Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Plants/Manufacturing, GM
Camaro to get green light this week
The Detroit Free Press reports that General Motors has green-lit production of the extremely popular Chevy Camaro concept. While GM spokesperson Steve Harris would not confirm questions on the Camaro's status last week, others within GM state top brass has given it the thumbs up. GM chairman Rick Wagoner may give the official word as early as this Thursday. We have to wonder if the news of the Dodge Challenger getting the go for production lit a fire under the collective butt of GM.
Related:
Officially official: Challenger a "Go"!
Camaro Convertible not far behind
New Chevy Camaro Concept pics released by GM ALL HIGH REZ
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
SkyMan 8:54AM (8/06/2006)
Wow, this or the new challenger? Going to be tough to choose especially if we end up seeing SRT and SS models. :D
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Chris 9:23AM (8/06/2006)
It looks great but GM will be too late to market with it. The Mustang and Challanger will have covered this market niche and by the time the Camero hits the showrooms in 2009 the muscle car revival will probably be over. Once the diehard Camero fans get theirs, they will have problems to meet their 100K+ sales targets. Cars have much in common with fashion items - they have to hit the market when demand it high, not when its convenient for the manufacturer.
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laserwizard 9:40AM (8/06/2006)
Wonder why it is taking Wagoner so long to approve the botched concept he meddled with? The version he ultimated came up with is an amateurish, teenager inspired design that has all the added touches of a Victorian Funeral Home. What he started with was clean and classic. What we now have is moronish, cartoonish, and will sell its typical 40,000 to the pent up weenie GM sycophants. Just like the GMT-900's, once GM has satisfied their sycophant base, no one will buy the Camaro. It is that homely - and the interior is the deal clincher - it is one of the worst ever. I suppose I should be thankful that GM didn't take the Cobore and make its instrument panel into the Camaro like it did in its Tahoe and top of the line GM mutt trucks. Yards of awful fake wood and cheap plastics.
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Petey 10:13AM (8/06/2006)
Outside of Camaro fanboys, this will be seen as a lame attempt to cash in on the retro/muscle car fad. Who knows how high gas prices will be when this thing finally comes out. This product release will be out of sync with market demands ... again.
And. How soon before the Pontiac dealers start demanding (DEMANDING, dang it) a Firebird/TransAM rebadged? Isnt Pontiac the BMW of GM (according to putz anyways).
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Whydrive 10:45AM (8/06/2006)
Maybe that's why Toyota stopped talks of building a Supra replacement...since everyone would rather get one of their econoboxes.
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Vinny 11:20AM (8/06/2006)
There we go again, someone always has to bring up Toyota when the talk is of GM. Toyota imo should have went ahead and built the Supra replacement. It could have been a new "halo" car for them, much like how Honda has (or should I say had) the NSX and S2000, Nissan the Z (and soon the GT-R), Ford the Mustang and GT, etc etc. In this case, GM already has a "halo" car in the form of the Corvette. Building the Camaro, if it's done right, could work as a new "halo" car for them.
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dave 11:30AM (8/06/2006)
lazerwizard, i can't believe how profoundly stupid all of your posts are. we all know what side of the ocean cars you promote, but it gets a little old. every auto show the camaro and challenger appeared, thousands of people cheered and raved about these concepts. how is it that you qualify as the "ultimate critic"? or is it that you think an xb is the ultimate muscle car.
#4,production will start roughly the same time as the challenger. i put my mustang order on hold just til these two arrive. gas mileage? when you are in a market for a car of this caliber, who gives a sh#t.
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Tom W 12:09PM (8/06/2006)
I'm sure the Camaro was given the green light a long time ago. The timing of the announcement is a marketing decision.
I'm getting excited about having multiple choices for a powerful American style coupe. Powerful engines and styling will always be popular. Chrysler, Dodge, and Cadillac seem to be doing quite well with their 4-door muscle. 2-door muscle is the next logical step.
I'm sure fuel mileage concerns will be addressed by offering economy settings for the engine management computer. Displacement-on-demand is an obvious example. And lets not forget that there are many people who don't consider gas mileage as a top priority when choosing a car. It's a big world with 6 billion people. Plenty of them can afford the gas. I don't care about the enviroweenies driving around in their "political statement" hybrids. I'm going to enjoy gasoline until it runs out. Then I'll pick up an electric muscle car.
And regarding Pontiac dealers demanding a Firebird, I think the next GTO should shut them up. The next GTO is another car I'm excited about. The last one was just a sheetmetal tweak away from greatness.
The future is looking good concerning car choices. Now I've got to find a hot looking girlfriend for the passenger seat :)
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FordMan 12:38PM (8/06/2006)
I agree with the cartoon looks. I think the original concept was a better looking reto than what they ended up with. I would like to know what the msrp will be on this car. Their high prices are what killed the Camaro and Trans-Am in 2002. The GTO was $32,000 and I'm sure this will be above that. They need to take a look at the Mustang. Several diffrent engine options. You can buy a 6 cyl Mustang with the GT package. While some people (me included) would want the performance, many people just want the looks.
