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2011 Chevrolet Converitble

2011 Sexy Car Buyer's Guide by Martha Hindes

2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible

When Chevy's Camaro first re-blasted along America's roadways a couple of years ago, it made even blasé teenage boys weak in the knees. Women in parking lots gave the thumbs up – especially at the sight of another woman driving it. Grown men nearly wept at the return of a long-lost love that had been unceremoniously yanked from their fantasy cache by earlier practicality.

It was eye candy, lure and awe all wrapped into one. Come 2011, what could improve on that kind of inner thunder?

How about a little drum roll here please, a kind of boom-chick-a-boom-boom, as the husky Camaro sheds some unneeded covering and as the expression goes, lets it all hang out.

That kind of unveiling probably wasn't in Chevrolet's post intro planning. After all, its bankrupt parent General Motors had endured the worst kind of knuckle-rapping an auto maker can be subjected to, and on its emergence Camaro was the kind of delicious treat that sometimes can't be justified. Yeah, we know. You put your foot on the accelerator and POW! Just listen to the sound of petrol surging through the deliciously decadent 3.6-liter, 312 HP V-6 engine exploring some teenish city or 29-rated highway miles of roadway on a precious gallon of gas.  Add the premium guzzling current 6.2-liter, 426 horsepower V8-powered SS to the pack and (at 16-mpg city) it's downright evil. But oh so much fun. (We can picture the Camaro, like a hunked up and slightly decadent Ashton Kutcher, thumbing its nose at the electric Volt and other properly pious statements of green groveling.)

Actually groveling is probably what preceded the emergence of the convertible version of Camaro. Those who can bathe in the ecstasy of supple metal, earth churning 20-inch aluminum wheels halted by the screech of vented Brembos, and a head-up speeding alarm that blazes across the windshield knew there was a tantalizing chop top Camaro ready to go. But only if those stuffy bean counters got an appropriate kick in the aft.

Someone apparently was listening. So here's the drop-top Camaro in four iterations with a not so diaphanous canvas top that disappears or resurfaces in 20-some seconds. Unveiled? A taut and snazzy, toned-up shape minus the clunky coupe top.  Plan on a modest (depending on your perspective) expenditure of $29 K to $39-plus K before adding the goodies.

For those on the GM side of the unending rear-drive muscle car wars, expect the top-down Camaro to eat a few ponies for lunch.  And hey guys. You might want to cold shower down before you decide to put the six-speed manual (or auto) tranny through its paces just in case the fuzz are paying attention. For those of us on the distaff side, we know how to finesse.

For more info on the Chevy Camaro SS Convertible
, click here.

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