Camaro Envy

**ichliebecamaro** · 03-17-2008, 06:06 PM

CAMARO ENVY

For years the Camaro has meant a great deal to owners of the car, but what one rarely reads about is what others think of the Camaro. The automotive editors at Edmund’s Publications pondered on this after extensively road testing a 1996 Z28 SS. It is an insightful examination of what goes on in the minds of other drivers when encountering Chevrolet’s alpha-numeric musclecar.

Why are we quick to judge drivers of Camaro’s Is is because they drive poorly? No, Camaro drivers typically pilot their cars as well as the rest of the road-going populace. Is it because they blast obnoxious music out of their vehicles? Although this is sometimes the case, it is certainly not the norm. . . .. They must be doing to something warrant all of this negative attention. We think that it is because they drive fast, and as we all know from high-school driver’s education classes, speed kills. Not only do Camaro drivers exceed the speed limit, they usually do it (in) such a way that it makes the non-Camaro driving population look silly.

By accelerating quickly away from a stoplight, Camaro’s can safely maneuver for the best lane position when traffic is heavy. With plenty of torque everywhere in the powerband, Camaro drivers can cleave through freeway traffic like a hot knife through butter. In other words, by stomping on the long, skinny pedal, Camaro drivers can exit the sad, slow world of minivan madness and sedan sluggishness.

“This makes minivan and sedan drivers green with envy, and in retaliation, they try and slow the Camaro’s pace; often performing amazingly stupid acts to make sure the Camaro dosen’t get ahead of them. We at Edmund’s think that it is a psychological thing. People don’t want to be passed, because in some strange Darwinian manner, speed implies power and success. Thus bottlenecking traffic in a Lincoln Continental or a Dodge Caravan, drivers can assure themselves that they are, in fact, swift and powerful, when in reality they are a crippled mountain goat ready to be drowned by the lurking cougar.”

“Nowhere, it seems, is this psychological dysfunction more apparent than on the streets of Denver, Colorado. The fear of being passed here is so great that drivers will not move out of the left lane of traffic even if they are going 10mph under the posted speed limit with a horde of fast movers descending on them like locusts. Witness the experience of our managing editor in the Camaro SS. While serenly driving down C-470, a big looping stretch of freeway that circles the south and west parts of Denver, Chris came upon a minivan slowly cruising in the left lane. Our test Z28 SS was bright red and equipped with GM’s ever-present daytime running lights. We are certain that only the certifiably blind could have missed the car. Chris hung respectfully behind the minivan for a minute of two, waiting for the driver to notice him and move over. Since this was Denver, Chris's politeness was sorely wasted. The minivan failed to move for the faster moving traffic, forcing Chris to attempt to pass on the right. When Chris moved to the right lane the minivan moved too; straddling the centerline, leaving no room to pass on the left or right. Chris, who has much more patience than this editor, moved back to the left lane, thinking that perhaps the minivan was trying to move right to let him by. No such luck. Once the minivan had Chris and the pesky Z28 SS back in the left lane, he too moved back into the left lane.

This process was repeated a number of times, with Chris’s blood pressure slowly rising, until a third lane opened up, at which point Chris dropped the hammer and flew past the idiotic minivan. The minivaner, noticeably chagrined at having his masculinity unsuruped by the threatening, shark toothed Camaro, immediately sped up an rode Chris’s rear bumper. Ironically, the traffic ahead of Chris, slowed quickly, causing Chris to come to a abrupt stop. The driver of the minivan wasn’t paying attention, great idea when your tailgating, and failed to notice that traffic in front of him was no longer moving. He had to jam on the brakes, and according to Chris, spilled coffee all over himself in the process. Final score: Camaro 1, Minivan 0.”

“ My guess is that this is the real reason people hate Camaro’s. Camaro’s are aggressive looking cars often owned by aggressive drivers. Drivers that are not likely to suffer fools or left-lane bandits kindly.
As a result, when someone tries to hold a Camaro up, they are likely to be embarrassed. Nobody likes to be embarrassed, so the resulting animosity towards Camaros grows at each occurrence. If you are suffering from this, Camarophobia, we offer a simple solution: go out and buy a Camaro. You don’t necessarily need a Z28 SS; less exotic varieties will suffice, and your fears of being passed will be alleviated. Not many vehicles are faster than a Chevy Camaro to begin with, and for the price, there is nothing that’s even a match.”

AMEN!!

(Camaro , Written By Antony Young, Lowe & B. Hould Publishers 2000, 2003)

**Spikito** · 03-17-2008, 07:16 PM

I dont like how he calls it a Z28 SS, but other than that, well written, and i totally agree.
Before my camaro i drove a buick lesabre, yeah, big change, and i noticed an immediate change in the way people treated me on the rode. I always thought it was because they thought i was some old lady, but now i think its a combination of the two.

**Shermanator86** · 03-17-2008, 07:41 PM

haha, great little read there, i think people don't like mine because its too loud, you should see the dirty looks i get when i'm just leaving a stop light at a normal pace, haha

**67CamaroRSSS** · 03-17-2008, 08:10 PM

FYI: The 1st year of the return of the SS (1996) it was called a Z28 SS as the SS items were added to a base Z28.

