GM will pull the plug on its Chevy Camaro GT4 customer racing program once the vehicle’s FIA homologation expires at the end of the 2023 racing season.
In a recent interview with RACER, GM sportscar racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser confirmed GM has decided not to continue with its GT4 project in order to free-up resources for the new C8 Corvette GT3, which is set to begin customer deliveries in 2024.
“The homologation is good through the end of (2023), and then our plan at this point is to not renew it,” she explained. “The reason being is we want to put our full attention on our (2024) GT3 program with Corvette. We want to give that all the love that it needs to be successful.”
Photo via GT4 European Series on Facebook
The current GT4-spec Chevy Camaro was introduced at the beginning of the 2018 racing season as a turn-key, customer race car built to global SRO GT4 regulations. The race car is officially referred to by GM as the Camaro GT4.R and is built by Pratt Miller Engineering at a facility in Michigan on behalf of GM. It features a naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 based on GM’s LT1 engine architecture, which produces up to 480 horsepower in race trim, along with a six-speed sequential transmission and an Xtrac differential. Prices for eligible customer race teams start at $259,000.
There is currently one team racing the Chevy Camaro GT4.R in North America, Rebel Rock Racing, which fields a single car in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for drivers Frank de Pew and Robin Liddell. A Dutch team, V8 Racing, also fields a single car in the GT4 European Series with drivers Dante Rappange and Kenny Herremans. Klauser said Chevy is currently “doing what we can in the background,” to help Rebel Rock if they want to continue racing the Camaro GT4 in the U.S. through the end of next season. Once the FIA homologation expires, however, the team will have to switch to a new GT4 manufacturer.
Photo via Rebel Rock Racing on Facebook
The Camaro GT4 is a somewhat rare sight on race tracks, even here in North America. Klauser offered some insight into why that may be in the RACER interview, saying Chevy did not have the same spare parts support as other manufacturers participating in GT4.
“I would not say that GM got an A for how we did the Camaro program from a support perspective,” she said. “We don’t have a parts truck and we’re lacking in some of that kind of stuff. But understanding how a team would take a car and work with it and some of their pain points, you know, all of that is helping us make sure that GT3 program is successful so that we don’t inflict those same pain points on the customers.”
Photo via GT4 European Series on Facebook
The Chevy Camaro is expected to be put to pasture in the near future, potentially at the end of the 2024 model year, so it makes sense that Chevy would not renew the vehicle’s FIA homologation status. GM is embarking on an even more important customer racing program with the Corvette GT3, however, which will see the nameplate race in major GT3 series in the U.S. and perhaps others based in Europe, Asia and Australia.
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Comments
So, when are they pulling the plug on the Malibu, the same year as the Camaro?
what do malibu and Camaro have to do with each other. Different audience, platform and factories.
Why would gm half ass this program? 2 cars in the entire world?
Because at some point gm will have no more cars except Corvette, that’s why. You think the Camaro will die first, or the Malibu?
I would guess the Camaro, if they don’t go at the same time.
At least the Malibu makes for a decent rental car.
I wonder ,What is next the NASCAR CAMARO ? What car will take Camaros place , A CT5-V CADILLAC ?
A D’ette or a Suburban, lol…
Maybe, or maybe GM is considering to do the unimaginable at least at one time it was and will pull out of NASCAR.
They might as well just go to the craftsman truck series. It’s a redneck sport, so just go all the way. Full size pickup trucks racing around in a circle all day, ‘Murica Baby!
Well that’s sad. Camaro death all but confirmed
Ashame they never put the effort energy or money into the Camaro to make it what it should have been and used to be.
It’s a incredibly capable platform and the ZL1 1LE
is in a league of its own.
If only people knew about it.
I’m over Chevrolet, been waiting on a camaro nearly 8 months.been Chevrolet guy all my life but no more. Ordered a Dodge Challenger scat pack 🤷♂️
Camaros and mustangs are outdated I would much rather see a bigger car like a Chevelle or Monte Carlo take the Camaros place the fact is nobody buys performance cars that much anymore Subaru did away with the STI WRX, Mitsubishi did stopped building the Evolution, Mazda no longer builds the Mazdaspeed line, even the hi performance Challenger and charger are going away… Don’t get me wrong I love the Camaro but I feel that even with a redesign nobody would buy it it’s just sucking. Money out of GM at this point. Oh and the Chrysler 300 is on life support.
P O R S C H E C A Y M A N G T 4 R S !
Chevrolet has treated the Camaro the same way it treated the SS , no advertising, nothing. I’m a Chevy guy
1990 ZR-1
1973 Firebird 455 HO
2015 Silverado LTZ 6.2
2015 Colorado
Love the SS and the Camaro , long live the V-8.
I sadly agree. I have a 2016 Camaro 2SS and love it. Relying on magazine reviews and NASCAR racing isn’t enough to interest new buyers. There is strong aftermarket support for the Camaro.
Too Bad GM couldn’t be bothered to invest the time and money to make the Camaro a good car, instead of just a good sports car. Most people don’t have $50k to drop on a 2 seater. Something like they did with the cts v . Camaro coupe, Camaro sedan, Camaro wagon, E- Maro
The possibilities are endless.
When Joe says “we’re going electric”, GM (government motors) since the bailout, doesn’t have a choice but to fall in line. Dont get it twisted they are still holding hands and skipping down the road with Obama alright…..camaro will forever be 2nd to the corvette….no matter what you do! Even though they separated Corvette from the GM brand years ago to “focus on the corvettes future and finances that GM limited to the engineers”….the camaro is the ultimate track focused car hands down….but it comes at a price and that’s all people see. They don’t see that it’s a racer on the weekends and daily driver during the week. All I see on the roads are mostly challengers and mustangs….that’s fine….it just means we have something unique that no one else has. So remember that camaro owners…….long live the Camaros name! ~00’ SLP SS~
Michael Proulx… The Camaro never really needed much advertising it always sold itself. Truth be told I have not seen the mustang name used so much in commercials since the Mach E electric came out. Dodge never really put a whole lot of Charger or Challenger commercials out either. Toyota doesn’t have commercials for the Supra either. In my opinion the reason why the Camaro failed is because GM could have made this a hybrid V8 or add AWD as an option and change that front end please I like every other angle of the new Camaro expect the front end… I used to own a 2002 Z28 and I loved that car and I remember GM marketing the heck out it and in the end the sales still slumped it was a good looking car with decent power. The problem with the new Camaro is also this whole retro thing came and went design something like the 80s wedge and you’ll see my generation flick to buy it!
You pussies at GM don’t know how to keep a good car like the Camaro……….I don’t think I have ever seen it advertised!!!!!!Really sad………….