2012 Chevrolet Camaro Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Chevrolet Camaro review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Camaro, and includes Chevy Camaro safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

If you’re an American, you probably know what a Camaro is. Since it’s debut for the 1967 model year, the Chevrolet Camaro has been a 2+2 sport coupe or convertible with rear-wheel drive and a choice of six- or eight-cylinder firepower under the hood. It went on hiatus during the 2000s, but was revived for 2010 to compete head-to-head against the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. To this day, it employs the same formula that originally made it a hit 45 years ago.

Arriving just in time for painting the sizzling summer streets black, the 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 contains a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, a strengthened six-speed manual gearbox, a Magnetic Ride Control suspension, and numerous other performance-oriented upgrades. Chevrolet has not finalized horsepower and torque figures, but is estimating the ZL1 will come in at 550 horses and 550 pound-feet of twist.

At the opposite end of the Camaro spectrum, an updated 3.6-liter, direct-injected V6 engine is installed in the standard Camaro. Lighter by 20 pounds, this slightly more powerful V6 registers 323 horsepower and can get 30 mpg on the highway. Chevy hasn’t forgotten about the 2012 Camaro SS while doling out the hardware improvements. The SS Coupe gets new FE4 suspension tuning – revised damper rates and re-located stabilizer bars – for better handling.

Chevy also updates the Camaro’s interior, and the stylish retro steering wheel is a casualty. However, the new steering wheel is far more functional and is better to grip. Other changes include a standard rear spoiler for all models, an available power lift feature for the front passenger’s seat to make accessing back seat easier, and an optional Rear Vision Package with a reversing camera, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and rear parking sensors.

Finally, the Camaro celebrates a milestone birthday with the 45th Anniversary Package. Available on Camaro LT and Camaro SS models, it includes Carbon Flash paint, red and silver rally stripes, special anniversary badges, 20-inch Deep Silver wheels, HID headlights, and RS-style taillight lenses. Inside, Jet Black leather seats with red, white and blue stitching complement white interior door and dash panel inserts.

Chevy offers a wide variety of 2012 Camaros from which to choose. Camaro Coupes are available in LS, LT, SS and ZL1 trim, while Camaro Convertibles are sold in LT and SS trim levels. Just to make sure everyone gets thoroughly confused, Chevy breaks its main trim levels into sub-models known as 1LS, 2LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS, and 2SS.

The 2012 Camaro LS Coupe is begging for customization through wheels and graphics, because its 18-inch gray-painted “heritage” steel wheels just aren’t cutting it, even if they have bright trim rings. Otherwise, the LS Coupe meets basic requirements for people seeking the least expensive path to Camaro ownership, equipped with air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side mirrors, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control, and a stereo with a CD player, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a three-month subscription to satellite radio.

The Camaro 2LS model is designed to get the best possible gas mileage. As such, the front of the car is restyled for improved aerodynamics, it has a six-speed automatic transmission with a fuel-saving rear axle ratio, and a fuel economy rating of 30 mpg on the highway.

There are few options offered for the Camaro LS. Bluetooth, floor mats, aluminum wheels, and a variety of stripe packages are available, along with an automatic transmission for the 1LS model.

Most people buy the Camaro LT, in part because it comes with more standard equipment but also because it’s available with a wider variety of options. In standard 1LT format, the LT includes 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, a power driver’s seat, and floor mats.

Paying the extra freight for the Camaro 2LT rewards buyers with leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a USB port, a Boston Acoustics sound system, and an extended 12-month satellite radio subscription. The Camaro 2LT also gets larger 19-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, heated front seats, a head-up display, and auto-dimming glass for the rearview mirror and the driver’s side mirror. Additional upgrades include light-pipe ambient lighting, an auxiliary gauge pack located in the center console, a HomeLink universal remote control, and an Ultrasonic rear parking assist system.

If nothing short of a rumbling V8 engine will do, the Camaro SS is the model you want. Equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, a limited-slip differential, a more aggressive rear axle ratio, and big 20-inch aluminum wheels wrapped in summer performance tires, the Camaro SS is built for acceleration. And to make sure it can do more than just smoke the tires in a straight line, the SS gets Brembo brakes and a performance suspension, with different levels of tuning for the SS Coupe and SS Convertible. Like the Camaro LT, the SS is sold with 1SS and 2SS equipment levels, the former providing a no-frills speed machine, the latter outfitted with lots of upgrades.

The Camaro 1LT and 1SS can be optioned up to near 2LT and 2SS equipment levels, while the 2LT and 2SS models are available with exclusive features like a power sunroof, remote engine starting, and a two-tone interior treatment. The Camaro LT and SS are also available with a popular RS Package that adds Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights with LED halo rings, “RS” grille and decklid badges, 20-inch Midnight Silver alloy wheels, and special taillight lenses.

For 2012, Chevrolet debuts the new Camaro ZL1, named after an all-aluminum racing engine that was installed in 69 examples of the 1969 Camaro. Appropriately, the ZL1 is equipped with an aluminum 6.2-liter V8 engine, supercharged to make an estimated 550 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. The Camaro ZL1 also gets a strengthened manual gearbox, a dual-mode exhaust system from the Corvette, a Magnetic Ride Control Suspension with Tour and Sport modes, and Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes.

