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PLYMOUTH, MI – Talk about your transformations.

General Motors Corp. takes what was arguably its least sophisticated and most dated machine – even before it got placed on a 7-year production hiatus – and spins it into the ‘10 Chevrolet Camaro.

This Camaro, riding on the auto maker’s all-new Zeta rear-wheel-drive platform, is so packed with technology and refinement it will make folks forget about previous iterations in the 4.9 seconds it takes a Super Sport model to go from 0-60 mph (97 km/h).

Choose the standard powertrain, which swaps the 426-hp 6.2L Camaro SS V-8 for a 304-hp 3.6L V-6 with direct injection, and 60 mph comes in 6.1 seconds, regardless of whether the car is outfitted with a 6-speed automatic or manual transmission.

At the same time, more sensible, realistic driving with a V-6 model can yield an Environmental Protection Agency-rated 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km) on the highway, while a muscular, modern and classically proportioned exterior design combines with a cockpit-like interior featuring subtle hints from Camaro’s earliest years to ensure passengers arrive in style no matter how quickly they choose to reach their destination.

Now that’s not just expert design and engineering, it’s downright heroic work for an auto maker struggling on life support from U.S. taxpayers.