre.

The compact instrument binnacle, housing a configurable digital display, imparts a quiet sense of purpose, and the Mercedes-AMG sourced media system, complete with rotary control dial, feels familiar. Overall, simple, subtle, yet hugely impressive.

The Camaro 2SS’s cabin is cozy for me at 191cm tall, but even with a similarly proportioned photographer riding shotgun it wasn’t too cramped. Believe it or not, we were able to carry all his equipment and lights, plus batteries for our night shoot (have you seen the video above – it’s very good). I’ll get to the boot size in a moment.

The Camaro 2SS is a four-seater, but those rear seats are only going to suit small children. I was able to fit my four year old’s car seat into place with a bit of gentle persuasion, and while he could sit behind my wife, there was zero space behind me when I was driving. As for visibility, we’ll get to that in the driving section below, but I can tell you he couldn’t see much from his tiny porthole.

Cargo capacity of the boot is small, as you’d expect, at 257 litres, but the space is deep and long. The problem is not the volume, however, it’s the size of the opening, which means you’ll have to cleverly angle larger items to get them in, like pushing a couch through your front door. You know, houses are big, but their openings aren’t. I know, profound.

Cabin storage is also limited, the door pockets were so thin my wallet couldn’t even slide into it (no, it’s not the wads of cash), but there was just enough room in the centre console storage bin for it. There are two cupholders, which are more like elbow holders, (because this part wasn’t swapped over in the conversion and that’s where your arm lands while driving) and a glove box. Rear-seat passengers have a large tray to fight over in the back.

The 2SS doesn’t have a wireless-charging pad like the ZL1, but it does have one USB port and a 12V outlet.

The notion of practicality doesn’t naturally align with a 2+2 GT, but a wheelbase measuring 2805mm means there’s enough space between the axles to provide generous accommodation for front seat occupants at least.

And the usual compromises presented by long coupe doors are reduced by the DBS’s swinging slightly up as they open, and down as they close. A genuinely useful touch.

The driver and front seat passenger are snug but not cramped, which feels right in this context, and they’re provided with a lidded central box, which doubles as an armrest between the seats.

Flick the switch and its power-operated top slides back in stages to reveal two cupholders and a general storage space with a 12V power outlet, two USB-A ports, and an SD card input at the rear.

There’s a small coin tray in front of the multimedia dial in the centre console and long door pockets, but bottles will be a struggle unless you’re happy to lay them on their side.

The ‘+2’ seats scalloped out of the rear bulkhead, look super cool (especially with our car’s Triaxial quilt trim) but for anyone in the vicinity of average adult height they’ll feel distinctly inadequate.

Legs or a head aren’t viable options so this space is best reserved for the kids. And there are two 12V sockets in the rear to help keep their devices charged, and them calm.

Boot volume is a useful 368 litres, and the aperture curves forward at the top which helps with loading larger cases, but remember the rear seats don’t fold.

There are small lockers hidden in the back wall, one containing a flat tyre repair kit, so don’t bother looking for a spare of any description.

The DBS Superleggera is like a finely tailored suit. Impressive, but not flashy, while the finish is impeccable, the materials used are top-shelf, and attention to detail is remarkable. And like anything that’s been carefully crafted and largely hand made, the price is substantial.

Before on-road costs like registration, dealer delivery charges, and compulsory insurance, this Aston will set you back $536,900.

The $500K ballpark contains some heavy-hitting competition, the most closely aligned being Bentley’s 6.0-litre W12-engined Continental GT Speed ($452,670), the 6.3-litre V12-powered Ferrari GTC4 Lusso ($578,000), and Porsche’s 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six 911 Turbo S ($473,900). All 2+2s, all insanely fast, and bristling with luxury features.

So, aside from the safety and dynamic tech detailed later in this review, what does this special DBS deliver in terms of standard equipment?

