1982 Camaro: the Return of the Iron Duke?

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No, not the Duke of Wellington and not a pro wrestler. When GM unveiled its 2010 Chevrolet Camaro to the media on Monday, it made much of the car’s purported fuel economy: 26 mpg on the highway with a 3.6-liter, 300-hp V6 and 23 mpg from its 400-plus-hp 6.2-liter V8. Informed speculation has it that the car may also be fitted with an even thriftier turbocharged four-cylinder. Ouch. Offf! Argh... A four cylinder?

This recalls another four-banger pony car, the 1982 Camaro fitted with the infamous Iron Duke engine, a 2.5-liter, 90-hp inline four bolted to a three-speed manual. Produced at the nadir of American performance, when fast-looking cars were made to suffer with wheezy, limp engines, the Camaro Iron Duke sauntered to 60 mph in an astonishing 20 seconds.

A car so bad it made my ‘Top 50 Worst Cars of All Time.’

Now, obviously, engine technology has come a long way since 1982, and a turbocharged four-cylinder Camaro would likely beat the skinny jeans off a V8-powered Camaro of just a few years ago.

And yet, lest we forget...