1997 Chevrolet Camaro 3.4L V6 4AT RWD (160 HP)

Vehicle Overview

After more than a decade on the market, GM retired the third generation of the Camaro and introduced the fourth sequel of this nameplate in January 1993 at the North American International Auto Show.

Every time a pony car was unveiled, customers were excited, and the unveiling of the fourth generation of the Camaro was met with the same joy. Like all its predecessors, it shared its underpinnings with the Pontiac Firebird and was available with various engine sizes and transmissions. It was one of the most affordable American daily driver sports cars. Furthermore, the 1993 Chevrolet Camaro looked aggressive and fast even when standing still. John Cafaro was responsible for the look of the car; the same person who penned the C5 Corvette. He made the sketches for the Camaro under the leadership of another famous automotive designer, Chuck Jordan.

At the front, the car sported the same idea of the recessed headlights seen on the previous generation of the Camaro. Between them, the automaker placed a tilted rearward panel integrated into the aerodynamically profiled bumper. Lower, on the apron, the 1993 Chevrolet Camaro had a slim and wide air intake for cooling the engine, with a set of turn signal lamps flanking it. Later, the automaker replaced the recessed headlights with wider ones that were exposed and had a more rounded shape.

From its profile, the low-slung and long nose of the vehicle was aerodynamically shaped. The 1993 Chevrolet Camaro sported an ascending beltline that ran along the bodywork and ended at the back of the car, on the hatch. Chevrolet offered the car in various grades, and the base ones were fitted with steel wheels and plastic caps. From the third grade up, though, these were replaced by 16-inch alloy wheels with 235/55R or 245/50ZR tires. Customers could choose between nine exterior colors for the car regardless of the trim level. At the back, the pony car featured one of the largest glass areas for a Chevrolet rear window integrated into the wide-opening hatch. A set of horizontal taillights shaped like water drops emphasized the car’s sporty character. Furthermore, Chevrolet installed a dual exhaust system, with pipes on each side of the vehicle peaking under the rear bumper.

Inside, cloth upholstery was standard across the range and available in four colors. The bucket seats up front had tall seatbacks with integrated headrests and side-bolstered areas. Fronting the driver was a rounded-shaped instrument cluster fitted with large dials for the speedometer and tachometer in the middle, flanked by the ammeter and oil pressure gauges on the left and by the fuel level and coolant temperature ones on the right. The AM/FM tape player was standard, with an option for a CD player. Surprisingly, the AC was also optional for the entire range. In the back, the bench seat was profiled for two people, albeit with barely any headroom and legroom. At the same time, the trunk was generously sized.

The 1993 Chevrolet Camaro was available with a 3.4-liter V6 engine that produced just 160 hp (162 PS), which was joined by a 3.8-liter one with the same architecture for the 1995 model year. All versions were mated to a standard five-speed manual gearbox, while a four-speed automatic transmission was on the options list. Unlike its V8-powered siblings, the regular Camaros were fitted with front disc brakes and rear drums, albeit with standard ABS.