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This Performance Ute Sketch Has Chevy Camaro Vibes

If it’s a combination of performance and utility that you’re after, then the ute body style could be the choice for you, offering a coupe cabin mated with a pickup-style rear bed. Unfortunately, the ute body style is something you’d typically find in Australia or New Zealand, and not the U.S. Nevertheless, we can’t help but stare at this performance ute concept sketch, which, to our eyes, is giving us some heavy Chevy Camaro vibes.

The front end of a Chevy performance ute concept.

Recently posted to the official GM Design Instagram feed (@generalmotorsdesign), the concept sketch was created GM Lead Exterior Designer Brian Malczewski, who reposted the sketch and commented that he had to go “back into the archives for this one.”

“Looks like some kind of Chevy muscle truck sketch from 2015,” Malczewski writes.

The overall look definitely appears to be related to sixth-generation Chevy Camaro, which first hit the scene for the 2016 model year. Although the concept image only shows the side view, what little we can see of the front end provides a familiar design, with aggressive lighting leading into a forward-leaning nose section. The lines lead back into an indented profile section and highly raked windshield plus greenhouse combo.

Chevy performance ute concept

Sixth-gen Chevy Camaro

As the eye trails back along the shoulder line, we find the B-pillar dropping suddenly into a flat rear bed section. Bulging rear fenders enhance the overall girth of the tail, while the rear lighting wraps around into the rear fenders with slim, horizontally oriented housings. The wheels present the typical plus-sized concept layout with only a smear of rubber around the periphery.

To our eyes, it looks like a Chevy Camaro ute concept, which is something that some fans would undoubtedly find very appealing indeed.

 

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A post shared by GM Design (@generalmotorsdesign)

Interestingly, the last ute that GM planned to launch in the U.S. was a vehicle known as the Pontiac G8 ST, or Sport Truck, which was shown at the New York International Auto Show in March of 2008. Originally slated to become GM’s first coupe utility in the U.S. since the discontinuation of the Chevy El Camino in 1987, budget cuts resulted in the eventual cancellation of the Pontiac G8 ST.

Now, with the sixth-gen Chevy Camaro sunsetting after the 2024 model year, the question is what the nameplate may be used for next. We know what we would like to see.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. Just build the thing and shock us all because they did something besides stupid pics………………….

    Reply
  2. As Designer & Mech Engineer have to comment …

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    1. Just Showed To My Wife And Asked Her Opinion About, She Said Prompty :

      1. The Person Can Not Have A Head !

      said, Look The Wheels , She Said :

      2. The Wheels Are Rubbery … It Is Just Another Drawing

      Then Said > It Is Just An Exercise of some one has nothing to do inside office

      Reply
  3. Would love one but will never happen…..unfortunately.

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  4. Reminds me of the SSR

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  5. Today they would ruin it and make a four door with a tiny bed that could only hold a cooler.

    Reply
  6. Haven’t we got enough pickups? And in any case, as proven by the Ram design ethic, pickup buyers prefer their trucks to look more like big rigs, than cars. The El Camino and Ranchero are ideas from the past. They should stay there.

    Reply
  7. can anyone say El Camino.

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    1. We should be so lucky.

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  8. Had ’70 El Camino, with an LS6. All Black. OH…. how i miss it. Sold it to fight for custody of my kids. Best thing I ever did. But… I still miss it. Fell sad each time I see one sold at aution. GM will never build anything like this, ya know why? It just might be something the customer would buy. Never gonna happen!

    Reply
  9. I like the concept. The El Camino was a great vehicle. I did own one. Realizing this is just a concept I just want to say the wheels are very ugly. Cheers!

    Reply
  10. this belongs in Kifeland…are you serious..you got a good styled car now why play games with this cantraption

    Reply
  11. Let’s call it El Camino! Duh! I would buy it tomorrow!

    Reply
  12. Very cool and would be a seller as long as it’s an obnoxious V8 and not a squealing EV

    Reply
  13. Pontiac used to actually build their concepts, Fiero and Solstice, had both but Mary would never do it! Too sexy. PS. Still have the Solstice a blast to drive.

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  14. From an El Camino owner: this thing has a snowball’s chance in hell with GM’s current management.

    Reply
  15. Lower case gm wont build this though if they did I would be very happy, but I’d bet it would only have one engine, the 2.5L turbo.

    Reply
  16. Nice, build it!

    Reply
  17. I plan on keeping my regular cab silverado short bed for quite some time, but this would definitely tempt me.

    Reply
    1. Same here, Dave C.

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      1. ME too, wish I still had my ’76 Black short box Silverado Stepside. Oh, I miss that truck. 400 small block, all the whistles and bells. Wound up putting in a Big Block w/nitress, to sand drag it. Even made OFFROAD. Miss those old Chevy days. GM, just bring back the Square Body. What to increase sales? Just do that one simple thing….Reg Cab Short boxes. BINGO!!!! Instant money maker!!!!

        Reply
  18. This is too niche, but if using existing architecture might make it a go.
    The current truck market is full of 4door things that will not carry anything like what you can slide into a hatchback. I’m also afraid of heights and the cars we have also allow us to see under these things. Often just before they turn turtle.

    Reply
  19. Build the 21st Century El Camino — El Camaro EV ?????

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  20. I would definitely buy an El Camaro, I don’t need a pickup, but a sport truck would be the ultimate vehicle. I can only wish, I was ready to get the ST G8, but it got canned and that was 2009. What takes??? Lansing could build it on the Alpha platform and they can accommodate a turbo 4 or V8 on the motor line! I would rather have that over a TRX or Raptor truck anyway. I sure don’t want a Maverick or Santa Cruz. It could be a GMC Syclone, if Chevy doesn’t want it. Go 4 it GM!

    Reply
  21. I agree they took some from the El Camino and the cove from the 56 Corvette

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  22. Before I can make any decisions,need more views of the front and rear.UNFORTUNATELY,Mary is bent on EV’s and it surely would be electric and a complete turn off.But it would sell!,,

    Reply
  23. I feel bad for GM.
    Now with the Camaro discontinued, tgeyll have to hire artists to design the front fascia on all their cars as oppose to just shopping a Camaro grill on everything and leaving work for the day.

    Reply
  24. GM should do some test marketing on some of its forums to find out if there is enough interest to build this concept. When the 2010 2 SS Camaro was about to be built, there were no blue color options. There was a vote on the Camaro 5 form, and hands down the majority said it should be offered in blue. GM decided to listen to the consumer and offered two blue colors: Imperial Blue Metallic and Aqua blue (only ran the first year).

    I bought the Imperial Blue Metallic and still love it today (I believe it only had a two year run).

    GM needs to go back to listening to the consumer instead of second guessing and getting it wrong.

    The majority true car lovers want raw, American muscle.

    Reply

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