2011 Camaro 2011 Chevy Camaro 2011 Chevrolet Camaro

It's been a long time coming, but Chevrolet's reborn ponycar coupe debuted as a 2010 model. Convertibles were set to quickly follow, but the latest word is they won't hit the market until the first quarter of 2011. Plus buzz was starting to build for an ultra-performance Z28 version, but the late word is it has been canceled. It would have been a great nostalgia trip, but $4 gas and financial problems at General Motors likely conspired against it.

What We Know About the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro

Best-laid plans often run into trouble, as Robert Burns implied. Take the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. Falling home values, tight credit, new inflation worries, and record gas prices were not on anyone's radar nearly three years ago, when General Motors hinted at the return of its sporty rear-wheel-drive Ford Mustang-fighter. Now that perfect economic storm is still evolving and battering new-vehicle sales, yet GM couldn't afford to stop the car at this late stage. That's why the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro remained on track to a early-2009 debut.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro arrived in three coupe models patterned on the big-buzz 2006 Detroit Auto Show concept. Convertible versions (previewed by a 2007 Detroit concept) were to be added during the 2010 model run, but now they'll appear in early 2011. A new high-performance Z28 edition was forecast for model-year 2011, but it reportedly has been shelved. Chevrolet thus renews the "ponycar" battle it last waged with Ford in 2002. It also takes on a reincarnated Dodge Challenger that bowed back in 2008 in hot SRT8 guise and added lower-cost mainstream V6 and V8 models for 2009.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro lineup starts with coupes in base LS and uplevel LT trim that carry the 3.6-liter twincam V6 with direct injection that is used in Cadillac's entry-level CTS premium midsize sedan. In Camaro tune, the V6 is rated at 304 horsepower.  The top of the line is a traditional performance-oriented SS model with a 6.2-liter V8 borrowed from base Chevrolet Corvettes. In Camaros, the V8 comes in two flavors. Cars with the 6-speed manual get a LS3 rated at 426 horses. In another nod to unstable petrol prices, cars with the automatic are equipped with a L99 that will have GM's gas-saving Active Fuel Management cylinder-deactivation system and around 400 ponies. All these models should list 6-speed manual and optional 6-speed automatic transmissions.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro coupes will be slightly toned-down versions of their concept previews. Styling pays heavy homage to 1969 Camaros, though a subtle "double bubble" roof contour is a new element for coupes. So, too, their fixed center roof posts; early Camaro coupes (1967-69) were pillar-less "hardtops," and later versions had no rear side windows at all. V6 models will roll on 18-, 19-, or 20-inch wheels depending on equipment level, while the SS will have standard 20s.

The interior is also very '69, starting with a pair of large nacelles putting speedometer, tachometer, fuel, and temperature gauges directly ahead of the driver. Squarish dials for oil pressure, oil temperature, voltage, and engine torque sit ahead of the gear lever on the console. Above them are climate and audio controls surmounted by a display screen that would doubtless serve as an optional navigation system. Per ponycar tradition, the new Camaros will furnish comfortable seating for two in front and somewhat less comfortable seating for two in back.

Sharing GM's new rear-drive Zeta architecture with Pontiac G8, albeit considerably modified, means the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro boasts four-wheel independent suspension with front struts and multilink rear geometry, plus standard traction control, stability control, and four-wheel ABS disc brakes. SS models get larger Brembo-brand brakes.

Some analysts think the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will be chasing a vanishing market, but that's what can happen when you have to plan three or four years ahead. GM recognizes the difficulties and has tellingly scaled back projected yearly sales from 100,000 to 75,000 units, according to one reliable source.

But the Camaro is a Chevrolet icon, second only to Corvette. And as bad as the economy seems now, GM knows it must contest the new battle of the ponycars to maintain credibility with loyal, influential enthusiasts. So it's into the fray and may the best automaker win. One thing is sure: In today's topsy-turvy world, Camaro, Challenger, and Mustang will all need lots of luck