Behind the wheel of the 2016 Camaro

Alexander Alusheff | Lansing State Journal

LANSING – I drive a clunky 2005 Ford Focus hatchback. I don't usually turn heads when I drive down the highway.

Recently, however, my ride was the envy of most drivers I passed on the highway, including a Gratiot County sheriff’s deputy.

I had the chance to test drive the new 2016 Camaro with Sam Eddy, a sales consultant at Feldman Chevrolet on Michigan Avenue. The dealership had a silver 2LT coupe with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that packs 336 horsepower.

I’m not a car guy. I can’t tell you why a 3.6-liter V6 is better than my foot-powered Flintstone engine, but what I can tell you is that it sure was fun to drive.

It's a big deal in Lansing, Sam said, especially since the car was built at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant a few miles away. It's the first time Lansing has produced the Camaro and the first time since 1992 that it has been made in the U.S., coming over from Canada. Last month, before it even hit the dealerships, it won Motor Trend’s 2016 Car of the Year Award.

It’s well deserved.

Its sleek design looks like something that fictional billionaire Bruce Wayne would drive. When I sunk into the driver's seat, I felt like Bruce Wayne, not Batman exactly, but definitely Bruce Wayne. Lights and displays popped up. I could have spent 30 minutes on the touchscreen radio display. All I needed was Alfred to pop up on the intercom and a cape. The heated seat and steering wheel were good enough, though.

The large display is helpful, however, as it links to the backup camera when you’re in reverse. This is nothing new technology-wise, but it's necessary because the rear view window is small. Backing out in a tiny coupe that costs more than I make in a year was a little intimidating.

My worries faded when I started driving. The Camaro is a smooth ride, even on pothole-infested Michigan Avenue. You hear the bumps, but you barely feel anything considering how low you are to the ground.

The highway is where this baby shines. When I pulled on U.S. 127 north, I felt like I was in command of the road and everyone on it. When I reached 70, it felt like I was going 45. The car was begging me to go faster. With a top speed of 160, I wasn’t even pushing it. I wanted to though.

Other drivers would look at me as I whizzed by, glaring at first, before admiring the car.

I asked Sam if the Camaro brought out anyone's wild side on test drives.

“I had one guy who decided to tail whip it out of the parking lot so I brought him back in,” he said of a past experience with a 2014 model.

Just as I pulled out of the fast lane to get off at Round Lake Road, a sheriff’s deputy overtook me. I was worried for a second that he was going to nab me for speeding, but the look he gave me was not one of disapproval. It seemed to say, "Nice ride, man."

When we got back to the lot, I had a hard time leaving the car. It may well be the last time I ever sit inside one. Well, at least this year’s model. That’s a perk of covering General Motors. I’ll get to drive whatever comes next. I'm hoping for the Batmobile.

Contact Alexander Alusheff at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.