Chevrolet Camaro Convertible vs Infiniti G37: 2012 twin test

Driving into the sunset on a deserted highway or cruising along a beach front boulevard with the wind in your hair... it’s easy to let your imagination run away with you when thinking about drop-top US muscle cars.

However, drive one of these charismatic machines in the UK, and our unpredictable weather and tight, twisty lanes will soon make any dreams of Route 66 evaporate.

That’s something Chevrolet is hoping to change with the Camaro. It’s currently the best-selling sports car in the US, ahead of its arch rival, the Ford Mustang. And now Chevy has decided to officially import the car to the UK.

It’s been modified for the European market, but is still left-hand drive, and the Camaro gives you a big V8 engine and head-turning looks for just over £40,000.

Facing the newcomer is the similarly priced Infiniti G37 Convertible. It’s also popular on the other side of the Atlantic, and the V6-powered cabrio offers comparable performance and a folding hard-top. So which of these big convertibles will have its moment in the sun?

First place: Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

In June 1966 the first Chevrolet Camaro was revealed to the US motoring public. It was designed to take on the big-selling Ford Mustang, and General Motors’ muscle car went on to achieve equally legendary status.

Used - available now

2023 Hyundai

Tucson

20,308 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash £23,630

View Tucson

2024 Ford

Tourneo Connect

31,644 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £20,197

View Tourneo Connect

2022 Jaguar

F-Pace

41,477 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £21,740

View F-Pace

2024 Vauxhall

Mokka Electric

18,778 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £13,200

View Mokka Electric

When production stopped in 2002, all four generations of Camaro had left their mark, but the original was the most revered. So during the design process of the current car, GM’s chief designer Ed Welburn left his own 1969 classic in the studio as inspiration.

And it clearly worked. Take a look at the fifth-generation model, and the historical nods are clear to see. They’ve proven popular, too, as the fifth-generation Camaro has been a huge hit in the US: in 2009, its first full year on sale, 81,300 found homes there.

Despite this success, Chevrolet has very modest expectations for the car in the UK. It’s bringing only 200 examples here a year, so exclusivity will be guaranteed, but this low volume of sales means Chevy hasn’t converted the Camaro to right-hand drive.

Aside from obvious issues at ticket machines and drive-through restaurants, the left-hand-drive layout combines with the car’s thick pillars and narrow windscreen to create numerous blind spots.

Still, the cabin itself is modern and attractively designed. The quartet of dials mounted on the transmission tunnel is a nod to Camaros of old, while the chunky instrument pod and rubberised climate dials are neat touches. But although the layout is straightforward compared to the complex Infiniti, some shiny plastics take the edge off the interior’s appeal.

The folding roof is disappointing, too. Thin fabric means the rear screen flaps a little at speed, while the manual hood release is clunky and stiff to operate. The electric folding operation is noisy, but it’s far faster than the G37’s hard-top and, unlike the Infiniti, you still have some luggage space left when the hood is folded. But buffeting is an issue at speed, while even with the hood up, plenty of road noise enters the cabin.

The large 20-inch wheels generate lots of tyre roar and thump over poor surfaces, and you can feel the body flexing and detect some vibration through the steering wheel. However, the Camaro is rock-solid when compared to the less rigid Infiniti, and it handles better, too.

Cornering the Chevy is all about getting used to its hefty 1,920kg kerbweight. There’s dive and squat when you accelerate and brake, and you’re acutely aware of the car’s weight when you turn into bends. Yet while the steering is a little slow and lacking in feel, body movement is well controlled, and on dry roads there’s lots of grip and decent traction.

But it’s the big V8 under the bonnet that makes the Camaro a genuine muscle car. So it’s a shame the 6.2-litre’s exhaust note is so muted, with none of the thunderous rumble you’d expect. Initial throttle response is a bit flat, too, and the 399bhp engine tails off at higher revs. As a result the Chevy doesn’t feel quite as fast as you’d expect. But with 556Nm of torque and a strong wave of mid-range thrust, the performance is there.

Keeping the engine in this sweet spot means the Camaro feels faster, particularly when you use the six-speed automatic box in manual mode, although shift speeds are still relatively leisurely, and there’s not much of a throttle blip on downchanges.

At the test track, the Chevy sprinted from 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds. It trailed the Infiniti in terms of in-gear response, but thanks to the £41,525 price tag, you’re still getting plenty of punch for your pound.

High emissions, pricey insurance and poor residuals mean running costs are an issue. And even with the car’s clever cylinder shut-off function, we could still manage only 14.4mpg. Nevertheless, few cars at this price have the rarity, looks and feel-good factor to rival the latest Camaro.

Second place: Infiniti G37 Convertible

The Infiniti G37 is a big seller in the US, but it hasn’t made much impact on the sales charts on this side of the Atlantic.

This rarity factor is likely to appeal to buyers wanting something a little different. But the G37 will need more than exclusivity to win this contest. The car in our pictures is from our own Auto Express fleet. Over the past six months it’s given a decent account of itself as a daily driver, but how will it fare under the intense glare of the road test spotlight?

It’s at an immediate disadvantage due to its £45,670 price, while fans of the Camaro’s pumped-up looks won’t be convinced by the G37’s soft curves. Still, its smaller dimensions look more at home on UK roads, while the folding hard-top will be a selling point for some – although it demands compromises.

For starters, the bulbous rear end – where the roof is stored – does little for the car’s looks, and with the top down the boot capacity is reduced from a Camaro-beating 366 litres to a miserable 56 litres. While the roof’s operation is fully automatic, it takes a lengthy 31 seconds. There’s less wind noise with the hood up than in the fabric-topped Chevy, although our Infiniti suffered from a disappointing amount of squeaks and rattles, and headroom is tight in the back.

The rest of the cabin is equally difficult to admire. There’s a tiny hint of retro Maserati inspiration about the central clock, curved dash and wood-effect trim, but mismatched materials, a dated design and some Nissan-sourced switchgear knock the premium aspirations of this car. At least the generous standard kit count goes some way to offsetting the G37’s higher list price.

On the road, the Infiniti’s performance isn’t as far adrift as you might expect. It gives away two cylinders, 196Nm of torque and 83bhp to the Camaro, but was only two tenths down from 0-60mph, with a time of 6.4 seconds, and the G37 recorded slightly faster in-gear times in third and sixth.

Unfortunately, the engine lacks character. Power delivery is fairly flat at low revs and strained as you reach the red line. The slow shift action of the seven-speed auto gearbox also takes the edge off driving enjoyment. But it’s in corners where it really disappoints. The steering is faster than in the Camaro, but body control is dreadful, and with the roof down you can feel the chassis twisting as you turn.

Plus, despite recording better stopping figures than the Camaro, the Infiniti has less progressive brakes, and there’s precious little feel or feedback from any of the controls. Worse still, an unsettled ride means the G37 isn’t a comfortable cruiser, either.

Marginally better residuals and fuel economy win back some points against the Chevrolet, but it’s hard to pinpoint an area where the Infiniti has the edge over the Camaro when it comes to desirability.

Facts and figures