Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve no doubt heard that the sixth-generation Chevy Camaro has sailed into the sunset, with the final unit produced earlier this month at the GM Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan. Although GM has hinted at a next-gen Camaro, the timeline for the nameplate’s return remains unclear, as does the form that it will take. In fact, the Camaro nameplate will very likely go full EV, per GM’s all-electric ambitions. So, with all that in mind, we’d like to play devil’s advocate by asking – does GM even need a next-gen Camaro?
Naturally, a question like that is sure to raise contempt and resentment in the hearts of enthusiasts everywhere, but hear us out – there’s actually quite a few reasons GM simply does not need a next-gen Camaro, at least from a business perspective.
We’ll start with the C8 Corvette. In case it wasn’t glaringly obvious, the mid-engine Corvette is a runaway success from just about every point of view. Not only is it a halo car that’s making money for GM, it’s managing to retain current Corvette owners while simultaneously attracting new owners who are new to Chevrolet.
Looking over the current automotive landscape, most mainstream car brands have one sports car in their lineup. The majority of those sports cars barely break even in terms of recuperating their investment and, ultimately, making a profit, and that’s usually only after years on the market, much later than models in other segments. In fact, offering an affordable sports car is something of a luxury for most automakers.
Take, for example, Nissan, which offers the new seventh-generation Z, but in many ways, the model is a rehash of the previous sixth-generation. Toyota, meanwhile, has the GR86 and Supra, but those are arguably a Subaru and BMW, respectively. Looking at other makes, Kia and Hyundai do not offer a dedicated sports car of their own, and neither does Volkswagen. Bottom line: sports cars for mainstream brands are an expensive luxury that typically saps the bottom line of resources across the organization (engineering, design, logistics, production, support), ones that would probably earn a higher return with other vehicle lines.
Then there’s the question of what the next-gen Camaro will even look like. GM’s all-electric ambitions may have been tempered slightly in the face of lower-than-expected demand, but per GM CEO Mary Barra, The General is set to “continually evaluate EV demand and adjust production schedules” accordingly. Indeed, all indications seem to point to the next-gen Camaro adopting a battery electric powertrain, at which point there’s an argument to made that maybe it should simply be called something else. After all, EV buyers won’t necessarily care if the thing has a Camaro badge on it, while Camaro fans don’t necessarily want an EV.
What’s more, EV technology has the power to turn huge trucks and SUVs into supercars, at least in terms of straight-line performance. Watts To Freedom mode in the GMC Hummer EV certainly comes to mind. So, would this hypothetical Camaro EV be anything more than just a name?
Of course, we want to know your thoughts, so vote in the poll below, and remember to subscribe to GM Authority for more Camaro news, Chevy news, GM business news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
GM needs to pull a dodge move , basically dodge is gonna make a gas and ev version of the charger and challenger.
Why no E-fuels from gm? Even as an enthusiast, it isn’t really GASOLINE that matters to me, it’s the V8. I don’t really care if it’s powered by gasoline specifically. Is it really better and cheaper for society to completely change over to electric than try to develop more energy dense E-fuels that can be used with our current infrastructure?
Tell me you don’t know what e-Fuels are without telling me you don’t know what e-Fuels are.
I own a matching number 68 RS/SS Camaro and i can’t believe they killing an icon again. I will never buy an electric vehicle especially one called Camaro. GM is really messing up on not seeing the facts that electric vehicles are not the future. We have trouble making enough power for our electric grid now we cannot support all electric vehicles. Plus the truth is spreading they are not “green” like people were tricked to believe and they’re not reliable especially in freezing conditions. I’ll take my sbc and carburetor over ev every single time.
High to increase sales give the people of streets what they are restoring resigned camaro to 1979 or 1970 body style and this time freeway race wars 400hp v6 550hp ss 700hp z28 and 850ph hellcat destroyer zl1 redesigned impala ss most popular on the street the most popular 1964 o 1966 or 1967 550hp remake the1970 chevelle ss with the dimensions of a m4 its leading competitor and think about a skylark and 442 and resigned malibu shaped to laguna s3 like imagine to compete with the taurus and maxima with same dimensions and think about a buick regal and rebuild a modern version of 1986 monte carlo ss with t tops 1980s g body cars are the most popular cars
No gm does not want to do that- it would make too much sense.
Here is the problem. We had a damn good car but few bought it. The less that bought it the more it cost. We have no cheap RWD platform for a lower cost performance car.
Dodge has an ICE car coming but only with six cylinders.
I would love a new car but the market is dying as there is no low cost options with a V8. In downtime the Mustang is going to vanish or transform.
I do say the Camaro name should be retired and not used on any EV or SUV.
The 2 door performance car segment sell just a fraction of the cars it used to sell. Like em or not people buy cross overs and they make a ton of money.
This is a topic for the head not the heart. In todays market it is not enough to make money. You must max out the return on the investment. Anything less is not enough.
For all the Hemis they sold FCA was still sold off. Even these cars and Ram could not prevent this.
Ya GM should avoid the recent Dodge move that just happened. Guy in the US military put his deposit on a Demon 170, gets the allocation, pays a $50,000 dealer markup. Car arrives after the guy is deployed to Iraq. Wife goes to get car and is informed the car has been resold to another customer for a $100,000 markup. Calling for a complete military customer ban on all Stellantis products in the US. If I was Tim, you know him, the Dodge top dog who preached “Brotherhood” at the 170 launch.; I’d be personally delivering a 170 to this guy’s driveway….FREE. Thank you for you service. The backlash from this is going to be massive.
And everyone clapped….
I would seriously be looking into how a “guy in the military” is paying a $50K mark up on a car that already has a sticker price of $96,000…..
Is he selling secrets to China?
A lot of patriots come from wealthy families. You’re sounding a little stereotypical here. Watch some of the military homecoming videos. These guys have $1-2 million ranch houses. Even Jimmy Stewart, the great actor was a pilot in WW2, and he was a multimillionaire in the 1940s.
They may have been military, but they weren’t boots on the ground military.
Did you just conflate patriot with military servicemen?
Serving the interests of corrupt politicians and corporations doesn’t make you a patriot.
