Chevrolet Camaro Chevy Camaro Camaro 1998 Camaro 1998 Chevy Camaro 1998 Chevrolet Camaro
The 1998 Chevrolet Camaro was part of the American automaker's fourth generation of the Camaro model, and it introduced modernizing revisions that made the car hardly look like its 1960s origins.
Chevrolet introduced the Camaro as a pony car for the 1967 model year, intended to compete with the Ford Mustang. It was built on the platform of the Pontiac Firebird, a muscle car built by Chevy's parent company, General Motors.
While the second and third generation Camaros, introduced in 1971, became a bit bigger and therefore heavier, the fourth generation debuted in the 1993 model year and was downsized with a more round and sleek body. Gone was the over-elongated front end that indicated a huge engine under the hood.
By 1998, Chevrolet further modified the exterior, following an industry trend toward slightly smaller vehicles with curvier bodies. The 1998 Chevy Camaro also featured a new engine, the first Camaro to adopt an engine first placed in the Corvette, General Motors' aluminum-block LSI engine.
Buyers could choose from the 6-cylinder, 3.8-liter regular engine, or the 8-cylinder, 5.7-liter premium engines (for the Z28 trim). Gas mileage ranges from 16 to 28 miles per hour depending on driving conditions, according to fueleconomy.com by the U.S. Department of Energy. Horsepower can range from 305 to 327.
Four trims are available for this Camaro: the Base Coupe, Z-28 Coupe, Base Convertible and Z-28 Convertible. Used models today can range in price from about $2,500 upward to $4,600. The Z-28 is a high-performance version.
The 1998 model retained the original Camaro's 2-door, 2+2 seating configuration; and it also retained a new interior design introduced just a year before by Chevy.
The Camaro hardly changed through the 2002 model year when Chevrolet ceased production of the Camaro due to poor sales and struggles in the sports coupe market.
A new fifth-generation Camaro is anticipated for release in spring 2009. With it, Chevrolet plans to go retro, to mimic the Camaro's original 1960s design, similar to what Ford did with the Mustang a few years ago.
The Camaro carries strong name recognition, due to the strong performance of various models over the years, and because it has been featured in movies, television and in pop songs. Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Ramones have mentioned the Camaro in songs. Additionally, a 1976 Camaro was the basis for the Bumblebee character in the 2007 movie "Transformers."
Other specifics or changes for the 1998 Camaro:
- The SS tag for Super Sport was used for the third consecutive year.* Some Camaro enthusiasts point to a new headlight design as the major change with the 1998 model. Chevrolet applied flat headlights flush with the body, compared with previous models which featured headlights sunken in.* Optional leather interior could come in white, neutral or dark grey.* The body's nose is more rounded, compared with a previous point, mainly so the new and taller LS1 engine could fit.* Navy blue metallic and sport gold metallic were added as color options.* A black roof was returned to the Z28.* Four-wheel disc brakes and an enhanced anti-lock brake system became standard on all models.
