For 2013, GM added quite a bit of flair to the Camaro lineup. Overall, changes were limited mostly to the improved suspension and nicer interiors, but they also introduced the exciting ZL1 Convertible to the public along with the fabulous 1LE, a true driver’s Camaro that we tested in the summer. That doesn’t mean that the designers and engineers took a break, however, as last year’s New York Auto Show brought even more for the 2014 lineup, most notably the much-anticipated Z/28. Since there’s still always plenty going on at the Mustang camp, it’s all just more salvos in the pony car wars, but it makes for some exciting cars. And while the open version of the Camaro has never been as iconic as its Mustang counterpart, we’ve wanted a go in this drop-top Chevy ever since it first came out roughly a year after the introduction of the new coupe. Our test car this time around was an SS Convertible, and though it looked the part and certainly sounded the part with its optional dual-mode exhaust, we still had to get the full story.
Other than (re)introducing the Z/28, the only thing really new to report for the Camaro department in 2014 is in the styling. It’s not better and it’s not worse, but it is different. To start, they’ve slimmed down the look of the nose and tail. The narrower upper grille in the front gives the car a wider look, while the lower grille actually is wider, a move that improves cooling. Another cooling move was the addition of a vented hood, which also reduces lift. In the back, the decklid and the diffuser have been aerodynamically tweaked, but the most obvious change is that Chevy has ditched the four distinctive square taillights and replaced them with two plain old rectangular ones that look like they came off an old Honda Prelude. They still look clean on the car, but it’s sort of a shame to say goodbye to the quartet that was just so unmistakably Chevy.