That’s a bull$hit comment. You are very naive to think that someone in the military does not have the ability to procure $150k! It’s actually a prejudiced comment.
That’s exactly what they did do! Lmao! He got a free one when dodge herd!
Man, there’ s a lot to unpack here. I’ll just type some of my random thoughts, coming from a Gen X lifelong car guy who has modified and rebuilt Camaros, Trans Ams, Mustangs, and a Charger over the years.
Many Gen X and younger enthusiasts feel abandoned by gm. The “all-EV future” is dystopian to us. We grew up riding with parents and grandparents in V8 powered vehicles. We formed communities and made friends centered around pony cars. We had F-body clubs, Mustang clubs, Mopar clubs, sometimes even just “car person” clubs that included many brands where we worked on each other cars, went to dyno events, went to the dragstrip, and went to cars shows together, as friends. Entire communities were built around the hobby, both in-person and online. Lifelong friendships were formed around the hobby. Families spent quality time around the hobby.
As we grew and had families, we brought our kids along with us. My Gen Z kids (now in college and high school) have watched me work on many cars in the garage and held many flashlights for me over the years, lol. My kids and our family have turned wrenches together, gone to countless car shows together, gone to the drag strip together. When the time came and my Baby Boomer my parents aged and handed down their C4 Vette to us, we rebuilt almost that entire car together as a family. It was the first car for 2 of my daughters. My daughters worked on that car with me and they learned so much. Now they all have their own pony cars.
The thing about the Camaro, it was the car for younger people. The Vette was always and still is the Baby Boomer’s car. I go to car shows, and many of the C8 owners are around 70 years old. Exactly ZERO of my Gen X friends own nor want a C8, it’s not for us, the Camaro was. My Gen Z kids and their friends don’t want a C8, they want and actually drive Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers.
Gen X has also come into our own financially. Things like Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s have been unobtainable bucket list cars for many of us for years until now. Some of us are looking around right now and why on Earth would we spend 6 figures on an old guy’s Corvette instead of buying a used Aventador, Huracan, or 458/488?
I think what gm is missing here is to appeal to younger demographics and build any sense of brand loyalty with them. Gen Z, as they head off into the workforce, is absolutely RIPE for a low cost pony car. Gen Z also has a surprising fascination with the V8, something that seems to have skipped over Millennials, if I’m generalizing here, but Gen Z can’t afford $60k Camaros. They need something fun AND affordable.
Why an “all-EV future”? Can there really be no compromise or anything left for the enthusiasts or regular car buyers where an EV just isn’t the solution to their transportation needs currently? Why not cars more in-line with the hybrid V8 E-Ray? Why not any thought to E-fuels to make today’s already very clean V8’s and other ICEs run even cleaner? EVs = no fun, sterile, appliances. There is no EV soundtrack, nothing like a V8. There is a reason Hollywood spends so much money on soundtracks for movies… the sound and FEEL matters, it’s a part of the experience.
Does GM Even Need A Next-Gen Camaro? My answer is yes, and it needs to have the OPTION for a V8. Maybe a hybrid V8, but a V8 nonetheless. Otherwise, just kill the Camaro and let it die in peace. The absolute WORST thing gm could do is turn the Camaro into an EV, especially if it’s going to be a CUV. If gm slaps the Camaro nameplate on an electric CUV, they’ve just turned the Camaro into a Baby Boomer grandma’s car, I guess to go along with their Baby Boomer grandpa’s Corvette and watch the company fade away as the Boomers do?
Well said, just ask HD who is also struggling to gain new customers and alienating their long time customer base.
I get the idea of “new” technologies but there should be a middle road compromise option as well. Then again… we are a dying breed .
Our 2022 SS Camaro is our 7th f-body & we will have our 2013 SS Camaro, having sold our 2002 WS6 TransAm last year to a good friend. Even my HD is now 20 years old & the prices have gone up similar to the SS Camaros. Unfortunately, if they bring the Camaro back like they did after the 2002 shut down, we’ll be in our 70s & probably not looking to spend what they will sell for then.
You’re you’re 100% right I could not have said it better EV’s have no soul
I like your letter for the most part but you are kind of putting us old dud’s down. I have had nice/hot cars all my life current 2019 Vette GS, 1999 S10 Xtreme bought new. I do not want a C8 for many reasons! have had 3 Cameras
over the years.
Why would anyone want an “old mans C8 you ask? The same reason why they would want other exotic percormace cars costing double or trippld. Ever see the age of a porche xriger or lambo, etc? These babies cost big bucks and it takes age (generally) to gain that money. Who cares hold old some of the older xrivers are. Its silly and snobby to choose a super performance car basex on age or prejudices. That would be like saying i dont want a Camaro because it is azsociated wifh “rednecks”. Sort of defeats the purpose for making a car better if the mfr knows it wont be bought no matter how great they make it. Just like Caddy xe ided to make the best drvers can and they succeeded for two decades based on side by side professional reviews and comparisons against the younger-appealing imports. I think it is great when the underdog works harder anx better to topple the lazy status quo. And not surw why anyone would compare a 2 passenger mid engine vette with a 4 passenger Camaro in their buying decisions. YES to GM needing this car after all the work they put into it, its mostly profit now that development is paid for, because it was selling OK. Improve it with a new gen that wont make it so poorly ergonomic …make it a great everyday driver like it was suppossed to be instead of sitting so low and feeling claustraphobic like people complain about.
I could have definitely worded it better in that section. I guess my main point there is, as a Gen Xer, if I’m going to spend over $100k on a sports car, it’s going to be something off my bucket list. Typically, Gen X and younger buyers aren’t going to have a Corvette on their bucket list, whereas a Boomer much more likely does than us. The Vette IS the Baby Boomers’ sports car.
Base model C8s were going for 6 figures for YEARS. Z06s go for ~$150-160k now or so? The ZR1 will likely sell for $225k and who even knows for the Zora? And I’m talking street prices that people have to pay to own the car, not MSRP. I can go buy a low mile Huracan for just a hair over $200k locally. I can get a low mile Aventador for high $200ks locally. Or just save a ton of money and buy a new Mustang or used Camaro/Challenger if I just want a more affordable V8 sports car geared more towards my generation and younger.