First, there’s the Aston Martin, nine-speaker premium audio system (including 400W amp and digital radio, but no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay), a multimedia system managed via an 8.0-inch LCD screen and console touchpad/dial controller system (sourced from Mercedes-AMG), satellite navigation, a Wi-Fi hub, and a 360-degree camera with ‘Parking Distance Display’ and ‘Park Assist.'

Standard upholstery across the seats, dash, and doors is ‘Caithness’ leather (Aston says a dry-drumming process gives it a particularly soft feel) combined with Alcantara (synthetic suede) and ‘Obsidian Black’ leather on the faceted (think square-ish) sports steering wheel, finished off with the DBS logo embroidered into the headrests. 

The ‘Sports Plus’ performance seats (with memory) are 10-way electrically-adjustable (including lumbar) and heated, the steering wheel adjusts electrically, ‘interior jewellery’ (trim elements) are ‘Dark Chrome’, and cabin inlays are ‘Piano Black.’

Also included are a configurable digital instrument display, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control (not adaptive), auto LED (high and low beam) headlights and DRLs, as well as LED tail-lights and dynamic indicators.

The ‘Exterior Body Pack’ consists of gloss-finish carbon-fibre across the rear bumper, bootlid flap spoiler. rear diffuser, and front splitter, and the standard rims are 21inch forged ‘Y spoke’ alloys, with (big) dark anodised brake calipers behind them.

All up, a subtle and exclusive approach to an equipment package that’s as much about the overall quality of the car’s design, engineering, and execution as it is about individual features. 

But on the subject of features, ‘our’ car was kitted out with a series of special options, namely: Bang & Olufsen audio - $15,270, ‘Leather colour option special’ ‘Copper Tan’ (metallic) - $9720, contrast stitching - $4240, vented front seats - $2780, power seat bolsters - $1390, Triaxial quilting - $1390, headrest embroidery (Aston Martin wings) - $830.

That’s $35,620 worth, and there were still other boxes ticked, like a colour keyed steering wheel, smoked rear lamps, plain leather headlining, ‘Shadow Chrome’ rims, even an umbrella in the boot... but you get the idea. 

And if you really want to personalise the car, ‘Q by Aston Martin’ offers a collection of “unique enhancements beyond the scope of the core option range.” Then ‘Q Commission’ opens up a bespoke, atelier-style collaboration with the Aston Martin design team. Possibly an entirely custom car, or just machine guns behind the headlights.

Sure, the 2SS doesn’t produce the mammoth 477kW of the ZL1, but I’m not complaining about the 339kW and 617Nm it does make from its 6.2-litre V8. Besides, 455 horsepower from the 2SS’s naturally aspirated LT1 small block is plenty of fun and the sound on start-up through the bi-modal exhaust is apocalyptic - and that’s good.

Our car was fitted with the optional 10-speed auto ($2200), with paddle shifters. The automatic transmission was developed as a joint venture between General Motors and Ford and a version of this 10-speed is also found in the Mustang.

This traditional torque-converter automatic isn’t the quickest shifting thing, but it suits the big, powerful and slightly lethargic personality of the Camaro 2SS.

The DBS Superleggera is powered by an all-alloy, 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, featuring dual-variable camshaft timing and direct-injection to produce 533kW (715hp) at 6500rpm and 900Nm from 1800-5000rpm. 

In line with the personal nature of this car’s build, a brushed metal plaque sits on top of the engine, proudly stating ‘Hand built in England’, and noting that a final inspection was carried out (in our case) by Alison Beck. 

Drive goes to the rear wheels via an alloy torque tube and carbon propshaft to a (ZF-sourced) eight-speed automatic transaxle, incorporating a mechanical limited-slip differential, with manual shifts available via wheel-mounted paddles.

Okay, brace yourself. During my fuel test I traveled 358.5km and used 60.44L of premium unleaded, which comes out to be 16.9L/100km. That sounds awfully high, but actually it's not as bad as it looks, considering the Camaro 2SS has a 6.2-litre V8 and I wasn't driving it in a way that would conserve fuel, if you get my drift. Half of those kilometres were on motorways at 110km/h, the other half would have been in bumper-to-bumper city traffic, which would have driven up the fuel usage, too. 

