I'm not bummed, but I'm getting there.

A eventually release date for a new Camaro seems to keep getting pushed back further and further until you're not sure GM would ever make a new one.

I'm thinking years are going to go bye before we know anything!

And Scott Settlemire hasn't posted in a long time, so I'm having doubts about his keep the faith speech.

 

Why does everyone think that the contract with CAW ends in 2005? The collective agreement with CAW ended in AUGUST OF THIS YEAR! CAMARO DIED WITH THE CONTRACT.

Think about this everyone:

CAW's contract ended THIS YEAR. GM wants to release a new Camaro, but does NOT want it produced in Canada for whatever reasons they may have. GM has a new Camaro already on tap, but they don't release it to production for the simple reason that closing up shop on Quebec, while moving the Camaro to a new factory in the middle of what is now the current contract, would cause union problems. You don't lay off 800 people of a union just to give the jobs to someone in another union. CAW would have hung GM out to dry if Camaro was moved to Mexico, or the USA in the middle of the contract.

For that matter, if they had left the plant open, the survival of the F-body would have been yet again another contract dispute between GM Canada and the CAW during their negotiations this past September.

This is why the fate of the f-body cars was so secret until last year.

GM now has a contract with the CAW. By January, they will have sold the majority of the F-body cars still on the lots. That will be the PERFECT time to drop a new concept on us. It will also be the perfect time to announce production of a 2005MY Camaro.

I am not saying for sure that a Camaro concept will be unveild. But I don't believe it can be a GTO, since we ALL know it's gonna come. We've seen Solstice, and we know a new y-body is almost upon us. My money is still on Camaro.

 

I hope you're right! I really do!!

 

Me too.

 

Same here,

 

Lutz has already stated that the GTO would be officialy displayed at the 03 NAIAS, so that cant be it. It has to be a rwd Monte Carlo, a Chevelle companion based on the GTO, or the C6. I doubt Camaro, (hope i'm wrong) and I would love to see a rear drive 2 door Impala SS with the convertible at its side. The ElCamino (ute) would also be a big one.

 

Personally, I don't have a clue what we'll see at the NAIAS. This quote, however, rattled something loose in my head. Why would you place a gag order on something that doesn't exist? I don't see GM placing gag orders on pink elephants, flying pigs, 8 second street driven Hondas, or anything else that doesn't exist. I think GM puts gag orders on projects in development that will benefit from the element of surprise, such as a well known car that needs to take a huge step away from its current image.
Imagine that you are GM and you know that your main competitor is redesigning their "pony" car. You have seen sketches as well as numerous reports of suspension set up and powertrain choices. You competitor has allowed this to happen because he was certain that he had the market to himself. With this knowledge you can dissect their car and produce one of your own that is better in every way.
Unveil said car when it is too late for your cash-strapped opponent to alter his design and voila! You have shocked the world. Hello fifth gen.

I wish.

 

Okay here's something else to ponder. Hopefully it adds some credence to the Camaro concept in Detroit idea.

C5 & C6 Platform: Annual
Corvette & Cadillac Roadster
Stated in Thousands
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Platform Production
Platform Total 32.1 33.2 34.8 36.5 36.7 48.2 48.1
Model Detail
Corvette 32.1 33.2 34.8 36.5 33.7 25.6 0.0
Corvette - C6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.5 35.1
Cadillac Roadster 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 14.0 13.0
Production By Plant
Bowling Green, Ky 32.1 33.2 34.8 36.5 36.7 48.2 48.1
Capacity
Bowling Green, Ky 28.8 28.8 28.8 28.8 28.8 57.6 57.6
Utilization
Bowling Green, Ky 111% 115% 121% 127% 127% 84% 83%
Sales Projections
Corvette - C5 29.2 30.0 31.2 32.5 30.7 31.1 31.8
Cadillac Roadster 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 13.0 13.0
Inventory Changes
Corvette 0.1 -0.6 2.2 -0.8 -0.1 -0.0 0.1
Cadillac Roadster 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Days Supply
Corvette 31.0 24.0 50.0 39.0 39.9 40.0 40.0
Cadillac Roadster 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 60.0 60.0 60.0

Source: Carmetrics.com

The Corvette plant is being expanded to accomodate the Caddy Roadster. The plant will however only be utilized at 84% capacity. That makes no financial sense especially when that plant has been producing at 120+% for the past 3 years. So that leaves 16%(9.4k units) of plant capacity for something else (not much I know). If, however, the plant is made to produce at 125% that translates to 23.8k units. Camaro production for '01 and '02 was 27.5k and 18.1k units respectively. Also if the fifth gen is to have IRS what better place to build it than Bowling Green, more sharing. For this to make sense though, the 5th gen would have to drop sigma and go with the C6 platform.

just adding more fuel to the fire

 

oops I just looked at actual 2002 prod #s Damn at that production level it's way too many to squeeze into B.G.

 

Simple. Because you have no interest in Camaro at the moment and you don't want to string along your enthusiasts, you simply don't talk about the Camaro badge....when you don't know what you're going to do with it you don't let anyone talk about it.

 

By process of elimination, I'm hoping for a camaro concept or SOME other Chevy RWD sportcoupe/sportsedan. Anything less will be a disappointment.

 

It will be the official announcement for the c6, completely redesigned and the best corvette ever.

As much as I would love to see a new camaro it just isn't going to happen, not yet at least. Give it another 2-3 years.


just my .02 worth.

 

From what I know the C5/C6 Y-body can not be a 2+2

 

GM has killed many enthusiast name plates over the years and I don't think they have ever restricted all discussion of those cars. Enthusiasts were teased for years with GTO show cars and 30 years later we've finally got a new one (thanks to the Aussies). They couldn't care less about whether we feel strung along or not.
They are also enforcing this gag order with the threat of immediate dismissal, including contract employees. I think the only way they can do that is if we are talking about proprietary information, relating to an actual product in development, not just "if, come, maybe". I believe we will definitely see a new Camaro but I don't know how soon. As for us Firebird guys, I fear we may not be as fortunate

 

Didn't they make the Impala? Not the FWD POS we got today, the RWD bad *** car from 1994-1996. Every once in a while, something Mr Moss dreams up, makes it to production. Not nearly enough, IMO.