Also, yeah, as someone that has owned several Camaros and Trans Ams over the years, the redneck, mullet having stereotype is to this day alive and well. Even though the 6th gen Camaro stole quite a few of the BMW faithful and those types. That is also part of the 6th gen Camaro’s strength as well as its weakness. The 6th gen was a GREAT car and brought in some new folks, but it was overpriced for its traditional target audience. Its other flaws such as poor visibility and small trunk are also WELL documented. Which brings me back to the C8 Vettes, they are overpriced IMHO. At the current street prices, I’m getting a bucket list car, and that is NOT a Corvette.
I agree as a compromise to put the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray powertrain into a Camaro ZL1, or call it an E28 or something else clever to keep it alive. And continue the amazing Alpha platform for developing E-fuel/alternative fuel enthusiast cars/trucks.
Because, at the end of the day, these manufacturers put your interests behind those of the regulators and the politicians who control the markets. Their interest outweigh yours and best of all, you get to pay for their pet-projects, while also paying their salaries.
Ford still has the Mustang and will be the go to place for a pony car.
That but FORD also has Mach-E’s piling up at their dealership lots. Big lessons for legacy auto to learn here.
If it’s going to be an ev, then don’t bother calling it a Camaro.
Personally, I’d love to see a small coupe the size of a GT86/BRZ with a little turbo V8.
Could you imagine a GT86/BRZ with a 3.0L V8 turbo? All the right sounds, speed and not terrible on fuel being a 3.0L.
Also price it closer to the GT86.
It’ll never happen, but that’s my dream.
But at least they still have the “real” Mustang available for customers. Let the ev’s pile up unsold, maybe management will eventually wake up. One thing Ford should do is to remove the name Mustang from the Mach-E as it’s farcical to be called a Mustang.
These decisions aren’t made because the managers are out of touch with consumers. They’re made because we’ve allowed our federal government to regiment the markets with their interests being more and more stringent emission standards year-after-year or else they pay fines.
This isn’t because it’s an EV, it’s because the Model Y is a direct competitor at a lower price point and the gov incentives are going away.
Overall EVs are a year on year growing segment while overall light vehicle numbers are not.
This is the problem. Right now everyone wants trucks. Generations always rebel. It will go from huge pointless off roaders that never leave the pavement back to sports cars, and when this happens, they are now going to be in the place that they were with the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevy Colorado. Chevy used to dominate the small truck market with the S10, bar none. A couple years off the market, and the taco now dominates the sales charts despite a terrible product.
Never will I purchase an electric vehicle
As great as the corvette is, it’s in a completely different price category than Camaro. I just purchased a loaded camaro SS last spring and it was under 60k out the door. A corvette with the same technology and comfort features is easily over 80k. While the corvette does a great job being a halo sports car, its price range is still out of reach for many. I’m still a believer that more young people would flock to Camaro or coupes in general if they had a little more “utility” to them, ie available all wheel drive and a more usable trunk. There are ways you can get more people to buy coupes and sedans in general, they just need to offer more of the features people desire for year round capability.
Ditto. What would fix the Camaros utility issue is a lift gate, like the C7. Have the whole back panel lift up glass included. The trunk on the Camaro isn’t actually all that smaller than a Camrys. It’s just impossible to get into with a door the size of a briefcase.
Also, they could save cost by replacing the v6 and smaller 4 with the 2.7 from the trucks, use the economy of scale to keep the price down.
Ahh, you understand why a 3.0 liter V8 is economically impractical.
exactly, and not only that a Camaro is more functional than a Corvette. You would not be able to live with having a Corvette as your ONLY CAR. But you can most certainly live with a Camaro as your ONLY CAR. WE NEED A 7TH GEN CAMARO, even if it’s just a slight upgrade to the 6th gen. Because the 6th gen Camaro is one of the greatest cars ever made.
I’m not sure about that – price is the main factor. Only the absolute base model 4 cylinder is really affordable for young gen z guys, and there is a stigma about buying the V6 or i4 instead of the V8, which is what puts off younger buyers.
i.e. they don’t want to spend so much money only to go to a car show and get asked “haha so you couldn’t afford the V8”?
Nevertheless I bought the i4 bc it was the absolute most I could afford and good fuel economy, and am extremely satisfied with it.
I can’t afford a $80,000-$100.000 Corvette. I’m not going to buy a Ford with all their problems. Bring the Camaro back!
You mean to tell me that GM doesn’t have their fair share of problems.
I think the biggest problem with the Camaro is that GM really doesn’t believe in it. It was a rushed response to the surprising 64 1/2 Mustang and over the years has been a styling exercise without much regard for ergonomics. Second problem is that its association with the mullet crowd keeps it from appealing to more sophisticated shoppers. Retire the name and come up with something new – a plug-in hybrid sports SUV. Call it “Nomad”.
No. GM does not need another Camaro.
The market for 1960s style retro-throwbacks just isn’t big enough any more, regardless of propulsion type.
Even Ford may not build the ICE Mustang too much longer. Sales are half what they were 5-6 years ago. With figures like that they won’t be investing in a new generation of the car at least.
Stellanis wouldn’t be building their cars either if it weren’t for all those Police and fleet orders for the Charger. Chysler 300 found only 14K buyers last year. What allows the company even a small profit on them is the fact that their underpinnings are so old (developed in the early 90s) and fuily amortized long ago.
Reportedly, the current Ford CEO,who is a huge muscle car/performance car fan and has done some racing, said that Ford is committed to building the Mustang until at least 2030. And why wouldn’t they? Mustang sales should increase due to the demise of the Camaro, Challenger, and Charger.
In my opinion, GM needs a small, light (under 3200 pounds), four door car with a stick shift, all wheel drive, and a turbo four cylinder engine. This could provide a more usable replacement for the Camaro with good performance but not upsetting the C8 segment. There is still a substantial market for a four door sedan, as Honda and Toyota, and others have proven (Accord, Camry, Civic, Corolla). GM has nothing in this segment.
It’s called an Impreza…
The Impreza is weak, effectively a strawman versus what Gm could offer.
