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Camaro Officially Official

Dragon

By Dragon
in Chevrolet

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Dragon Newbie

Dragon

Posted
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http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=3&docid=27934

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Dear sports car fans: General Motors heard you loud and clear.

GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced today that GM will build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro sport coupe based on the award-winning concept that stole the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show and has ignited the passion of car enthusiasts around the world ever since – even spurring consumers to start petition drives and send in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits.

“The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the Camaro Concept continues to remind me of the uniquely iconic place our products can have in customers’ hearts,” Wagoner said. “Camaro is much more than a car; it symbolizes America's spirit and its love affair with the automobile.”

The all-new Camaro will begin with early production versions at the end of 2008 and will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. “The new Camaro will be almost identical to the concept, a thoroughly modern interpretation of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the best design of the car’s first generation,” said Ed Welburn, GM's global vice president of design, who owns a 1969 Camaro SS. The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe will feature an independent rear suspension, and will be offered in a variety of models with the choice of manual and automatic transmissions and V-6 and V-8 engines.

Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said the new Camaro will appeal to both men and women, and unite customers with fond memories of previous Camaros with those who first experienced a Camaro when the concept was unveiled in January.

“We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans,” said Peper. “The beauty of the best Camaros is that they have always been beautiful to look at with performance that rivals expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new-car buyers.”

In fact, the Camaro Concept design team embodies the universal appeal that Chevy envisions for the car: The core team reporting to the lead designer ranges in age from 27-35 and came from all over the world, yet they all had similar experiences growing up with a love for the Camaro and American performance cars. Their concept redefines the Camaro for both existing and new generations of fans in a contemporary way with responsive performance and modern technology.

Peper said Camaro will complement Chevy’s already-popular portfolio of performance vehicles led by Corvette and including its broad SS lineup.

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Northstar Newbie

Northstar

Posted
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Wagoner said the Camaro will come in "many shapes and sizes," so I think we all know what that means.

I was hoping we'd have other Zeta vehicles identified, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen today.

I guess it's like the Solstice, but I don't know if it will look as good in two and a half years.

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NOS2006 Newbie

NOS2006

Posted
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The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe will feature an independent rear suspension, and will be offered in a variety of models with the choice of manual and automatic transmissions and V-6 and V-8 engines.

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Variety of models. That sounds like.. 3+! :)

Edited by NOS2006
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NOS2006 Newbie

NOS2006

Posted
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Convertible? 

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I'd watch for NAIAS '07. That's how they did the Corvette (and how Ford did the Mustang, I think).. showed the coupe, then the convertible (but the Mustang was production with a concept coupe the year prior). Edited by NOS2006
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cavalier36 Newbie

cavalier36

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I look for them to show a concept convertible Camaro at the 07 NAIAS, we could probably see a new concept GTO there as well.. We still dont know where it will be assembled though.. Oshawa Ontario and Wilmington Del. are the rumored leading canidates.. Oklahoma City and Spring Hill TN are also possible. they should have no problem selling upwards of 120,000 camaro's a year, especially if they come in coupe and convertible versions.. Pontiac could probably move atleast 30,000 GTO's a year..

also I wouldnt mind seeing a Camaro with E85 capability.. which would be no problem if the 5.3L V8 is used. the displacement on demand would be a good idea too for the 5.3L..

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NOS2006 Newbie

NOS2006

Posted
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I heard a rumor that an actual, as of yet unseen, "production intent" car would be shown today. Guess it was just a rumor.

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Scott said we would not be disappointed if we went to the GM Heritage Center for the Camaro Rally today. Doh! Wish I could go! :censored:
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toesuf94 Newbie

toesuf94

Posted
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different styles...but no Firebird. Sorry. I have heard the words 'No Firebird!' from far too many sources to think that it is untrue. Pontiac will get the GTO.

I suspect that the Convertible will be shown at the 2007 NAIAS and will be the ideal showcase to show the production intent interior.