The official fuel consumption after a combination of open and urban roads is 13L/100km.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 12.3L/100km, the DBS emitting 285g/km of CO2 in the process.

In just under 150km with the car, covering city, suburban and freeway running (as well as a sneaky B-road session) we recorded an average of 17.0L/100km, which is a sizeable number, but kind of expected for a roughly 1.7-tonne, V12-powered meteor on wheels.

Stop-start is standard, minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 78 litres of it to fill the tank (which translates to a real world range of approximately 460km).

Exactly how an American muscle car should be – loud, a bit uncomfortable, not all that easy, but a hell of a lot of fun. Those first three attributes may sound like negatives, but take it from somebody who owns and loves hot rods - it’s part of the appeal. If an SUV is not easy to drive or comfortable there's a problem, but in a muscle car it can enhance the engagement and connection factors.

That said, there will be many who think the ride is too firm, the steering heavy and that it feels like you’re staring out a letterbox slot through the windscreen. It’s all true, and there are other performance cars out there which make as much horsepower, handle better and are so easy to drive they can almost (and some do) pilot themselves, but they all lack the feeling of connection the Camaro offers.

Wide and low-profile Goodyear Eagles (245/40 ZR20 at the front and 275/35 ZR20 at the rear) provide good grip, but also feel every blemish in the road, while four-piston Brembo brakes all round pull the Camaro 2SS up well.

Acceleration from 0-100km/h isn’t disclosed by HSV or Chevrolet, but the official line is that it’ll nail it in under five seconds. Ford reckons its Mustang GT can do the same in 4.3 seconds.

If you were wondering if you could live with the Camaro daily, the answer is yes but, much like wearing leather pants, you’ll have to suffer a bit to look this rock and roll. I put 650km on the clock of our 2SS during my week with it, using it daily in peak-hour traffic into the city, in supermarket car parks, and for daycare drop offs, with country road and motorway drives on the weekend.

The seats can get uncomfortable over long distances and those low-profile ‘run-flat’ tyres and firm dampers don’t make life any comfier. You’ll also find that wherever you go people will want to race you. But don’t get sucked in; you’re slower than you look - another muscle-car trait.

Sure, it’s not the quickest performance car I’ve steered and on winding roads its handling capability is not up there with many sports cars, but that V8 is responsive and angry in Sport mode and smooth in its delivery of grunt. The exhaust note is sensational and the steering, while heavy, offers great feel and feedback. The sound isn’t electronically enhanced but it uses bi-modal valves, which open and close at different engine and exhaust loads to produce its addictive bark.

Once you dip under three and half seconds for the sprint from 0-100km/h strange things happen to your field of vision. Faced with that kind of acceleration, it instantly narrows, your brain instinctively focusing attention on the road ahead because it senses something borderline unnatural is going on.

Claiming just 3.4sec for the DBS Superleggera to hit triple figures (and 0-160km/h in 6.4sec!) we felt obliged to validate the number, and sure enough peripheral vision blurred into nothingness as this brutal machine delivered its shock and awe performance.

And the aural accompaniment is suitably intense, thanks to the electronically-controlled (stainless steel) exhaust, with active valves and quad tail pipes, orchestrating the brilliantly guttural and raucous ‘sound character.’ 

Pure pulling power is immense with all 900Nm of maximum torque available from just 1800rpm all the way to 5000rpm. Mid-range urge is prodigious, and Aston claims the DBS Superleggera will blast from 80-160km/h (in fourth gear) in 4.2 seconds. That’s a number I didn’t verify, but I’m not going to doubt it.