The starting point needs to be a light, but ergonomically effective 4-door V6 rwd sedan. T4s are a dealbreaker for heritage loving American enthusiasts (hunch: a high % of pro-GM gen Xers). Cop-sized cars aren’t nimble enough. A compact 4-door can peak with a supercharged V8 AWD. Then spin off a purist rwd Camaro, and a rally-ish awd V6 4-door hatch. Needs sticks.
GM is still strong enough to take the bulk of America’s enthusiast market. And not just appeal to retirees and grandiosity wh#res.
4 door sedans???? Ever heard of a Malibu?
Market is moving away from the Camry and accords, with their sales down year over year. GM is actually doing quite well in the crossover market with a crossover in every shape, size and budget.
I also believe what you’re describing is the Chevy blazer. They are trying to make the C-class crossover more “sport like”. Not a winning car by any means, but punchy.
Better yet, a 5-door, as Mazda used to call theirs.
The only reason GM doesn’t need another Camaro is because they’ll neglect the iconic name like they have for the last decade. That entire car (save for the amazing alpha chassis) was so lazily thought up. As if they didn’t even try to make a desirable Camaro. Rest In Peace, Camaro.
Let it go. Life long fan of the nameplate but there’s no enthusiasm behind it from corporate. It wasn’t able to compete from a sales perspective. Mustang and Challenger ran circles around Camaro’s sales. But even those nameplates won’t survive. The last of the V8 Mopars have been built and the current iteration of mustang won’t be far behind. I feel like GM could make a cool electric Camaro but there’s no buzz around it.
I read that Ford has said it is committed to producing the Mustang until at least 2030.
That’s not very far away.
Let the Camaro nameplate RIP.
gm can come up with a new name for a cookie cutter ev cuv.
Corporate had no idea who their Camaro consumer was. If they kept up with Dodge and Ford with the HP wars, sales would’ve kept up. They should have stuck with ZL1 and Z28 performance editions. Leave the luxury amenities to the Corvette. Leave the V6 and 4 bangers to some other eco-model. A 650 hp naturally aspirated V8 Z28 and a 800-900 supercharged V8 ZL1 both with a manual transmission would bring the Camaro back to prominence. Options should be performance based 1LE for handling, bigger cam, headers, cold air intake ported blower and heads. There’s dozens of companies doing 3rd party mods like this on 5th and 6th generation models. How can GM not see the market they’re ignoring? The Camaro was a forced death; they wouldn’t build a third of the orders that were just waiting for an allocation. How many never put an order in because they knew it would never be built?
650 horsepower naturally aspirated big cam?. I am sure the EPA will rubber stamp that 1.
And that right there is the problem. The federal government has more say in what gets produced than does the consumer, the one paying for the cost of these forced evolutions in technology.
Your interests come last, yet it’s your money.
High end Camaro sales blew chow. The car is dead because it’s sales numbers sucked. While we all love the halo versions, the money is made on the high volume entry level versions.
The 911 exists because of Cayenne sales (and now Mecan). The Mustang GT500 exists because of the 6 cyl.
If Camaros were only the two you listed, the price would have to go up 1.5-2 times to pay for the tooling at reduced unit sales. And the unit sales already sucked.
Yes, a 7th generation Camaro is absolutely needed. Plus, I th8nk they’re going to not only have an ev version but a hybrid as well.
since ICE camaros sell in such small numbers it cannot contribute much to global warming
GM should make a New updated Camaro, with a different body design.
The Muscle car wars are far from being over.
The Camaro has always been better than it’s rival, from Ford and Dodge.
It wouldn’t be right to end the Camaro line.
I’ve had 3 Camaros,a 79Z, an 84Z and an 89 IROC-Z.
The Camaro has always been better, although more expensive than it’s cheaper competitor’s.
I finally up graded to a Corvette Stingray Z51, and it has not been a disappointment!!
GM needs to keep showing it’s superiority, in the muscle car market.
If you remember,GM tried to get away from the Camaro, and muscle car market, and made that less the mediocre convertible pickup truck.
What a disaster that was, and a lot more expensive than the Camaro.
The public outrage at GM’s decision to stop making the Camaro was overwhelming, and that’s why GM brought it back!!!
GM should continue to improve the Camaro ,and continue to make the Camaro!!
They are very good and high quality car’s, and are far better than the competition!!
The competitions car’s are just cheap throw away junk,poor people’s sports cars.
For the people who can’t afford a good high performance car!!!
GM should continue to produce the Camaro, so people can have the option of having a good high performance car., instead of just settling for just mediocre preference, and throw away junk!!
I thought about this. Having owned Camaros in the past and r3cently dusted off a 6.2 on my gt350, I don’t think I care what they do. Going electric will alienate many real car guys and gals. They may go 0-60 faster but I still lap Laguna Seca faster and look and sound better.
GM needs a front engine, rear-wheel drive, vicious V8 coupe, convertible and targa ….. and the Camaro is the car for it. They need to redesign the interior, increase the drivers view outside (glass roof??) and make it more refined. The mid-engine vette is cool and all, but there’s plenty of us Gen X’ers that will still buy a fire-breathing, front engine sports car. Merica!
I personally have owned a 68 RS, 71, 72 SS, 73 RS-Z28, (2) 78’s and a 17 SS (most with manual transmission) and absolutely love them all! My need is a 2 door car that sits a little higher now that I’m older (a new Chevelle would be perfect). Therefore, retire the Camaro and come out with a v8/m6 Chevelle! Just my thoughts…
If gm doesnt revive the camaro at least maybe bring on the Chevelle nameplate !
As one of the folks said above, there’s still a car culture out there. GM needs a new Camaro V-8. Make a Camaro that has decent driving visibility and seats that are above ground level. They did it before. I’ve been a GM guy for years. I’ve owned three Camaro’s, first and second generation. The latest new Camaro is a super car that’s hard to drive and is uncomfortable. Just read the reviews for the past 10 years.
In my case, I still have my 2008 Mustang Shelby GT500. It comfortable, I can see out of it, and it has 500 stock horsepower.
I don’t want an EV, period. IMHO, GM will go bankrupt in the EV market.
