We must commend the blokes at Car Advice for getting down to business and grabbing scoops from Chevrolet Camaro lead engineer, Al Oppenheiser.
Not only did he spill the possibility for a successor to the Zeta-based Chevrolet SS, but he also revealed a right-hand drive, sixth-generation Camaro is more likely than ever.
“If we think the volume is such that we should do the right-hand drive, it’s an investment to do that for us. If the volume wouldn’t sustain it, you know, there’s nobody in Japan anymore, so it would be Australia and the UK,” Oppenheiser said.
Oppenheiser pointed directly to the Ford Mustang and its performance in Australia, which is now sold out until 2017, that his team will study to help build justification for a right-hand drive Camaro.
“I’ll tell you we’re studying our competitors over in Dearborn and what they’re doing: is it a success for them? Is it not?”
He went on to clarify the intricacies of what a sound business case for a right-hand-drive Camaro program would look like:
“Well this is what you have to understand: is it a demand because everybody that wanted one bought one in the first year? And are they going to sell them in year two? You don’t want to do that, right? It’s like your V8 – everybody’s going to buy your V8 first, so you want to have all your suppliers ready to pump out as many V8s as you can, because they’re going to buy them first. Then it levels off – V6 and our 2.0-liter turbo will take over as the volume leader.”
“The same thing with that right-hand-drive decision is, is it something that will sustain a certain volume every year? If it is, we’ll do it,” he said making a bold statement for a Holden-branded Camaro.
Oppenheiser had also previously stated his, and the automaker’s, understanding of the Australian market, mentioning how important performance variants are to the consumer. The proof will be in the product.
Comments
Glad to see GM are paying attention to Ford’s success. Does this mean if I want a RHD Camaro I should buy a Mustang to let GM know that the product is in demand?
LHD RHD Avista. Have some small engines for markets that demand it and give the US and Australia a v8.
The Camaro will be sold in LHD form in the UK from June – 2.0 Turbo auto and V8s with auto and manual . Given the lead-in time to developing a RHD version, I think this will more likely happen for the seventh generation.
There are ford fans, GM fans and neither fans. When most of unbiased people are left with only choice mustang, what can they do? Trust me, longer GM study, less Caramo will be sold. Why? Because my pantience is about a year and I think I’m better than most of the guys who just want an afforable V8 car.