The ZL1’s front end is restyled for aerodynamic reasons, adding a front splitter, air intakes for brake cooling, and a raised aluminum hood with functional air extractors and a genuine carbon fiber insert. Xenon headlights with halo rings, fog lights, and a rear diffuser are also standard, and it all rides on special 20-inch forged aluminum wheels wearing Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires developed specifically for this model.

The Camaro ZL1 is equipped like the Camaro 2SS, but includes performance seats with microfiber suede seat and dash panel inserts, dual power front seats, alloy foot pedals, and a performance page in the head-up display.

Three different engines are available in the 2012 Chevy Camaro, and their availability is tied to trim level. Camaro LS and LT models are equipped with a 3.6-liter V6, Camaro SS models have a 6.2-liter V8, and the Camaro ZL1 boasts a supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Each comes standard with a manual transmission. An automatic is available only on LS, LT, and SS models.

Revised and refined for 2012, the Camaro’s 3.6-liter, direct-injected V6 engine makes 323 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 278 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. That’s more horsepower than last year (at slightly higher rpm) and the same amount of torque (at slightly lower rpm). A six-speed manual gearbox is standard (except Camaro 2LS), and a six-speed automatic transmission with TapShift manual control is optional (except Camaro 2LS). The Camaro 2LS, which is designed to maximize fuel economy and give Chevy marketers a 30-mpg highway rating to brag about, has a six-speed automatic without TapShift.

The Camaro 2LS gets 19 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. For other Camaro V6 models, fuel economy ratings range from 17 mpg in the city with the manual gearbox to 29 mpg on the highway with the TapShift automatic.

Moving on to the Camaro SS, its 6.2-liter V8 is good for 400 or 426 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 410 or 420 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm. Why the variance in numbers? The higher horsepower and torque figures are for models with the standard six-speed manual transmission. When the optional TapShift six-speed automatic is ordered, Active Fuel Management technology – which shuts half the engine’s cylinders off when cruising or decelerating to conserve gas – dictates design and packaging compromises that restrict power.

Chevrolet recommends using premium unleaded in the Camaro SS, but says it is not required. Regardless of transmission choice, the Camaro SS is rated to return 24 mpg on the highway. City estimates are 16 mpg with the manual and 15 mpg with the automatic.

Sitting at the top of horsepower hill, the new Camaro ZL1 is equipped with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that requires premium fuel. As this review is written, Chevy is estimating that the ZL1 will produce 550 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 550 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. The only transmission is a six-speed manual gearbox with a twin-disc clutch, a dual-mass flywheel, and a short-throw shifter. Fuel economy ratings are not finalized as this review is published.

When it comes to safety equipment, the Camaro includes traction and stability control, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with brake assist, and frontal- and side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants. Get the Camaro Coupe, and side curtain airbags are also installed for an extra measure of protection. OnStar telematics is also included, and feature six free months of service including Automatic Crash Response, which allows a live OnStar operator to contact the Camaro when the airbags deploy and talk to crash victims, and even send rescue personnel directly to the car’s location in the event nobody inside the Camaro can respond.

For 2012, Chevrolet adds an important safety feature to the Camaro. The Rear Vision Package includes a new reversing camera, and bundles it with an auto-dimming rearview mirror and an Ultrasonic rear parking assist system. Since the Camaro’s trunk is so tall, this option is almost a requirement for safe reversing.

We’d like to be able to report about the Camaro’s crashworthiness, especially since this model seems to inspire profound moments of driver stupidity, but neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has run a Camaro through their battery of crash tests. The only ratings given come from NHTSA for resistance to rollover, for which the Camaro gets 5 Stars.

Similarly, as this review is written, Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates are making no predictions about the 2012 Camaro’s potential for reliability. The 2011 Camaro gets an average prediction from J.D. Power and a better than average prediction from Consumer Reports.

Camaro ZL1 specifications are not finalized as this review is written, but for now, even the heaviest Camaro SS weighs less than 4,000 lbs. and features a 52/48 front-to-rear weight distribution.

Get the Camaro SS with a manual transmission and the car is equipped with Performance Launch Control, helping drivers to extract maximum accelerative velocity. All SS models also have a competitive/sport mode for the stability control system to allow for a wider performance and handling envelope on the track.

The Camaro LS and LT have a coefficient of drag measuring 0.37, which is positively brick-like. There is a penalty to be paid for that retro 1969 styling treatment.

All Camaros have an 11.3 cubic-foot trunk. That’s great news for the Camaro Convertible, but the Camaro Coupe’s cargo space is smaller than what Dodge and Ford provide in the Challenger and Mustang.

American sport coupe buyers are almost as loyal as American pickup truck buyers, which means Camaro fans will buy a Camaro no matter how good a Dodge Challenger or Ford Mustang might be. If you’re not among these groups of brand-loyal fanatics, know that the Camaro is competitive in most respects and segment leading in many, especially now that the ZL1 model is going on sale.

By Christian Wardlaw