If politics change, the Camaro will be back better than ever. Elections have consequences. Remember that my friends.
So you’ve never driven a 5th or 6th gen to see if it is actually hard to drive and uncomfortable?
You just took the word of paid shills that mostly hate all American cars?
What will kill ICE cars has nothing to do with politics. You can go twice as far per unit of energy in BEVs, they have a lower parts count, and even at current production volumes (10% of the light vehicle fleet), are starting to nip at ICE vehicle price points with a lot of economies of scale yet to be realized. Overall cost of ownership is lower and that’s just getting more and more true.
“What will kill ICR cars has nothing to do with politics”
You’re delusional.
Obviously the progressive system of governance, which promotes regimentation of private-markets, is the core reason behind the changes we’re seeing in the automotive industry — not consumer choice. You can’t subsidize technologies and then claim they’re coming to fruition organically, nor can you compare the costs of subsidized technologies to that of ICE vehicles which have been heavily inflated by decades of government regulations forcing the cost of a tidal wave of new technologies down the throats of consumers. Due to ever-tightening emission standards and safety-standards, these manufacturers are having to constantly evolve their products at a rate greater than that which would be seen with a market driven purely by consumer-choice.
This regimentation IS the result of politics.
I will just say it again,Mary has got to go and give back GM to the people and make what we want and not what Biden wants 😡😡
Amen, brother! The big 3 (GM, Ford, Stelantis) have plowed billions into electric vehicle develolment only to find out that only 7% of buyers want these vehicles. They are sacrificing their ICE product development on the altar of electric vehicles. Interesting that it took Barra and Farley years to actually take a disastrous BEV road trip to find the glaring truth.
The big guy runs into Detroit on a vote getting mission and sniffs, nibbles and fondled Mary and told her run the company my way or I will regulate SUVs and P/Us into oblivion and you will be thinking of ways to reinvent the names Vega and Cavalier
I am a sound and experience person when it comes to V8s. There is nothing like the sound of an American V8. Not so much with the new Corvette 6.2
I would love to have a Camaro. If it didn’t have the absolute failure prone cylinder deactivation system that has cost so many an expensive experience. They should be ashamed of there engineering. Love the Chevy small block.
Back in the 60s the Camero was a much better looking car than the Mustang. But over the years Ford did a better job with the Mustang.
Also the 5.3 got an unreliable reputation with GM disaster cylinder deactivation while the 5.0 Mustang didn’t have cylinder deactivation it became the safer option. Yes I know Ford has gone to cylinder deactivation now.
GM and the failure prone cylinder deactivation has also affected the full size truck sales. Another reason why Ford still out sells them.
The EV way is a lost cause and is not practical any means. I have a strong belief that GM knows this is just biding time until this trash administration running our country is GONE.
I can see the car companies going Hydrogen but not batteries. Lithium batteries are not going to work. Does anyone that uses there electric tools have anything good to say about how long they last? Cause I don’t.
Hydrogen can be made in your state or province and shipped to filling stations that already exist. And you can fill up in a few minutes.
If we allow the foolish change to lithium battery powered vehicles there is going to be a massive amount of news where vehicles are left for dead or written off by insurance companies. Insurance will quadruple for these vehicles.
They are a major fire hazard and they will be exempt from parking in your garage or the building where you live.
It will take 50 years to upgrade the power grid to support everyone charging there cars.
And we can’t produce the power needed with green energy only.
This idea has failure written all over it.
And it’s going to be a costly mistake for the tax payers…..
I’m a physicist. Hydrogen is a dead end for the light vehicle fleet.
You are correct Dennis the government is forcing the automakers into this losing venture ov EV’s. Have a few types available for those who want one, but don’t shove them down your throat. Look at the primary manufacturer of batteries, China. Americans as a majority do NOT want EV’s
GM will fail if they continue in this green new deal philosophy.
Our idiot Government in Canada is giving Billions of dollars to VW and Stellantis to build battery plants here. An absolutely ridiculous move. These companies are profiting from stupid people in Government giving handouts. With our current tax system they would never come here without the billions of dollars in handouts. Our government has done nothing but drive industries out of Canada for years. So bribery is there new option.
Canada is in great trouble with the current political system.
GM will have a V-8 till they stop using them in trucks
As with all GREAT cars, nobody buys them when available. But soon as they get canceled everyone pays way more than msrp. Already happening.
I know myself, family and friends aren’t even considering buying an EV car, ever! Taking well loved and known muscle cars and changing them to electric vehicles just makes us angry. The Mustang is now an ugly piece of junk. It’s just sad. There’s no infrastructure to support them. And spinning tires at the light, in a quiet car, that used to have a nice lope, is not what you pay the money for.
Yes, been a fan since gen 1. Still have my 67 SS rs. Love my 21 zl1 m6. I know I’m 1/1000th of 1% but I love what I love.
I am a Camaro purist. I’ve owned two first gens. That being said, let the Camaro nameplate die a respectful death.
Do NOT turn it into another ridiculous EV wannabe. Do NOT turn it into an ESUV either! If you are going to make another generation, let it be a hybrid. If you’re going to make a so called “sports car” EV…CHANGE THE NAME!!
The problem with the Bidenomics of it all is that no one wants an EV shoved down their throat!!! They skipped right over the majority of vehicles becoming Hybrids! My state (WY) doesn’t have the infrastructure for EVs, and it most likely won’t for at least a decade!!
So, go ahead and make a Hybrid Camaro with a V8. Make it affordable for the younger crowd. Then you’ll see if the Camaro still holds interest in the real world.
My 21 year old oldest grandson needed a new car, he saved 13K for it and assumed all he could get was a cookie cutter, boring, used Civic or Camry. His grandmother and I decided he could use a little help to get somethig a little nicer, so I suggested he think about an entry level Camaro. He loved the look of the cars styling and was happy enough with the existing tech and the fact that low level models are a little cheaper on the inside with plastics and other hard surfaces. He got a 24 1LT for 35K, loves it, and with the old school V6 can have some fun (it handles great and runs plenty good with the 10 speed and paddle shifters), so he is completely ecstatic with his new car, and he’s 21, so yeah, there is a need, and a market, for the existing platform. A reasonable update could see the sales since not everyone is so borring and practical, and many would look Camaros way if available.
