TCConfidential: Is GM Planning a Camaro Comeback?

Recycling is all the rage in Detroit this year. Consider Chrysler, which will follow this year's launch of the Dodge Charger with concepts dubbed Challenger and Imperial making their debut at January's North American International Auto Show. Even the Aspen is due for a return, as these shots on TheCarConnection.com illustrate. Over in Dearborn, Ford never abandoned the Mustang nameplate, but the brand was brought back to life with the current retro edition.

"So where's the Chevrolet Camaro?" we keep asking each time we snag a moment of General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's attention. The answer, apparently, is in Detroit in January. TCC can confirm that a Camaro concept is heading to the Detroit show, wearing a retro body with some parts-bin underpinnings that could lead to a real production version by 2009.

It's been more than three years since the Camaro was pulled from production, a victim of mediocre design and slumping sales. At one time, Chevy's pony car gave Mustang a serious run for its money, but over the years, the Camaro started to look like so many other GM's design-by-committee products.

If the shots we're seeing (but which we cannot yet legally provide TCC readers) are any indication, GM has learned its lesson. There'll be no more jellybean muscle cars, along the lines of the forgettable new GTO. The concept is a lot more aerodynamic than the angular bricks that dominated Woodward Avenue 40 years ago, but it clearly picks up the heritage of the mid-'60s Camaro.

Sources have suggested that the Camaro would ride on a version of the Solstice platform or on a new rear-drive Holden platform. The truth is a little hazy at this point, but given GM's past experience with putting concepts together out of its global parts bin - the HUMMER concept was one great example - a Camaro derived from existing rear-drive, non-Solstice bits seems most likely. The Kappa architecture is simply too small, and even stretched would have a hard time handling all the brute power GM will build into a revived Camaro. As for powertrain, expect a range of engines, including a Corvette-derived LS1. Considering Ford's getting ready to punch out an impressive 450 hp from the Shelby Cobra, we'd be shocked if GM doesn't intend to go it one better with Camaro.

Stay tuned for more information as the Detroit show nears - and get ready to savor a trio of all-American muscle not seen since the 1960s.

 

Damn straight.


I hate when people write lines like this for a magazine, because I could interpret the way that it is worded that all of the other generations of Camaro (or Mustang for the matter) do not match up to the original. It is obvious from the author's disdain of the 4th gen's design that he is glad to see a retro style car, but I really don't like when people dismiss all of the other generations of a Camaro (or anything for that matter). The Top Gear video review of the Mustang made similiar remarks about how the new Mustang was a breath of fresh air, and all of the other generations but the first were garbage (in so many words).

 

trio, as in all three being alive and comparable.

 

And don't forget if you have not heard yet Mustang will unvail its ne GT500 Shelby Convertible there at the show as well
We got to one up that.

 

Simple. LS7 .

Especially since GM loves using parts from their "global parts bin" anyway.

 

Hmm... No respect for the 4th gen, which was a superior car to its competitor (Mustang) in just about every way except the high-school girl/drivability factor.

I like how they predict: "As for powertrain, expect a range of engines, including a Corvette-derived LS1." An LS1? Really? Interesting, considering the Corvette now uses the LS2, and so do the other previous LS1/LS6 cars (GTO, CTS-V). Even the SSR uses the LS2 exclusively.

 

I'll second that. For my money the LT1 4th gens were the second best Camaro's built (the early 2nd gens being the best of course) and the '93-'96 interior the best (barring material quality) Chevy ever put in a Camaro, if not all their sports cars.

Of course, I don't look at the past through rose colored glasses.....