Sherwood Park Chev – 2014 Camaro SS Convertible Review
Sherwood Park Chevrolet
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I consider myself very fortunate… On June 6th, out of the blue, I received an intriguing direct message on Twitter from Sherwood Park Chevrolet suggesting they have an idea they would like me to be involved in. Now being a “car guy”, I was somewhat eager and curious to find out exactly what they had in mind…
In short, they are fully committed to their social media program and creating new and exciting ways of promoting their business in this “non traditional” way by offering me a car and having me promote my ventures during the weekend. Their suggestion of vehicle and “catch”? The 2014 Camaro SS convertible with the only goal of “having fun” and tweeting/Facebooking about it. Nice gig and Father’s Day weekend no less! Best gift EVER and the weekend was perfect for the top down!
Driving a machine with a 6.2 litre V8 was right up my alley and I was like a kid at Christmas! The engine’s 426 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque flow freely and joyfully to the Camaro’s rear wheels when you put your foot down, and it sounded amazing doing so! The big V8 convertible feels slightly more sluggish than the power numbers would indicate from a standstill, but faster ‘n hell when reach higher RPM’s. One might guess you could strip most of the rubber off of the tires from flooring it from a standstill but the set up is different on these. It hooks up all that horsepower with virtually no wheel spin even with traction control off. Although some may be disappointed by that, the fact that you won’t be replacing some very expensive skins on a regular basis should keep you smiling!
One of the most functional features was the HUD (Head’s Up Display). This reflects your speed and some other information (radio) up onto the windshield so you aren’t looking down at your gauges. I personally found it fantastic (though some may feel it’s a distraction) but you can dim it or tun it off completely. The only way to improve upon this would be to add the RPM to that cluster of information. For paddle shifting, that would be extremely useful!
Chevy rates the SS Convertible at about 5.4 seconds for the sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour. The car was fully equipped and had a 6 speed auto transmission. Now…some of you may “poohoo” a sports car with an auto but I promise you that driving the car with the paddle shifters left nothing to be waining for! Everything about this powerhouse is about comfort and speed and doing it with impeccable style. (I actually looked forward to red lights just to see people stare at the car! lol)
It was also very clear early on, that many also wanted to “challenge” her (all my cars are “she’s”). Being brand new and not mine as well as not needing to add to my collection of lovely pictures of the back of my car sent to me in the mail, I picked my spots. 😉 Now, I don’t condone street racing as we have a local track for that ( https://twitter.com/CastrolRaceway ) but these “races” certainly didn’t have to last long once you see them in your rear view mirror!! Often, a quick 0-60 in milliseconds was all it took!
I had the opportunity to take it to Square One on Wye Road in Sherwood Park https://twitter.com/SquareOneWyeRd and took many people for a drive including my neighbours twins! It was their first time in a convertible! lol
For those of you considering a sports car purchase, the need to at least drive this beast is a must! The power is obvious but the fit and finish, solidness and overall quality that
Chevrolet has produced is exceptional! This is also one of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven and even my 18 year old son referenced that.
The ride is decent considering it IS a sports car with a stiff suspension. There’s a balance between moderately good handling for a heavy car and not necessarily feeling every bump on the road.
A couple of drawbacks… The soft top is like slow motion. If you ever got caught in a rain storm, I suspect the car interior would flood prior to the roof closing! 😉 Secondly, they put 4 seats in this car though I’m not sure why? There’s no way anyone could sit behind me (unless in a booster seat) and I’m 6′. There was virtually inches behind my seat!
All in all, this car exceeded my expectations and I promise, they were high to begin with! I greatly appreciate the opportunity that Sherwood Park Chevrolet has provided me and if anyone is remotely interested in a vehicle, I strongly urge you to check out this dealership and take advantage of the EMPLOYEE PRICING currently on until the end of June!
Steve
YEGTweetup Co-Founder