Who needs a GM sedan or coupe when Mazda, Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and Subaru already have it covered? We’ve owned a Mitsubishi, two Jettas, and now a Mazda 3 for the last 20 years. Much better engineering, content and execution for the money.
Those are some wimpy cars. Not one of those even compares to a V8 Camaro. A Jetta? A Mazda3? Lol.
Yes, your making my point for me. Sedans are a substantial part of the market as you noted with all the current participants. GM is a powerful automotive company and given their most recent ICE vehicles successes in the C8 Corvette, the Colorado update, the Trax, the Blazer, and the sure to be successful Traverse, I would expect tjey could develop a successful mid size sedan.
Camaro owners do not cross over into buying Corvette. 2 different types of car people. Always was. Always will be.
The problem with GM starts with the problem in the CEO chair. Barra. She is not “a car girl”, who honors the great history of GM performance with the product to sell in the showroom. If she cared, the replacement for Camaro would be in production now, with ICE power and Electric power. It would be a two door coupe honoring it’s past history, be it the 70 to 81 body style or the 82 to 92 body style; updated for today. Like what Dodge did for it’s Challenger and 4 door Charger replacement. Not what GM floated about with Camaro, being a “family” of SUV’s, coupes, pickup trucks or panel deliveries. Reuss, the #2 guy at the top, is a car guy, or at least his Dad was one. But I guess he is laying low in the weeds, biding his time.
I grew up rooting on for Mark Donohue in his trans am Z.28 Sunoco Camaro. Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins in pro-stock. My first car in 1977 was a 74 Camaro Type LT. I know the history of Camaro better than Mary Barra does.
And reader, so do you.
I am sure Mary loves the cash cow called GM performance. Engines can cost more than a new Trax. Ch-Ching.
I’m a Baby Boomer that MIGHT have wanted a Corvette, but when they were new, an ’81 L82 or C4 model, IF I had wanted to afford one. Instead, I bought a new ’77 Type LT with some performance options and some later modest upgrades. Back then, Corvette owners tended to respect Camaro owners, as “brothers” of sorts.
The first Mustangs were on the ’63 Falcon platform, the first Barracudas were on the Valiant/Dart platform, and the Ben I Camaros were related to other GM platforms. That was the best and quickest way to do things. As things evolved, they got their own platforms at the next platform re-design, in each case. With the new Challenger taking the place of the Magnum wagon as the ONE assy plant building LH/LX/etc. vehicles is maxed as to what it can produce.
Of that original bunch, the Mustang is the surviving nameplate and sales leader. It seems strange that in current time, Ford has TWO iconic nameplates in its vehicle portfolio! The F-Series light truck platforms and the Mustang (gasoline-powered) models. That’s putting a whole lot of pressure on those two platforms to produce winners!
When the Camaro returned, I was interested. I was amazed at the crowds around it’s display at the Dallas Car Show that year. About 15 people deep! With cameras in hand! That made me smile. I could have tolerated the instrument cluster design (which reminded me more of a ’51 Chevy pickup than a Gen I Camaro, fwiw. BUT when I finally saw one with the deck lid open, the “hole” under that lid was a real hole. Just big enough to get the large flat tire through. All of the corners were filled in with sheet metal! Why? Total non-ease of using the trunk for what it could be used for, other than a spare tire depository. THAT was a deal-breaker for me! Fixed on the next re-design, I believe, but by then, all of those excited Camaro owners were elsewhere. The then-new Challenger was lauded by “people who could afford a new one” as being able to get into and use the back seat, much less being able to use the trunk! Bad production decisions from the start!!!
When I tried to spec the new Camaro similar to my optioned Type LT, with a “moderate” engine and such, I could do it with a V-6, but not a V-8. Yet most of the initial Camaros we sold were high-option SS models. Many for new high-school graduates, like their fathers would have wanted when they graduated from high school. More money and more horsepower than I wanted to pay for every time I bought gas. Another FAIL!
Buying a Mustang has been similar to buying a Buick in 1951. Although there were four Buick models, the one a customer bought did not matter as much as the BRAND (Buick) meant and the signals it sent to others. As a result, “normal” Mustangs have always been popular, not just the HP or GT models. Chevy failed to take that orientation, with many dealers stocking only the SS models rather than normal V-6 Camaros with some chassis upgrade options. Similarly, most of the Challenges sold were V-6s, with a good number of R/Ts, too. As a result, the Camaro Z/28 faded away. When it was re-introduced, it was vastly overshadowed by the other HP models, especially in sales numbers.
Over the past decades, GM has seemed to want to reposition itself as a “high-tech” vehicle maker. More concerned with how many Bluetooth devices the car can support, as if all customers really need to have a car full of occupants, each of which has 2-3 devices operational at the same time. Voice controls can be nice, though. But Camaros were more about driving than “tech”, by observation. “Driving” which meant sounds and related sensations which “Car People” understood and liked. “Sounds and sensations” which would center around a good-running V-8 engine.
When the Gen III Camaros were out, their last few years were lackluster, as if SOMEBODY in GM was orchestrating its demise with few changes from year to year. The product grew “stagnant” and sales dropped, predictably. I saw similar things at Ford with the T-bird/Cougar XR-7/Lincoln LSC models. Their tooling had worn out, so Ford sequenced their ends to maximize it and allow the Cougar XR-7 to reach its 40th Anniversary Edition models.
When the demise of the F-body production was figured out, Camaro enthusiasts threw a fit. Not unlike the loyal Mustang enthusiasts did when it was figured out that the next-gen Mustang would be built in Mexico on a Mazda platform and fwd. Key thing was that Ford listened and started to spend money on their aging Fox platform to keep it viable as a new platform was generated for Mustang. GM had allowed its “hands to be tied” with Camaro, though, and could do no similar things.
The re-born Camaro was a Holden platform, brought to the USA and fully-Americanized for this market. The exterior styling was great, but I wondered, at that time, what the next body evolution would be? Which is where we now are.