**Spikito** · 03-17-2008, 10:06 PM

well that makes sense then

**Shermanator86** · 03-18-2008, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by 67CamaroRSSS

FYI: The 1st year of the return of the SS (1996) it was called a Z28 SS as the SS items were added to a base Z28.

were not all SS's z-28s? like 96-02? i see it all of the time people saying z-28 SS in ads and whatnot

**Y2KArcticSS** · 03-18-2008, 07:25 AM

My title says Z28....The dealer papers say Z28 with SS package

**fluke** · 03-18-2008, 07:34 AM

Nice article they wrote!

"when in reality they are a crippled mountain goat ready to be drowned by the lurking cougar"

That had me nearly in tears laughing. At all the frustration with morons going slow as Christmas on the road (people actually slow down considerably when I come into view of them on the 2 lane roads here where passing zones are limited) this was a great laugh at them. People DO have a serious problem with their ego and being passed by a nicer car (I don't, but still..). The road rage that almost always ensues from someone everytime I go around them or they end up behind me - they always tailgate me, go back and forth rapidly behind me like a GT car keeping their tires hot, etc. It really ticks me off. Stupid crippled mountain goats..

**GULLETT17** · 03-18-2008, 07:38 AM

cool article, has a point. yeah camaro z28 ss is the full model name like firebird formula trans am. just always get shortened (kinda sounds dumb to say it together)

**Y2KArcticSS** · 03-18-2008, 07:38 AM

The sad thing is....I drive a Camaro, and I'm still that way, but only with other 'sporty' cars....and I drive like 10-15 over speed limit everywhere, so when a car like that comes up, they are either in a hurry, or they saw me and wanted some

....I will be the first to admit my ego problem

**Shermanator86** · 03-18-2008, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by Mustang=Breakfast

The sad thing is....I drive a Camaro, and I'm still that way, but only with other 'sporty' cars....and I drive like 10-15 over speed limit everywhere, so when a car like that comes up, they are either in a hurry, or they saw me and wanted some

....I will be the first to admit my ego problem

haha, sometimes i just drive the speed limit and people will just gun their car to get around me, i laugh, they waste gas

**Y2KArcticSS** · 03-18-2008, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by colesherman86

haha, sometimes i just drive the speed limit and people will just gun their car to get around me, i laugh, they waste gas

I laugh at the ones in 4x4 trucks with 33" super swampers and pipes that gun it as they slooowly thunder by me....those are the ones i usually just let go...most of the time.

**67CamaroRSSS** · 03-18-2008, 07:58 AM

Yes, all 96-02 SS's are technically Z28 SS's but in 96 all the articles I saw called them by that designation. After that they were called simply an SS.

I too have a problem with slow people hogging the left lane and not allowing faster cars to pass. I have no doubt that some folks purposely get in the fast lane and drive 5-10 under just to piss people off, as if to say, "I don't want you to speed so I'm gonna insure that you don't by hogging the lane."

On the other hand I'm not always the fastest driver on the road. In that case I get over a lane and let them pass. It's called lane courtesy.

**b.lee** · 03-18-2008, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Mustang=Breakfast

I laugh at the ones in 4x4 trucks with 33" super swampers and pipes that gun it as they slooowly thunder by me....those are the ones i usually just let go...most of the time.

lol! ya, i hear that.. just watch out for the built diesels.
They'll give you a run for the money...

**shady milkman** · 03-18-2008, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

cool article, has a point. yeah camaro z28 ss is the full model name like firebird formula trans am. just always get shortened (kinda sounds dumb to say it together)

its firebird formula ...or firebird trans am. i'm pretty sure its not firebird formula trans am.

**Y2KArcticSS** · 03-18-2008, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by b.lee

lol! ya, i hear that.. just watch out for the built diesels.
They'll give you a run for the money...

...........i know, i have a friend who got beat in his Z28 at the track, by a Dodge. That thing was launching black smoke all the way down the track....

**GULLETT17** · 03-18-2008, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

its firebird formula ...or firebird trans am. i'm pretty sure its not firebird formula trans am.

its firebird formula trans am. . .my title says that and ive seen original window stickers say that. think about it, ws9 is actually the rpo code for formula, which basically means v8. this code is on trans ams also

**Orcus79** · 03-18-2008, 09:32 AM

I love tail gaters. They are so much fun to play with. Depending on traffic and location I will do one of two things. Tap the brake enough to light the tails, always a fun reaction. or roll into the gas (usually do this on clear highway) to see just what they wil, then drop a gear and the hammer while waving good bye.

If you wanna ride my ass you better be able to keep up.

**shady milkman** · 03-18-2008, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

its firebird formula trans am. . .my title says that and ive seen original window stickers say that. think about it, ws9 is actually the rpo code for formula, which basically means v8. this code is on trans ams also

good point.

**SAGGIN** · 03-18-2008, 09:48 AM

I love that article. I hate it when Mutha Fackers don't get outta your way just to piss you off. I luv it though when i get the chance to pass 'em up and I do so with the throtle wide open and tires chrupin. Luv looking in my side view mirror and see their priceless reactions on their faces, "Like damn! He make me look like I was parked on the side of the road when I was going 50 mph."