Despite being unusually thrifty for a muscle car, we can't help but think that Chevrolet's new Camaro is secretly happy at the prospect of being released into the Middle East, land of wide-open roads and discount crude. General Motors has just announced that the Camaro will pack its bags and head to the Middle East later this summer, where it already has a wait list at some dealers.

The market will receive two models to start – the 3.6-liter V6 model (in LT trim) and the fire-breathing 6.2-liter V8 SS, the latter of which will be available with the buyer's choice of a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

For our Autoblog Middle East friends, you can configure your new Bowtie at www.camaroarabia.com, and for the rest of us, there's a gigantic new high-res gallery of the Camaro checking out the local sights and the obligatory press release after the jump.

Let the countdown to the first sighting of a reflective gold painted Camaro SS begin!

Like Bumblebee on his interstellar voyage from Cybertron, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has taken years to arrive. If we take the Transformers analogy further (bear with us), the Camaro has landed after a few Decepticons – the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang and Nissan 370Z – have already begun staking out territories. More than the others, the Camaro has to justify its place in the battle, while at the same time backing up three years of unrelenting hype.

Follow the jump to find out if Chevrolet has brought the required weaponry to fight to the death for muscle car supremacy.



All photos Copyright ©2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Chevrolet's new Camaro is the last of the neo-ponycars to hit showrooms, and now it's finally possible for you to put your money where your mouth is after all those breathless "I'd buy one..." comments. Dreamers and real buyers alike can head to the new Camaro Configurator website and trick one out just right. The price of entry for a base-trim LS model is a mere $22,995, and it still looks fantastic – there's something about those black steelies with trim rings. A V6 that belts out more power than some of the storied V8s of yore while netting 29 highway miles per gallon is a persuasive argument for going base, though we couldn't help ourselves and wound up with a Cyber Gray 2SS costing $36,390 that would provide great amusement should it ever wind up in the Autoblog Garage. You can head on over and build your own dream Camaro, too, even if you're not actually going to buy. Thanks for the tip, Chris!



[Source: GM]

Chevrolet has reportedly taken more than 6,000 orders for its new Camaro so far, and why not? The car is great looking, excitement is high, and fuel prices have eased up a bit. You'd think that the prior spike in the cost of fuel would still be fresh on everyone's mind, thus making the V6 a popular choice. Wrongo. While the V6 has similar lip-smackingly great styling, and won't be a slowpoke, it seems that everyone wants that small block rhythm thumping away under the hood of their neo-ponycar. 84% of orders have been for V8-powered SS models so far, which may mean a longer wait for delivery since GM is likely building a very different ratio of V8 to V6 models. Thanks for the tip, Doug!


[Source: Camaro5]

Video clips of the Corvette ZR1 strutting its stuff on track can be found virtually anywhere on the internet. But that doesn't mean we're tired of seeing the beast in action, particularly if the video happens to feature another new staple of GM's sporty lineup. The latest internet discovery is a grainy, sometimes barely audible, clip of the Chevrolet Camaro SS tackling the twisties with a guest appearance by a jet black ZR1. The video begins with the new muscle making a go on the course all alone. Then later, it appears trailing behind the infamous supercharged 'Vette.

From what we can see, the Camaro's chassis seems to be nicely tuned. The body roll is not substantial and the pony car takes a seat quickly when entering a turn with no floaty oscillations. Hopefully the short but sweet video tease is a direct indication of the production setup. Follow the jump to view things for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Xeyad!

[Source: Autofiends]

Here we go again. Late last month we brought you a bevy of beautiful 2010 Chevy Camaro SS shots, and today General Motors has released a big batch of its own. These new images include studio shots of the 422-hp Camaro SS from various angles, as well as a few detail shots of the front and rear ends. Eh, it was about time for a new desktop wallpaper anyway.


[Source: GM]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS

Regardless of the fact that over a dozen official looking images of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS showed up on the web early last week, this single high-res image of the modern muscle car is notable for the fact that it is the first overall shot that GM has officially released. It showed up on the automaker's media site yesterday evening all by its lonesome with no accompanying details, but what else is there to know besides the fact it's packing a 6.2L LS3 V8 producing 422 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque? And for those who were wondering before, the nostril vent does appear to be part of the production package. Perhaps this picture's sudden appearance portends more information to come. We'll keep our ears and eyes open just in case.


[Source: GM]

Click above for gallery of the 2010 Camaro SS

We've had fun looking at the new Camaro in LS and LT trim, and even the RS appearance package livens things up a bit, but if we're to be honest, we really only care about the SS model. Fortunately for us, new photos of the Camaro Super Sport have found their way online thanks to Kevin Kolvenbach who goes by the handle of RagSS on the forums. It's claimed that RagSS took these pics, which we find suspect considering their high quality. Well, maybe he took this one. Regardless, they were taken and we're told show the Camaro SS basking in the sun around Hudson Valley, New York, another claim we doubt considering the type of vegetation and, oh, we don't know, large mountains in the background. Go west, young man.

With a 6.2L LS3 V8 producing 422 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque, the SS will be the cream of the Camaro crop for now and probably some time to come, as its power level puts the SS nearly on par with the base Corvette. While the Camaro SS may lack many of the Corvette's other attributes, we're fairly certain Chevy doesn't want to start cannibalizing Vette sales.


[Source: AutoInsane]

At a GM event we attended at the end of last summer, one of the presentations shown to the assembled media was an interior animation depicting the new Chevy Camaro's cockpit lighting and how it changs depending on the position of the key in the ignition. We'd been asking General Motors for a copy ever since, and were politely told, "no" every time. With the car's official unveiling yesterday, GM finally made the video available on the Camaro's official website. We've grabbed a copy and put it in the player above for your enjoyment, along with both of our live vids shot at yesterday's reveal. The interior video shows some really cool stuff, further proof that GM Design is paying close attention to cabin illumination in its new vehicles. Take a ride in a new CTS at night, and you'll see exactly what we mean. From the looks of things, GM's going to give the Camaro the same kind of love, and we're looking forward to experiencing it firsthand.


[Source: GM]

Click above for new high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro

You've waited long enough, so let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to the hard facts.

• Three models - LS, LT, SS
• LS and LT come with 3.6L direct-inject V6 (300 hp/273 lb-ft)
• SS six-speed manual comes with 6.2L LS3 V8 (422 hp/408 lb-ft)
• SS six-speed automatic comes with new 6.2L L99 V8 (400 hp/395 ft-lb) and Active Fuel Management
• 3.6L DI V6 gets 26 mpg highway
• 6.2L V8 with automatic gets 23 mpg highway
• RS appearance package available on LT and SS (includes HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, specific taillamps and 20-inch wheels)
• Front and rear independent suspension
• FE2 suspension for LS and LT, sportier FE3 for SS
• Four-wheel disc ABS standard, SS gets four-piston Brembo calipers
• SS model gets adjustable Competitive/Sport mode for stability control and Launch Control on manual models
• Available 18-,19- and 20-inch wheels

You can read Chevy's full press release after the jump and browse the official, full-size image collection in the gallery below. Stay tuned for our post of live coverage from our team on the ground.