Holden Special Vehicles have released a pretty comprehensive spec dump on the soon to arrive Camaro due to hit our shores in mid-2018 and give the Ford Mustang a little something to worry about. As we’ve covered, the car will arrive imported from the USA before being converted to right-hand drive in Melbourne.
The process will be executed alongside the Silverado, the other Chevrolet product to be arriving for Australian buyers. Speaking of which, both models are planned for sale at selected Holden showrooms following their launch, but despite this will still bear Chevy’s bowtie logo.
The Camaro, at least initially, will be offered in a single specification, the 2SS, with pricing expected to hover around the $80,000 mark. Mind you, this isn’t the updated version announced for 2019, but there’s little reason to doubt that that will eventually make its way Down Under once these pre-facelift cars have been depleted.
That said, there’s plenty to look forward to with the known details we have so far. The 2SS will go up against the Mustang GT, bringing a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated LT1 V8. Power is rated at 339kW while torque peaks at 617Nm, healthy numbers that give it a meaningful edge over the Ford.
To be offered only as a two-door coupe, the Camaro 2SS’ engine is now revealed to be mated exclusively to an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. It’s unclear whether a 6-speed manual will be added to the range at a later date, but at least for the time being those seeking three pedals and a stick shift are left in the lurch.
HSV has yet to reveal acceleration figures yet, an area where the auto box performs better, but figuring that the outputs vary only slightly to the US-spec car, it shouldn’t be all too different from the quoted 4.0 seconds it takes for the car as it rolls out of the Lansing, Michigan plant.
For the tentative $80k, which is considerably more than the equivalent Mustang GT Fastback, the 2SS will come with 20-inch wheels, a limited slip differential, HID headlights, four-piston Brembo brakes, and bi-modal exhaust system. Inside, there’s an 8-inch touchscreen display for infotainment, a 9-speaker BOSE audio system, keyless entry and remote start, electrically adjustable leather seats, dual-zone climate control, sunroof, and even interior mood lights.
In terms of safety, there are 7-airbags, a reversing camera, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, as well as parking sensors front and rear.
It’s clear that the Camaro 2SS will not vie for the Mustang’s crown of being the best selling sports car in the country. But HSV is banking on its unique appeal to surmount the price premium incurred for the right-hand drive conversion and find homes for the approximately 1,000 units they plan to import.
For more on HSV and Holden cars, check out our Showroom.
