2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible test drive

I was tempted to write this review in a single sentence: "It's a Camaro with a removable roof." That may sound snarky, but I actually mean it as a compliment -- a testament to the Camaro Convertible's outstanding engineering. Turning a tin-top car into a drop top is an art, and Chevy's engineers have it down it better than most -- but is that enough to make the Camaro a winner? Read on.

Larger photos: Front - rear top up - interior - all photos

In search of the Holy Grail

Let's quickly talk about why engineering a convertible is so difficult. A car's roof provides torsional stiffness; lop it off and the car wants to flop around like a dying fish. Convertibles must be reinforced to reduce flex, but reinforcement adds weight, and too much weight affects the car's acceleration, handling and balance. The Holy Grail of convertible engineering is to build an open-roof car that drives exactly like the steel-roof version. Like the Holy Grail, the flex-free convertible has never been found -- and may not even exist -- but the Camaro Convertible comes pretty darn close.

The first thing I did when I hopped into the Camaro Convertible was to drive around downtown San Diego in search of every expansion joint, pavement patch and pothole I could find. Much to my amazement, the Camaro Convertible remained stiff as a block of wood. It wasn't until I was bombing around some back country roads that I finally felt some chassis flex, primarily in the form of steering wheel shake. A chassis engineer explained that when the road surface vibrations get close to the car's natural frequency, some shake is inevitable. They could have fixed this by softening the Camaro's suspension, but they didn't want to compromise the car's handling.

And to their credit, they didn't. In fact, thanks to improved tires fitted to all Camaros for 2011, the Camaro Convertible actually handles a bit better than the coupes I drove in 2010.

The Camaro convertible weighs 267 lbs. more than the coupe, which equates to a 7% weight gain -- enough to take the edge off the Camaro's acceleration, but not enough to spoil the fun. And with the top down, the V8's deafening exhaust bellow more than makes up for it. But that's not the case for the V6 -- full throttle acceleration with the top down brings a feeble roar from under the hood but dead silence from the exhaust. It's as if the car's manly bits have been cut off, and that's just not right for a Camaro.

A Camaro you can see out of?

Before the drive, my fellow hacks and I joked that this would be the first Camaro we could actually see out of. Turns out that's not true -- because of the car's low seats and high shoulder line, visibility with the top down is still pretty poor. Luckily, the side-view mirrors are big enough to compensate for the lousy sightlines. Top up, it feels like the same road-going cave as the Camaro coupe, although the insulated fabric top does an outstanding job of blocking out road and wind noise. The back seat (link goes to photo) is nearly as roomy as the coupe's, and the trunk gives up less than 1 cubic foot (down to 10.24), although it shrinks to 7.85 with the top down. No matter, because just like the coupe, there's still the miniscule opening to content with.

The Camaro has a power top with a manual latch, which uses a twist-type handle that's easier on the hands than the twin knuckle-buster latches found on the Mustang. But it takes a mighty tug to get the top cinched closed, and on one car I really had to wrestle with the roof to get it lined up and latched. The power top mechanism is agonizingly slow -- 20 seconds to open or close, and when you're trying to drop the top before the traffic light turns green, it feels more like 20 minutes. The Camaro comes with a soft tonneau cover which is a pain to install and a nightmare to fold up. It looks great, but I'd rather GM spent the engineering dough on a wind blocker -- despite the low seating position, the Camaro generates a fair amount of turbulence.

Oh, but the price tag...

I could forgive these quirks if the Camaro convertible was as much of a bargain as the coupe, but it's not. Pricing for the V6-powered Camaro LT convertible starts at an even $30,000, which is $6,470 more than the coupe. (For comparison, Ford charges $27,995 for the cheapest Mustang convertible, $5,000 over the coupe.) The V8 starts at $37,500, and can top $45,000 with all the options.

At the end of the day, I still prefer the Ford Mustang. I find it easier and more enjoyable to drive, I like the interior better, and the V6 engine at least attempts to produce a proper muscle-car exhaust note. Which is not to say I didn't like the Camaro Convertible, because I did -- a lot. It's phenomenally handsome, brilliantly engineered, and good fun on back roads. Last year, the Camaro coupe outsold the Mustang coupe and convertible combined, and I have no doubt the Camaro convertible will be every bit as successful. -- Aaron Gold

Disclosure: This test drive was conducted at a manufacturer-sponsored press event. Travel, accommodations, meals, vehicles and fuel were provided by Chevrolet. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.