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SAN DIEGO – There’s nothing like a convertible to put a smile on your face, especially when there’s 376 cu.-ins. of Detroit muscle purring under the hood.

The new ’11 Chevrolet Camaro does just that. A visual stunner, the drop-top is equally impressive on the road. More importantly, it shows what the new General Motors can do when it puts its mind to it.

Immediately noticeable on a test drive here is how stiff the Camaro’s body is, with typical convertible chassis flex virtually nonexistent. That’s because Chevy engineers designed the vehicle as a convertible from the onset, rather than a chopped-top version of the coupe.

Several body reinforcements were added to the Camaro’s frame for the convertible, including a tower-to-tower brace under the hood, a transmission-support brace, underbody tunnel brace and front and rear underbody “V” braces.

The suspension is tuned toward stiff and handling is spot-on, with little input required in negotiating tight curves. Still, the ride is smooth, not harsh, with nary a shake over the pavement’s rougher patches.

Chevy offered up two models to drive – the base version fitted with a 312-hp direct-injection 3.6L V-6 and the eye-popping SS with 6.2L V-8 generating 426 hp.

After brief stints in each, it’s obvious these are two completely different animals.