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Ryan 12:39PM (8/06/2006)
"2. It looks great but GM will be too late to market with it. The Mustang and Challanger will have covered this market niche and by the time the Camero hits the showrooms in 2009 the muscle car revival will probably be over."
-I have a quick question I'm not to sure about. It seems as if history is repeating itself, although it was about two decades before I was born but anyway...
Back in the day when the market was taken by storm with the orginal Mustang, how long did it take GM back then to come out with the Camaro?! I'm not to sure, I just wonder if it mimics that or not.
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All World Automotive 12:58PM (8/06/2006)
Anyone have any idea what the price point will be?
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BOB 12:58PM (8/06/2006)
First, to Ryan, asking the interval between the first Mustang and first Camaro -- it was about 30 months, but the Mustang came from the existing Falcon, and the Camaro from the existing Chevy II.
This time, GM idiots killed the rear drive production awhile back, so there was nothing to base the Camaro on.
Not to mention that the Camaro was a low-class joke at the end of its previous life, oversized and crappy.
SOLUTION____________________________________
GM brass needs to remember, that when inserting its head into its rear end, it should use some axle grease, so the parts do not get frozen in place.
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Gary 1:01PM (8/06/2006)
Ryan:
The Mustang came out in the spring of 1964 as a '65 model. The Camaro came out in the fall of 1966 as a '67 model. So, about 2-1/2 years. In fairness, you didn't have all the government regulations (e.g. crash-testing) back then. Not that simply canceling the regulations would make GM actually produce a new car in under 3-4 years.
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TriShield 1:30PM (8/06/2006)
Lots of asinine comments so far, but it is AutoBlog and that's typically par for the course.
This car was given the green-light long ago. Anyone who really believed GM never created it with the intention of producing it is living on another planet.
Finally, a Chevrolet product with some real style. his is the Camaro the faithful have been waiting for, and what a proper Camaro is supposed to look like. It has the styling that will attract a broad range of customers. Many will be trading in Mustangs, others will have never owned a pony car before or may even be adding it as a second, third or fourth vehicle. The Camaro is based on the Holden VE Commodore, so it's foundation will be solid and guarantees it will be a very nice car to drive.
The car will be a hit, even if it's late to the party in 2010. That might not be a bad thing, afterall the Challenger will be two years old and people will trade them in for a Camaro.
The real lesson for GM with cars like this is that all their products should have styling this eye-catching, and buzz-creating. Absolutely all of their products, even their fullsize trucks.
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Drewboy 2:56PM (8/06/2006)
Unfortunately for GM & Dodge, I think that once the initial buyers have theirs, that they aren't going to see any other buyers! Why? GAS COSTS AND IMPRACTICALITY! I'd love to have one of these cars too, but I can't justify it at this point in time.
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Finished.Law.School 2:56PM (8/06/2006)
Based on the popular public response this car should have been greenlit a long time ago. GM always seems slow on no brainer decisions like this.
For all the folks who really want this car I am hoping that the UAW does not screw it up for you...
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Ryan 3:10PM (8/06/2006)
"For all the folks who really want this car I am hoping that the UAW does not screw it up for you..."
-Well it's better than getting it unscrewed.
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jjaxon 3:34PM (8/06/2006)
gas prices were 35 cents a gallon and yearly gross pay was about an average $4000.. for the working man..... gas is 2.85 a gallon and now the average working man is $35,000 yearly... gas is right where it should be .. should be a little higher in fact.. mileage is better now so gas isnt as expensive now as back in the early 70's.. people will get used to 3.00 gas and cars will stay fairly large and powerful... no one wants to ride in a roller skate like those little tyoatas and hondahs...
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the friendly grizzly 5:22PM (8/06/2006)
Ryan #10: it took 3 years. The Camaro came out as a 1967 or 8 as memory serves. Everyone back then also said three years late and a dollar short. Well, I am an old geezer, so I remember those days. Cars were generally paid off in 3 years, and folks went looking for something new. That "new" for the owner of the three year old Mustang was the Camaro. Fresh design, and nice looking. Lots of Mustang on Chevy dealer used car lots in 1968...
Same with the HHR. It is selling quite well, and steadily. Five years "late". Car contracts go about 5 years now, generally.
GM has done some dumb things in the past, every car maker has. But they have a moderate hit with the HHR; I fully expect them to do well with the Camaro. You might ask: would the friendly grizzly buy one? No, I would not, for the same reason I won't buy a Mustang or a Challenger. I don't get in and out of ANY standard sedan very easily, much less something lower to the ground like the three sporty-cars. My choice is some form of cross-over, or another pickup when the time comes.
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whofan 6:45PM (8/06/2006)
I wish GM would build the Belair concept they had a few years back.
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