Why the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS Is The Ultimate Budget Drop Top?

Why The Camaro ?

After working like a beast for a year, I finally decided to cash in my hard-earned vacation days and hit the Pacific Coast Wine Trail. It’s about 3 hr. drive to where I currently live in Fresno. A co-worker of mine recommended it and swore that the scenery and the “Grape Juice” were to die for.

So before embarking on a sequel of my very own Sideways, I had a choice of choosing between a rental Camaro and a Mustang convertible. Needless to say, I got the one with Bow tie on the hood, simply because the way it drives.

The LT1 Sound Better Than The Mustang…

I prefer the low-end grunt my 2018 Camaro Convertible has in spades. The all-Aluminum 6.2 L LT1 has 455 hp and 455 lb-ft. The latter most comes in very early, making highway cruising and overtaking a breeze.

I went for the fantastic Tremec 6-Speed Manual with Active Rev Match (thank God, as my heel-to game is weak AF). The shifts were precise, a bit rubbery sometimes, but nothing that will ruin your day.

A 10-speed automatic was available that came with Cylinder Deactivation and what not, but I decided to skip for the sake of #savethemanuals. The LT1 was surprisingly gas friendly, it returned 20 MPG on average and around 12 whenever I floored it falling prey to empty stretches along HWY1.

I splurged a bit and went with 2SS which came with dual mode exhaust that puts out all kinds of barks, burbles, and crackles depending on how hard you push the V8. It’s perfect without being obnoxious and sounds like a proper Detroit muscle second only to the ZL1.

1SS VS 2SS

The SS is the bare minimum you have to shell out for a full fat V8 swansong. The 1SS comes with all the bells and whistles you would ever need like OnStar with 4G, single zone AC, 20-inch, silver wheels, Brembos all around and an 8-inch infotainment.

The 1SS is what I originally wanted, but it wasn’t available at my dealer. They got me an 2SS for the same amount which had ambient lights, 20-inch black wheels, Bose audio and leather seats with heating and ventilation, which I reckon will be abused as it can easily reach 100F around noon.

The interior of the Camaro is basic if you want it to be but is strongly suggest looking for the ones with Redline package or Ceramic trim which adds a pop of color into an otherwise dull interior.

How Much is a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS used?

Since I rented mine for a week or so, I got it for around 400 bucks/a week. If you are looking to buy one expect to pay around $30,000 for a 1 SS trim and add $4-5K for the 2SS.