The other issue is which GM rwd platform would best fit “Camaro” in a 2-dr body? I suspect that nobody in GM knows that answer either!
GM-Opel used to do non-USA platforms, including Holden, but GM sold the Opel brand and such to what became Stellantis a few years ago. GM still sells sedans in China, of which most will probably be evolved into EV SUVs as time progresses. After a platform’s wheelbase becomes shorter, everything else must be downsized, too. So few opportunities for “sport coupes” any more, unless they are designed as such and will sell Internationally in higher volumes.
How many Camaro ads have you seen which extolled the accomplishments of the ZL1 model as it also mentioned normal V-6 Camaros? Compared to that neat ’65 Mustang add for “My sweet-six-cylinder Mustang”? Were such marketing blunders more of the apparent GM orientation of “We don’t need a new Camaro”? Then, too, how many really good print or tv ads have there been for non-Chevrolet vehicles in the past few decades?
Chevrolet product offerings are evolving to follow the original Sloan orientation of “a vehicle for every purse”, just as Toyota has been doing for years. Camaro should be in that mix, too, but isn’t.
By observation, every product segment which GM has vacated (for one reason or another, or corporate board orientations) has been quickly and readily filled by an import-brand product. Many exist which can move to accommodate former Camaro customers. Sit and watch.
In the mean time, we still have a decent supply of Camaros to enjoy and rebuild for our pleasure.
The Buick Avista concept car would have made a very good Camaro companion=-product, but GM plainly stated, back then, that the Avista would not be built. A blow to GM . . . another bullet-perforated foot?
By observation, Ford and Chrysler seem to know how to do “retro” right. GM never did get the hang of it, it seems. In that thought, No New Camaros in our lifetimes need to happen. Any new ones will never stand up compared to the old ones, of any generation, so best to set the grave headstone and move on.
On the other hand, should Camaro be re-born again? Sure it can be! There should be enough talent in GM to do that! Even if it is a hydrogen-fueled V-8 engine, for example. But then that fueling infrastructure is not “there” either. But what about an enhanced 3.0L turbo based on the 2.7L 4-cyl in Silverados and Colorados for the base motor, then a 5.3L, and some Corvette-related V-8 for the real Z/28 models? A configurable instrument cluster with minimal “screens” for other functions. Start with 17″ wheels for the base and “luxury” models, saving the big wheels for the HP models. A CAR for CAR people! A modern Type LT Z/28 at $35K MSRP, with the ZF 8-speed and GREAT programming or a 6-speed manual. With highway fuel economy of 32mpg at 70mph. All GM has to do is realize that Camaro has more life left in it and spend the money to make it so. With NO Ambient Lighting anywhere to be found!
I would like an E-Ray Type Camaro (car), that would be Affordable. Not a SUV! Like 4 wheel drive, have 3 Chevy’s Pickups, 2 Z71s & a 70 step, short, Bbc. Have lots of Camaros, but none are 4 Wheel Drive. Chevrolet has never asked Me what I wanted. Merry Christmas
What makes it hard for GM is there are many more options for their loyal customers. I myself (in my mid 40’s) have never been a big Camaro fan. I appreciate it’s history and existence but didn’t fit what I wanted. Drive an ATS-V daily and heavily considered the SS. The biggest turn off for me was the Camaro interior. Just horrible. When I get to the point in my life where two doors will be enough it will probably be a Vette.
If you’re a Ford fan and want a fun car you have one choice. If you’re a Dodge fan you still have basically one choice.
Oh come on… people don’t want EVs and the newest data shows that they are far from reliable. It is a rich person’s toy… that we are all paying for.Mary – give it up. I own stock and youare not keeping up with your legal obligation to the company. Seems like a good class action here.
And Camaro? You can’t see out of them.
There’s too much brand equity in the Camaro name for GM to toss it away. Ideally, (IF GM is smart) they will roll out a modernized design paying a slight homage to prior generations. Power train options would include V8, turbo 4, and EV for those who want that. Based on current consumer demographics, GM would play to Gen X customers with a design play off of 3rd & 4th gen Camaros. The 1st Gen retro design has run its course
Pretty hard to design a car to be both e or ice powered. The take rate for the e powered would probably be low, those people want the Camaro name on another lame run of the mill cuv.
You’re asking the wrong question. The question you should be asking is “is there any logic in throwing away all the brand value of Camaro?”
Asked that way, the answer is obvious. No. E-ray it, and actually market the damned things, and take it to the freakin’ bank!
But as GM showed, having the best pony car chassis doesn’t matter at all if you don’t actively SELL the damned things. How they moved so little metal, and lost out to the dinosaur that is the Challenger, by a 2x factor, defies imagination. Just making a good car and assuming it would sell itself is just dumb.
But that’s GM for ya!
I drive a MBEQS450. I traded in my MBGLE450 biturbo with 100,000 miles. Got a great price on my trade in. All electric is the only way to go. Fast? Off the li e it would leave my GLE sitting there. Luxury…unbelievable. All leather interior and 25 ambient light settings. IT DRIVES ITSELF, BRAKES ITSELF AND CHANGES LANE ITSELF. All with quiet efficiency. I’ve owned since May and have safed over %1000 in fuel cost. Did I mention I get an average of 360 miles on a charge. Get smart people….even are here to stay
Glad you’re a satisfied rich boy. I dare you to take a tour along US2 from the upper peninsula to Montana.
Not only the roch can afford EVs. Have you priced a Chevy Bolt? My niece is looking to buy her first jew car. That’s at the top of her list. Dollar fur dollar, it’s hard to find an ICE vehicle that compares.
And it’s got 400+ ft-lbs of torque.
Did not know they made cars in Israel.
Frank la Vacca:
When did GM belong to “the people”.
And if Camaros are what “we want”, why don’t “we” BUY THEM?
How many NEW Camaros havebyou bought recently
Never bought a new one.
Bought many used ones and the money I spent on oem parts probably equals a new one or two and the profit ratio on parts is much greater than new cars.
Unless it is rotted or in a hard crash, someone will put a Camaro back on the road.
In the era of Putinflation only 17% of Americans can actually afford a new vehicle.
