(1997) -- 30th Anniversary. Our tester this week is the 30th Anniversary Camaro Z28. 1997 Chevrolet Camaro 2dr Cpe RS; 1997 Chevrolet Camaro 2dr. To fully understand the significance of the Camaro pace car, one needs to look deeper under the teal, blue and gold Brickyard 400 graphics, the Z28 is a special edition 30th Anniversary Camaro. In fact, it's technically identical to the new 1997 Camaro. The 1997 Camaro represented the last of the style first revamped in 1993. It runs like the muscle car it is: gas inefficiently, but responsively. GM's Series II 3800 V6 has pickup like a much bigger engine, making for an ever-exciting ride. New in 1997 are daytime running lights and a redesigned dashboard. The interior itself is anything but spacious. While drivers may enjoy the reclining, sporty feel to their seat, passengers in the practically non-existent back seats may struggle a bit to find comfortable places for their legs. Available for 1997 were two special trims to celebrate the Camaro's 30th birthday: a 30th Anniversary package for the Z28 and an SS Z28. The 30th Anniversary package is easily detectable by the Arctic White paint accented with Hugger Orange stripes, a combination intended to pay homage to the 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car. The seats were similarly trimmed in Arctic White, again paying tribute to the classic car. A 5.7-liter sequential fuel injected V-8 and six-speed manual gear box gives the Anniversary Edition the kind of smooth and responsive ride that even the '69 may not have had. The SS trim was as Corvette-like as a Camaro can get: it was powered by a 305-horsepower Corvette LT1 V8. Performance was further enhanced by a high-performance exhaust system and special sport suspension package featuring Bilstein shock absorbers. The Camaro is great fun to drive and at a reasonable price. Consumers rave about its price and peppy ride. Reviews are mixed on the gas mileage, with some drivers suprised about how such a heavy car can get such excellent mileage, and others disappointed in the city miles. Acceleration is universally lauded, while several drivers complain about typical Camaro problems: the low-riding, easily-bottomed-out front end and easily derailed fuel relay lines. The standard Camaro seatbelts were in place, but we ignored them and buckled on the wide racing lap belts, tugging hard on the cinching strap. A twist of the ignition key revealed a basso profundo V-8 idle as deep as a Colorado mine shaft. Track officials have specified the 4L60-E electronically controlled automatic transmission because 'it's just one less driver distraction' when trying to corral tens of thousands of horsepower roaring up behind at mach speed. If there's ever a time to avoid a missed gear, that would be it. We squeezed the short-throw brake pedal and pulled the lever into Drive.
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