This is Motor Trend’s Car of the Year

November 17, 2015, 4:00 PM UTC
2016 Camaro Rolls Off Production Line At Lansing GM Assembly Plant
LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 26: The new General Motors 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is presented after it rolled off the production line at GM's Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant October 26, 2015 in Lansing, Michigan. The Gen Six Camaro is the first to be produced in the United States since the third generation Camaro in 1992. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Photograph by Bill Pugliano — Getty Images

The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is the Motor Trend Car of the Year for 2016—a conclusion that appeared to shock many of the magazine’s staff.

Many on the judging team said they thought the car “had a snowball’s chance in Hyundai’s desert proving grounds” of taking the top spot, but the technical specs of the Camaro won them over.

Motor Trend was impressed by three versions of the car—a V-8, a 3.6-liter V-6, and a brand new 8-speed automatic—but it was the 455 hp V-8 that really knocked their socks off.

The magazine gave out awards in two other categories as well: The Chevrolet Colorado won Truck of the Year while the Volvo XC90 won for SUV.

Read more about what makes this car so special here.