‘Donut Media’ Pushes Back Against 4th-gen Camaro Haters
It may be dated and underappreciated, but fourth gen Camaro critics are a little overzealous in their hatred.
Chevy’s fourth-generation Camaro is very much a product of its time. Then again, all cars are. But what separates 1993-2002 Camaros from other models is the extremely aerodynamic styling. That turned a lot of people off. And thanks to the internet, people seem to rag on it for superficial reasons. That hasn’t stopped it from being a beloved classic, but the hate is palpable.
Fortunately, Jeremiah Burton of Donut Media recently defended the fourth gen Camaro and made some very good points about the car. He can do so because he actually owns the Camaro that’s featured in the video. To that end, he correctly recognizes that fourth gen models weren’t perfect, but they were pretty special.
Polarizing Looks but Pretty Cool Nonetheless
Styling is subjective. People will inevitably dislike something that makes a statement. While we understand if people don’t bow down and worship the fourth gen Camaro, it doesn’t deserve to be bashed. Additionally, as Burton points out, the Camaro is very much a ’90s car. Some people won’t like that. But aren’t sports cars supposed to be sleek and sporty? Plenty of coupes are aerodynamically designed to perform better. “This car actually has the lowest coefficient drag of any Camaro ever built. That’s pretty crazy. I mean, the windshield itself has a 68-degree rake,” says Burton. Seems like form should follow function in this case, which it did.
Looks aside, the Camaro boasts some pretty cool features not really found in many vehicles today. The T-top is among one of the best reasons to own one. Any car that allows owners to enjoy some open air goodness while sporting a boatload of power is worth it. And there are a lot of benefits to the configuration. “You might have seen that video about the 1,000 horsepower Supra. It was a targa top. When it took off you could see the frame literally flex. Well a T-top has this centerpiece right here. And this adds structural rigidity to the chassis. It prevents that flexing,” says Burton. Most of the benefits of a convertible without any of the drawbacks of something like a targa top? Sounds good to us!
Fourth-gen Camaro: Pros and Cons
Unfortunately, the critics have a point, at least when it comes to some of the Camaro’s flaws. The Camaro exhibited all of GM’s shortcomings from that era. Build quality left something to be desired. Basically, Chevy engineered a sail panel that has not stood the test of time. The 1998-2002 models sport a sail panel glued with a urethane-based adhesive. As the Camaro ages, the glue literally seeps through the panel. And there’s nothing that owners can do about it unless they want a complete replacement. “You can’t paint it, you can’t bond to it, you can’t wrap it. You can’t do any of that. And that’s why this car in particular gets a lot of flack,” says Burton. Similarly, the interior doesn’t exactly exude luxury or quality.
But we all know why these are such gems. The LS1 V8 simultaneously existed in the Corvette and the Camaro. Ford couldn’t get the Mustang anywhere near the Camaro’s output and the LS1 was a big part of why that happened. “Basically, it’s the exact same motor that was in the Corvette. And the Corvette was rated at 345 horsepower,” says Burton. That was an impressive number for the time. And decent examples are pretty cheap today too. “You can get a 6-speed, American V8 with 300-plus horsepower for less than five grand,” says Burton. Not much coin for so much horsepower.
Chevy’s fourth gen Camaro may not be for everyone but it’s a pretty cool car regardless. It exemplifies the classic American muscle car mantra by sporting aggressive styling combined with lots of power. It’s nice to see a big outfit like Donut Media defending what we’ve known for so many years. Make sure you watch the video to check out a pretty solid defense of the fourth gen Camaro.