Finally...the Convertible
by Hib Halverson, Content Director

"Long time coming but worth the wait" sums-up the Fifth Generation Camaro Convertible. The drop-top we were promised eight months after we got the Coupe debuted was twice put on hold because of General Motors' fiscal trauma. As a result, instead of going on sale in Fall '09 as a 2010, the new Camaro Convertible is a late introduction 2011.

The 5G soft-top made its first mainstream public appearance on 17 November at the Los Angeles Automobile Show. There were two big debuts in the Chevrolet display at LAAS that day, the production version of the Volt and the Camaro Convertible. Based on how many media types clustered around the Camaro ragtop, we'd say that, while Chevy's marketing folks have the Volt at the top of their "to do" list, the automotive press still goes bonkers over Chevy's iconic, four-seat, Sporty car.

Camaro is on a roll these days. Just the Coupe outsells the entire Mustang line. The folks are willing to pay bunches of cash for some special Camaros. A purchase option on one of the first production Convertibles went for $205,000 in a charity auction at Barrett-Jackson. One hundred 2011 Neiman-Marcus Camaro Convertibles sold out in three minutes...at 75 grand a pop.

The Convertible going on sale in February 2011, at the start of the prime convertible selling period, is bound to push Camaro's sales numbers even higher. Interviewed at the L.A. Show, Camaro Chief Engineer, Al Oppenheiser told The Camaro Homepage that he expects the Convertible to gain 25% market penetration. "Like the Coupe," Oppenheiser added, "I expect early sales to be V8-heavy but after a while, V6 sales will take off."

Strong Structure

We also delved into the technical aspects of the Convertible in our conversation with Al Oppenheiser. He told us the drop-top gains about 220-pounds through structural enhancements to preserve torsion and bending stiffness and the addition of the convertible top hardware. He reminded us that Camaro’s architecture was designed from the start to accommodate a convertible model which means customers enjoy top-down cruising with the Coupe's driving dynamics. Four structural enhancements eliminate common convertible problems, cowl and steering wheel shake: a strut tower brace under the hood, transmission support brace, an underbody tunnel brace along with front and rear underbody “V” braces.

“Our goal in development," Oppenheiser told us, "was to make the convertible match the coupe as closely as possible in ride quality and handling. To compensate for an open car's decrease in structural rigidity, engineers often opt for a softer suspension, making the convertible a 'boulevard cruiser'. Instead, we took the more difficult, but better path of reinforcing the Convertible's structure rather than softening its suspension. We didn’t change a strut, bushing or spring rate from the Camaro coupe.”

Other structural changes which improve noise, vibration and safety characteristics are: hydrofromed tubes inside the A-pillars, a reinforcement bracket in the windshield header, reinforced door hinge pillars and reinforcements inside the rocker panels.

These changes to the Camaro Convertible body have it bettering the Mustang Convertible in torsion and bending and exceeding BMW's 3-series Convertible in torsion. The result is a convertible which preserves nearly all the acceleration, road-holding and performance capabilities of the Camaro Coupe.

To see a video clip of Al Oppenheiser and other Camaro development engineers discussing the Camaro Convertible structure, click here.

Drop Top Refined

GM designers and engineers eliminated the visual effect support ribs have on a convertible top by using composite knuckles rather than aluminum ones, extending the top material below the belt line and revising the top’s stitch lines. The result is a top with a smooth, carefully-tailored appearance which retains the sleek roofline of the Coupe.

The power top retracts in about 20 seconds. It is manufactured by the same supplier which does the Corvette top. It is made of thick canvas and features acoustical headliner material whch provides a quiet ride when the top is up. It has a glass rear window with a defogger.

Camaro's top folds in a simple “Z” pattern and latches with a single handle located at the center of the windshield header. Camaro's competitors still have convertible tops with dual latches, forcing drivers to reach across the car to actuate the right side latch. Once the top is unlatched, you push a button and the windows and the top goes down.

A folding, one-piece, tonneau cover is standard on 2LT and 2SS models and optional on 1LT/1SS. It covers the folded top for a finished appearance. An accessory windscreen is available from Chevrolet dealers. It installs behind the front seats and limits wind buffeting when driving with the top down.

Additional Distinguishing Details

Other details distinguish Camaro Convertibles from Coupes. Because the combined OnStar/XM/AM-FM radio antenna is mounted on a Coupe's roof, it had to be relocated on the Convertible. On RS-equipped LT and SS models, which include a rear spoiler, a small “shark fin” OnStar/XM antenna is mounted on the deck lid while the AM/FM radio antenna is hidden inside the spoiler. Models without a spoiler get the combined antenna located in the center of the deck lid.

Relocation of the trunk lock cylinder cleans up the Convertible’s appearance, moving from the panel between the taillamps to a spot between the rear seat back cushion and driver’s side interior panel.

The sound system's subwoofer–an eight-inch unit with the base system or a 10-inch subwoofer with the available Boston Acoustics system–is relocated from the trunk to an area between the rear seat cushions.

Performance

All Camaros use the same powertrains. Base LTs have a 3.6-liter direct injection V-6 which delivers power and efficiency, while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions, specifically a 25-percent drop in cold-start hydrocarbons for 2011. The V6 is rated at 312 horsepower. A V6 Camaro gets 29 miles per gallon on the highway.

Two 6.2L V-8 powertrains are offered in SS Coupes and Convertibles. The L99/automatic is derived from the Corvette's LS3 but is slightly detuned for transmission durability and for improved fuel economy. It has a less-aggressive camshaft, variable valve timing and the Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation system. The L99 makes 400 horsepower and 410 pounds/foot torque. The LS3/manual is the same engine the base Corvette uses except for more restrictive intake and exhaust systems. Horsepower for the Camrao LS3 is 420 and torque is 420 lbs/ft. More details of the manual trans engine are on this web site in our Camaro LS3 article.

All Camaros have six-speed transmissions. The Aisin AY6 six-speed manual is standard with the V6 and a Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic is optional. On SSes, a Tremec TR 6060 is standard on the SS and the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic is optional.

Production Begins

The Camaro plant Oshawa, Canada began building '11 Convertibles on January 31st, 2011. The first car went to Chevrolet dealer and NASAR team owner, Rick Hendrick, who won the rights to buy the car in a charity auction at Barrett-Jackson. Hendrick is a life-long Camaro fan who, also, owns the first production 2010 Coupe which he also bought at a charity auction. “I grew up loving the Chevrolet brand and I’ve never raced anything else,” Mr. Hendrick said and a special ceremony at Oshawa. “As a Chevy enthusiast, it’s been exciting to see the Camaro return as such a world-class, high-performance car. The folks in Oshawa make some of the best products on the road, so the opportunity to meet them and thank them for what they do is a real privilege.” 

Camaro Convertibles will reach Chevrolet dealers later in February.