2007 NAIAS could be interesting...The Camaro, maybe the next Impala on zeta, the GTO? production Enclave, Acadia, et al...SS HHR - GMT-900 production hybrids...did somebody ask what was coming from GM? Todays anouncement proves there is life in GM - and that dreams can become reality.

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The O.C. Newbie

The O.C.

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I hope that is not the case.  The vehicle is stil 2 and 1/2 years away.

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I agree.....as much as I love this news, I sincerely hope that General Motors is anticipating where they will assuredly need to update this car and this design.....

What's hot now may not be as hot in 2.5 more years.....

I'd have been way more excited with a spring '08 introduction instead of a spring '09 intro.....but there's no use crying over spilt milk.

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AAS Newbie

AAS

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Sweet news! This means if I lease a Cobalt SS in a year and a half (waiting on my 25th b-day for the insurance break), I'll be ready for a new Z/28 when the term is up.

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Good point about the interim ride. Not like I really drive the SS much, considering it's a 2000 with 57k miles, but it's going to need a break. I was looking into a Cobalt SS (non-SC), but the headroom felt "snug" for me. Maybe i'll just pick-up a new Aveo...?

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Texas Shiznet Newbie

Texas Shiznet

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OMG, finally it's coming out. Long live the Camaro! lol, Black SS with the Top blown off!

and yea i kinda think there shouldnt be a firebird, but if they do decide to make one, hopely the stylin will totally different, and hope that they do make it modern like a lot of ppl been saying, make it handle as good as it looks, you know? With the power to back it up. And yea i think they should do DOD, on all or most of the engines, i dont really care if they make a hybrid, just more torque on the low end, if they do, or just better fuel economy. And maybe E85, atleast if your still able to tune it and, super or turbo it, its all good. :thumbsup:

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evok Newbie

evok

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Spring '09.....

Does this mean it will be an early '10 model....or a late '09?

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You know marketing folks and how they like to one up the next guy. As of January 1, 2009 legally the vehicle can be sold as a 2010MY vehicle.

Boy do I love when reality begins to set in.

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69396cst Newbie

69396cst

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I really thought they would make it to production sooner than 09. With some guys being able to buy them out right and me needing to finance. I imagine the camaro I have already starting saving for and arguing with the wife about is more like three years away. That really sucks.

Edited by 69396cst
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BuddyP Newbie

BuddyP

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2.5 years is a long time, how long does it typically take to design the neccessary machinery and create a full working assembly line?

Guess we'll just have to look at the prototype at the next 2 NAIAS's

Edited by BuddyP
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Cadillacfan Newbie

Cadillacfan

Posted
Posted

This car should already be here.  GM always seems late to the party.

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Then why is Ford rushing to get heavily refreshed Mustang on the road by then? The dodge Challenger may be a slight threat but the Camaro is the real adversary. Chevy's not late. It's just taking the game to the next level.

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Dragon Newbie

Dragon

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2.5 years is a long time, how long does it typically take to design the neccessary machinery and create a full working assembly line?

Guess we'll just have to look at the prototype at the next 2 NAIAS's

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To start from scratch, from concept to validation runs can take a long time. It has to be designed to be flexible, which takes longer than dedicated tooling too. Plus, if they are planning to build it in Oshawa, Plant #2 isn’t scheduled for shutdown till 2008, so its gonna be a while before they can install it. Unless the move production out of plant #2 before then.

We are in the final stages of building the line for the rear frame of the next Seqouia and it has taken about 10-11 months, and it still has to be validated down at the customers.

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Guest YellowJacket894

Guest YellowJacket894

Posted
Posted

This car should already be here.  GM always seems late to the party.

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Harley! You stole my old sig! :D

As for your post, I agree with it. I was hoping for a Spring '08 release.

Two whole years. Damn. Well, chances are I'll own one anyway. (Better prepare for dealer mark-up...)

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Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

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If we go by today's Camaro announcement, Oshawa will be a busy place in 2008 and after.