It might share essentially the same bonded aluminium chassis, but thanks to its carbon-rich bodywork the DBS Superleggera is 72kg lighter than the DB11, with a ‘dry’ weight (no fluids) of 1693kg. The engine is also set low and far back in the chassis, to the point where it’s actually a front-mid location, delivering a 51/49 front/rear weight distribution.

Suspension is double (forged alloy) wishbone front, multi-link rear, with adaptive damping standard, and there are three set-up stages available via the flick of a switch on the left-hand side of the steering wheel.

On the opposite side of the wheel a similar mode control allows you to cycle through ‘GT’, ‘Sport’, and ‘Sport Plus’ settings, tuning various functions including the throttle map, exhaust valves, steering, traction control, and shift response. Steering is speed-dependent electrically-assisted.

Brakes are professional grade vented carbon ceramics, with thumping 410mm rotors at the front clamped by six-piston calipers, and 360mm discs at the rear sporting four piston calipers.

Managing this car’s phenomenal thrust as it morphs into lateral g-force, is a surprising experience. Of course, it grips like a Trump handshake, with a specific ‘A7’ version of Pirelli’s ultra-high performance P Zero tyre on a 21-inch forged alloy rim at each corner.

The 265/35s at the front are big, and monstrous 305/30s at the rear deliver a strong mechanical connection with the road. But it’s the car’s steering and overall agility that’s unexpected.

It doesn’t feel like a beefy 2+2 GT. And while it’s not in the 911’s league when it comes to response and dynamic feedback, it’s a long way down that road.

I found Sport and the middle suspension setting to be the backroad sweet spot, and with the seven-speed auto in manual mode the lightweight DBS simply lights up.

Shifts on the way up the ratios via proper alloy paddles in manual mode are rapid and precise, and the car remains stable and balanced, yet entertainingly athletic in enthusiastic cornering.

When squeezed hard on initial application carbon ceramic brakes don’t ‘bite’ in the same way steel discs do, but the system’s ability to rapidly wash off speed, while the car remains in a steady state, is exceptional.

At the same time, shifts down through the gears are accompanied by a variety of aggressive pops and bangs (a feature of Sport and Sport Plus modes) and the DBS points accurately yet progressively into a bend.

Road feel is excellent, the sports front seat is grippy and comfortable, and the car’s ‘Dynamic Torque Vectoring’ (via braking) system chips in to ensure understeer is kept in check.

In a more sedate mode, thanks largely to the active dampers, the Superleggera is surprisingly comfortable around town, despite the big rims and low-profile rubber.

Under the heading of ‘random thoughts’, the simple interior layout (including the spot-on digital instrument cluster) is great, the auto stop-start is a little jerky on restart, and including the front air dam, ground clearance under the nose is only 90mm, so be mega-careful in and out of driveways, or prepare yourself for the sound of scraping carbon (happily avoided this time around).

The Aston Martin DBS hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, but the ‘expected’ array of active safety tech is in place including ABS, EBD, and BA, as well as traction and stability controls.

There’s also blind spot monitoring, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a 360-degree camera with ‘Parking Distance Display’ and ‘Park Assist.’

But more recent crash-avoidance tech like active cruise control, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and most notably, AEB, are missing in action.

If an impact is unavoidable there are eight airbags to help protect you - dual-stage driver and front passenger, front side (pelvis and thorax), front knee, as well as two-row curtain.

Both rear-seat positions offer top tethers and ISOFIX anchors for secure baby-capsule or child-seat location.

The Camaro 2SS is covered by HSV’s three-year/100,000km warranty. Servicing is recommended at nine-month/12,000km intervals, with a complimentary inspection at the end of the first month. There is no capped-price-servicing program.

In Australia, Aston Martin offers a three-year/unlimited km warranty, with 24-hour roadside assistance included for the duration.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 16,000km, whichever comes first.

Aston also offers extended service contract options, renewable after 12 months, including features like transfers and accommodation in the event of a breakdown, and coverage while the car is being used at official Aston Martin events.

There’s also a collection and delivery service (or courtesy car) to sweeten the servicing deal.