There's no denying the new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is an eye-catcher, and it has the performance to match it, with even the V6 variant checking in at over 300hp. But all that mean and too little green could be making it harder for General Motors, despite over 18,000 sales so far.

GM's new de facto controlling investors - lawmakers in Washington - do not appreciate the car's success, however. Despite the V6's 29mpg highway rating, the Camaro, especially the V8-powered models including the 2010 Camaro SS (pictured above), does not fit with the 'advanced vehicle technology' tag being bandied about the industry.

A more eco-friendly approach may be necessary to appease the legislators, reports Financial Times, but that may not be something GM can justify doing - at least not if it means cutting back on the Camaro. Already the huge interest in the car has lead to the addition of another shift at the Oshawa plant where GM builds the Camaro.

A similar problem faces all carmakers in the U.S. market right now: go for the advanced vehicle technology assistance and leave behind a huge segment of the market? Or play both sides of the field, hoping that neither hand sees what the other is doing?

In the end, it may just be that whatever sells cars wins the day - and the Camaro is certainly selling, even in the face of a recall over bad battery cables.