1997 Chevrolet Camaro A remarkable performance bargain. By Don Fuller, New Car Test Drive .com

Due to their relatively low sales volumes,

sport coupe redesign intervals generally extend well beyond the shelf life

of a mainstream sedan. Which means they have to look good and perform well

for a long time. And that prescription accurately describes the Chevrolet

Camaro and its corporate cousin, the Pontiac Firebird. The Camaro and Firebird

(known in General Motors as the F-cars) looked great when they were renewed

for 1993 and still look great today.

These sleek coupes and convertibles offer sporting appeal and performance

ranging from really good to awesome, at prices that are surprisingly affordable.

The Camaro (our subject for this report), and Firebird are about as

American as it gets: long and low styling, a powerful engine mounted in

front and rear-wheel drive. More practical concerns, such as room for rear-seat

passengers, cargo capacity or fuel economy, are not really addressed with

these cars. But for style and performance at a great price, they're hard

to beat.

Basically, what we have to say about the Camaro also applies to the

Firebird; they are identical in engine choices, transmissions, suspension,

general interior layout, overall driving feel and most options.