December 19, 2010

Chevy builds antenna into body of 2011 Camaro convertible, includes free bumpers for all

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We know all about the great woes that can befall a company when it tries to integrate an antenna into the body of its product, so we couldn't resist covering Chevrolet's latest attempt to do the same -- but on a larger scale. Early versions of the 2011 drop-top Camaro found themselves rolling out and about with a rather unsightly appendage hanging off the rear, a big whip antenna that was a little too genuinely retro to go with the machine's throwback styling cues. On hardtop Camaros the antenna is integrated into the rear windshield but, given the disappearing nature of this car's roof, that wasn't possible here. For helpGM turned to two dedicated Antenna Engineers, Don Hibbard and Gregg Kittinger, who managed to find a way to bury the unsightly thing inside the svelte spoiler perched on the rear deck lid. Problem solved -- well, except that XM and OnStar require a separate shark fin that can sadly still be seen hanging out on the trunk. Maybe the 2012 model will be totally fresh and clean.

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