Whitby This Week by Melissa Mancini:  Keep your eyes peeled, the 2010 model is on the road.

It’s a guy magnet.  The new Chevrolet Camaro is out on the road being tested by General Motors employees to see how it fits, feels and performs.  GM spokeswoman Suzanne Harrison is one of the evaluators of the redesigned classic and she said she can’t go anywhere without getting a lot of attention.  Especially from the opposite sex.

“Whenever I stop at a gas station or grocery store there are always at least two or three people huddled around the car looking at it,” she said.

The one she’s driving right now is a V6, which is more than enough power, she said.  It’s “Victory Red” but she’s also driven a model in “Rally Yello.”

No matter what the colour, she just loves driving it, she said.  “It’s the image, it’s the feel, it just makes you happy,” she said.

When she takes the car for a spin on the highway she’ll be honked at, has drivers waving at her and even gets the odd thumbs-up.

Ms. Harrison and her colleagues are putting the Oshawa-built vehicle to the test, using them in the same conditions that drives will once the cars are in dealerships.  The red V6 has snow tires on it.  the team has left models out in the frigid cold for two nights to ensure the car starts up no problem.  There are many being driven by executives in the south to scrutinize summer behaviour.

Besides performance reviews, testers are looking at practical design elements as well.  “Is there somewhere convenient to put your purse, does the cup holder feel like it’s in the right spot,” Mr. Harrison said.

Staff fill out extensive surveys and give  feedback about all aspects of the ride.  And it’s important that it’s not just engineers doing the driving it’s “regular drivers” too, as Ms. Harrison described herself.

Oshawa is a great place to build the sports car, she said.  “The fact that it is being built in the Oshawa car plant talks a lot to reassuring customers because of the plant’s solid quality record,” she said.  “We are going to get it right the first time.”

The Camaro is set to be at dealerships in the spring and summer.  GM has been accepting advance orders for the car since last October.

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