So, my question is: How much more capacity will Oshawa have assuming that it gets both Camaro and Impala? Enough to also handle GTO, Monte Carlo, and a Pontiac/Buick sedan? (Yes, I know Holden may be building the sedans for a while at least) But, add in a Buick droptop,an El Camino and a Monaro and things start to look mighty tight for capacity at Oshawa.

So, what if Wilmington is being eyed as the "zeta-expansion" plant as the number of models increases of the next few years? Let's just suppose that this is part of the Zeta game plan and Imports from Holden are a stopgap. Now,the set-up for Zeta could begin at Wilmington anytime whereas at Oshawa there will be a wait until its current products end production. So if Wilmington is intended to be part of the plan, who's to say certain models might not be produced on a different timeline than we now expect.

Just food for thought.

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91z4me Newbie

91z4me

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So, my question is: How much more capacity will Oshawa have assuming that it gets both Camaro and Impala? Enough to also handle GTO, Monte Carlo, and a Pontiac/Buick sedan? (Yes, I know Holden may be building the sedans for a while at least)  But, add in a Buick droptop,an El Camino and a Monaro and things start to look mighty tight for capacity at Oshawa.

Camaro and Impala, no problem lets say they are 80K and 120K per year respectively (I like to be conservative on figures). We can add GTO, 20K per year, Pontiac sedan 40K per year, Buick sedan 40K per year. That adds up to about 300K which Oshawa can do no problem, the Impala is being limited to 250K this year to help with residuals. Now we add in the rumored Buick drop top 10K per year, ElCamino (which would likely be built in Aus since it is such a low volume vehicle and would likely only be sold there) 3K per year, Monaro 8K per year (for Europe, the mideast, and AUS) TOPS. So we have an additional 21K per year. Which even just plant 1 could take care of. Now could the sedans be much higher volume sure but just looking at the numbers shows that the 2 plants should have more than enough volume. Camaro could have a higher initial demand and could be bumped up to 120K no problem.

So, what if Wilmington is being eyed as the "zeta-expansion" plant as the number of models increases of the next few years?  Let's just suppose that this is part of the Zeta game plan and Imports from Holden are a stopgap. Now,the set-up for Zeta could begin at Wilmington anytime whereas at Oshawa there will be a wait until its current products end production. So if Wilmington is intended to be part of the plan, who's to say certain models might not be produced on a different timeline than we now expect.

Just food for thought.

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Willmingon could be the initial Zeta plant but would they do that when the main plant will be available shortly thereafter, remember the huge cost of changing over a plant line?
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Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

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Camaro and Impala, no problem lets say they are 80K and 120K per year respectively (I like to be conservative on figures).  We can add GTO, 20K per year, Pontiac sedan 40K per year, Buick sedan 40K per year.  That adds up to about 300K which Oshawa can do no problem, the Impala is being limited to 250K this year to help with residuals.  Now we add in the rumored Buick drop top 10K per year, ElCamino (which would likely be built in Aus since it is such a low volume vehicle and would likely only be sold there) 3K per year, Monaro 8K per year (for Europe, the mideast, and AUS) TOPS.  So we have an additional 21K per year.  Which even just plant 1 could take care of.  Now could the sedans be much higher volume sure but just looking at the numbers shows that the 2 plants should have more than enough volume.  Camaro could have a higher initial demand and could be bumped up to 120K no problem.

Willmingon could be the initial Zeta plant but would they do that when the main plant will be available shortly thereafter, remember the huge cost of changing over a plant line?

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I think your numbers are a bit light on all fronts, but I understand the conservative approach. The Buick and Pontiac sedans are the real question and I see them at much higher volumes.

Wilmington could provide a great deal of flexibility to adapt to shifting demand and could provide a way to make more Zeta variants available. Worth the investment? I don't know, but the thought intrigues me. We could have these cars (or some of them) much faster if GM were to go with this approach.

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