The guys at Chevrolet are nothing more than a bunch of dirty, dirty liars. Upset that Ford had introduced a new V6 in the Mustang that just happened to best the V6 in the Camaro by 1 hp, Chevy took a unique approach to winning the power war. Their tactic revolves around claiming the original estimates for the V6 were too conservative, and the now-SAE certified figure of 312 horses is accurate. So the Camaro’s V6 gets an extra 8 hp and 5 lb-ft of torque… on paper. They’re also considering actually releasing the perpetually delayed convertible for 2011, but otherwise the Camaro will remain unchanged.

That means we’ll be looking at the same LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS, and 2SS trims, powered by either a 3.6-liter V6 or a 6.2-liter V8. LS and LT trim levels get the fallaciously uprated V6, an impressive engine regardless of deception. Its 312 hp come in at 6,500 rpm - 100 rpm later than in 2010 – while its 278 lb-ft of torque arrive 100 rpm quicker than in 2010, here at 5,100 rpm. You get a choice of six-speed transmissions offering 17/29 mpg with the manual and 18/29 with the automatic, although testers have been less than impressed with both. The manual has been criticized for being less than precise, and the automatic for being slow to downshift. An optional short-throw shifter seems to take care of the issues with the manual, but it’s a shame we need to turn to the options list just to get a suitable gearshift.

It’s even more necessary with the V8, which pushes 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque when paired with the six-speed manual transmission. The automatic, which performs with increased competence here, also offers six cogs and pairs with the V8 for 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. V8s with the automatic transmission also benefit from GM's Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation, which pushes highway mileage up to 16/25 mpg, as opposed to 16/24 for a V8 with the manual. While the V6 is a potent powerhouse, the V8 provides scary power, able to slide you rearward in your seat in five of its six gears.

The interior mimics the first-generation Camaro with its retro-styled gauges and controls, and unfortunately seems to have carried over the finish of that era as well. Cheap materials dominate the cabin, with hard plastics and cheap cloth as the base layout. Again, turn to the options list to fix this, with leather and trim packages available that do make a difference.

There are actually two additional changes for the Camaro in 2011. Synergy Green, a color previously available only on the 2010 Synergy special edition, is now available across the lineup, and the heads-up display introduced in the Corvette will now be made available for the Camaro.

But that certainly doesn’t make up for all the lying.