We still haven’t a clue what Holden meant when it promised it will always have a rear-wheel drive, V8 sports car in its portfolio. Since the news broke out during the 2015 North American International Auto Show, speculation has moved from sixth-generation Camaro, to C7 Corvette, to an all-new, V8-powered vehicle.
However, the Chevrolet Camaro has once again been brought up. Wheels reports newly appointed General Motors Vice President of Global Design, Michael Simcoe, will lobby the automaker to build a business case for a right-hand drive Camaro.
Simcoe, who replaces retiring Ed Welburn, has close ties to Holden, and is a native to Australia. He stated he has already been approached, but did not name names, about individuals clamoring for the Camaro down under.
“If you’re asking about a rear-wheel-drive performance V8 … I understand the things this [Australian] market needs so I will certainly help wherever I can,” Simcoe told Wheels. “Some people at Holden have already asked the question.”
Simcoe will certainly have the influence needed when he arrives in Detroit, Michigan to assume his new role shortly, as he walks the halls among CEO Mary Barra and product chief, Mark Reuss, also a former Holden chairman.
“I recognize the need for a niche product that creates performance aspiration or aspiration for the brand itself and I will help make that happen. But I won’t do it in an irrational way. I was intensely loyal and passionate about Holden, but I was always rational and I will remain that,” Simcoe said when explaining a business case for a RHD Camaro.
While Simcoe will help, chief Camaro engineer, Al Oppenheiser will more than likely have some sway, too. He has already stated his team is watching the Mustang’s performance in Australia carefully. The goal will be to see if sales are sustained, or if the Mustang madness fizzles away after each order is fulfilled.
Comments
Keep watching Ford make bold moves…
Exactly. By the time a RHD Camaro ever made it to market down under, the sales will be “fizzled out”.
Remember, GM made the announcement about shuttering Australian production in Dec. 2013, that’s 2 1/2 years ago! Now the RHD Mustang is a reality and GM has nothing available or even “in the works”? They are “watching”.
If General Motors wants to get serious in selling their products to the rest of the world, they’re going to need to start building cars with steering wheels on the right hand side because it’s sort of like when British cars only had right handed steering wheels as they were only to sell just a handful of them.
A Camaro as the Monaro and a new RWD under Alpha Impala as next Commodore.