2015 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 LONG-TERM UPDATE 5

 In theory, we all live with these cars day in and day out, but that’s not always the practice. I spent three out of the past five weeks out of the office on assignment, not driving the Z/28, and when I wasn’t out of town, I was often on local assignments with other cars. I finally got to drive the Z/28 again for the first time in more than a month, and it’s good to be home.

The Z/28, it goes without saying, is a car with character. It’s one of the reasons my co-workers and I like it so much. It’s not a generic, do-whatever, point-A-to-point-B car. It has quirks that have to be accepted at face value. To most consumers, those quirks would be needless frustrations, but to car fans, they’re endearing at best and worth the trade-off at worst.

Getting back in the Z/28 after weeks in sedans, SUVs, and trucks was a revelation. Upon first being reacquainted, the Z/28 is difficult to get into, hard to see out of, wider than anything but a midsize barn, and rides like a Conestoga wagon (with the grip of a gorilla playing with superglue, but still). A lot of Corolla drivers might find all that off-putting, but to me and my ilk, it’s all part of the experience.

See, after all that crossed my mind, I turned the key, the big LS7 roared to life, and I forgot all about that stuff. The sound of the engine, the power, the huge grip and playful, talkative steering all came rushing in, and the compromises didn’t matter. Every time I drove it over the next few days, I drove it hard, basking in the car’s performance and responsiveness. Fortunately for me, no law enforcement happened to be in the vicinity. If that isn’t what driving is about, I don’t want to drive.