Camaro SS Named ‘Best 2020 Performance Buy’ by ‘Car Connection’
Forget about Ford’s Mustang. Chevy’s latest Camaro SS gives you a perfect mix of bang for your hard-earned buck.
We’re currently living in the golden age of performance. The cars available for us to purchase these days are more powerful than ever. Offering up off-the-showroom-floor performance that was simply unthinkable just a few years ago. That includes the mighty Chevrolet Camaro, which represents quite the performance bargain these days. So we weren’t terribly surprised to learn that our sister auto research site The Car Connection has named the Camaro SS its “Best Performance Car to Buy” in 2020.
For a very reasonable price, the Camaro SS comes packing a 6.2-liter V8 producing 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. The Car Connection obviously loves the car’s “throaty” V8. But also its 6-speed manual transmission, which they call “more engaging than every HBO series, Game of Thrones included.” Even if it does make the Camaro three-tenths slower to 60 – 4.3 versus 4.0 for the 10-speed automatic. Altogether, TCC points out that the SS wins this distinction because “nearly nothing else provides that intoxicating mix for less than $38,000.”
High praise, indeed. But if you want to go even cheaper, you could opt for the LT1. It packs the same engine for a few grand less. Regardless, TCC believes the SS is worth the extra cost. “The SS has a bigger 8.0-inch touchscreen, Brembo brakes, performance tires, and a digital instrument information display as standard equipment above the LT1,” they point out. “The SS also makes available magnetic dampers (unavailable on the LT1) that transform the Camaro SS into a track-day star. When combined with a 1LE suspension tune, the Camaro SS can keep pace with just about anything on the track.”
Most interestingly, however, TCC prefers the Chevy over the Mustang, and they make a good case as to why. And it all boils down to handling. In base form, the Camaro is far more nimble than Ford’s pony car. To extract a Camaro-beating performance from the Mustang, you have to opt for the pricey Performance Pack 2 upgrade. And even then, TCC still prefers the SS 1LE.
TCC’s high praise of the new Camaro is certainly warranted. And for those of us looking to get behind the wheel of a shiny new version of Chevy’s legendary machine, it’s also quite reassuring to know that we’re getting the very best our hard-earned dollars can buy.
Photos: Chevrolet
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