TOPLESS IN LOS ANGELES

Convertible Camaro set to debut at the LA Auto Show DETROIT HOT WIRE—The 21st century rebirth of the Chevrolet Camaro opens a new chapter when the 2011 Camaro Convertible premieres at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on November 17. The Camaro Convertible will arrive in Chevrolet showrooms in February 2011. The starting price will be $30,000, including a $850 destination charge. “The Convertible will make the all-new Camaro, already a smash-hit, even more desirable to a greater range of drivers,” says Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. The Convertible model will be available in the same basic model offering as the Camaro Coupe. The standard model will have a 312-horsepower direct injection V6 engine featuring 29 miles per gallon on the highway. The SS model will feature the 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 426 hp. A six-speed manual transmission will be standard, with an optional six-speed automatic. Chevrolet is quick to remind us that the Camaro is now America’s most popular sports car, seizing leadership in U.S. sales away from the Ford Mustang when the coupe model launched in spring of 2009 as a 2010 model. The right to purchase one of the first Convertibles was recently sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $205,000, with all proceeds donated to charity. Stay tuned for more information to be released as the LA Auto Show approaches.