If new ones are not made they will not be able to make it down the food chain to the people who may appreciate the vehicle as much as the new buyer.
Budlar, I waited 50 years then bought a New 2023 Camaro at End of Production. Have had 18 Camaros, 1st was a 68 Shell for $75 in Junkyard, put it on the road for $500 back in 1973-1974. Love all of them, 8 left now(4 are 1st gens). And another Dozen Chevy’s 55-2023. Never lost any money on the Camaros I Sold.
There has to be a compelling reason to buy, the 6th gen was hard to tell apart from the 5th gen.
If you make a “new” car, you should you know….make it look new.
I did buy a new 5th gen, which I still have. The 6th gen wasn’t different enough to make me spend the money, is that my fault or GM’s?
I own a 2023 Camaro 3LT Coupe and would buy an EV Camaro. I would want a 2 door coupe or hatchback with a larger trunk opening, a more usable backseat, improved visibility, the latest tech and safely features and optional all wheel drive. Perhaps with styling along the lines of the 2nd or 3rd gen. Chevy needs this in their lineup.
If we had a well functioning free enterprise economy, the question would be, “Are Consumers Willing To Freely Vote With Their Dollars for a Next-Gen Camaro.”
The question, “Does GM Even Need A Next-Gen Camaro?” is exactly backwards.
In a truly competitive free enterprise economic system, the consumer decides which companies, products, brands, etc. succeed and which fail based on the CONSUMERS needs, wants, desires, etc. Companies, products, brands, etc. that do not satisfy consumer expectations fail.
It’s not what GM wants or needs. Or what government wants you to buy. It should be want consumers, collectively, want.
GM being bailed out by government after it failed is the worst thing to happen to consumers. It was good for Government Motors, it was good for the executives, it was good for GM employees and the UAW.
Bad for the rest of us.
Your free market analysis misses the points that the whole vehicle market space is heavily subsidized (when’s the last time you actually built or directly paid for a road) and has some of the highest externalities of any market.
I’ve looked at actual buying trends and they show that must buyers of light vehicles in the US base their purchase decisions purely on the monthly payment and the cost of gas at time of purchase, rarely even considering even the cost of insurance and almost never considering the lifetime cost if ownership
With market participants like this, an unregulated market will not create any type of optimization.
GM desperately needs a next gen Camaro in the form of a 100% electric EV to compete with Tesla. They also need a 100% electric Corvette that is faster the fastest Tesla in order to compete with Tesla in the future. Unfortunately, they are moving slower than molasses, because they should have already come out with a Camaro EV and a Corvette EV. Now they have to play catch-up.
Proud owner of 3 v8 camaros. Will ABSOLUTELY NEVER drive an EV POS. That is a fact. The general can literally shove it up her transgendered liberal @$$. Bring back the LS engine now or face the wrath of true America’s that have supported the brand from the cradle.
How about you just vote with your dollars and leave your hate speech somewhere else?
I’m a lifetime car guy and also have a Mach-E GT Performance Edition. 0-60 in mid 3s is pretty awesome! Don’t knock it till you try it.
They changed the style too much in 1982. This alienated the hard core fans. Also, boomers were ageing out of ths cruise scene. When I was a teenager, even the poorest of the poor had a car. Today’s kids don’t even get a license until their twenties.
Full EV = bankruptcy 2.0. Why, can’t they build both to satisfy both enthusiast. What they’re really doing is abandoning the major part of their customer base, who will, go somewhere else. This EV strategy is speculated that customers will buy what they offer, until someone else offers what they want. “Bye bye customers”
As long as there is a Mustang, there should be a Camaro.
Ultimately, what matters is whether or not General Motors is successful as a business. The article makes a good business case for discontinuing the Camaro. In the end, it will be GM’s decision, based on their market knowledge.
We could make a good case for GM to discontinue everything and just make full size Chevrolet trucks in Mexico from 100% Chinese parts……
What if I don’t want any of those?
If GM is so “on the ball” on those segments that people “want” they home come they don’t lead in sales in any of those segments besides maybe full size trucks?
How come everything they sell is 4th, 5th, 8th or 10th best seller in the segment?
I do understand that the bottom line for all vehicle companies is to make money. However, the Corvette is out of reach for most consumers because of the cost. By thinking about not offering a new Camaro is one of the reasons that GM continues to loose consumers to foreign car companies. Once the younger consumer buys a foreign vehicle, for the most part, that consumer will continue to buy foreign vehicles. GM, like other automotive companies continue to make mistakes with how and why decisions are made based only on the bottom line. My point here is that by offering a “sports car” at a reasonable cost (Camaro/Firebird), GM will keep a good share of this segment of the market long term and not only keep thinking about short term profits. At the end-of-the-day, many loyal GM product consumers are not happy with the decisions based only on short term profits.
I love my classic hot rods and to go batteries (ev) just sucks .Why couldn’t they just go to hydrogen, the info structure is already there. Some people make wrong decisions.Hybrids are a better choice even. Got my retirement car a Camaro love it a dream that I had when I was a kid .The 6th Gen. Camaro is excellence.You don’t know what you got until it’s gone.May the future generations enjoy cars harmony love it
Young drivers start with a Camaro type, later cab afford a Vette, then might settle into a
SUV or get the wife a SUV. The lower cost sporty car is the way to attract buyers to your brand and
have them grow into the higher profit models.
Camaro sales died because the I4/V6 trims were unattainable. Make one base engine. Either the I4 or V6. Have it max out at 32K. You used to be able to get a 2LT Camaro for 26K for the gen 5. Most people want the car for the looks but can’t afford loaded out 37-42K Camaro LT’s. Even the SS Trim could be had for 34K.
I vote keep this generation going but revamp the trim structure. Make mild refreshes and keep adding new editions. A fully revamped Camaro is not necessary.
As a 50+ year owner of a 1969 Camaro SS 396 L-78 and recently turned 70 year old, I’m going to say pure and simply let the dead dog die. Don’t continue to humiliate us devoted Camaro owners by continuing the Camaro NamePlate on a electric base (non) power plant. Frankly I’m embarrassed to mention GM in my breath at car shows, presenting my car. Really it all started with me back when the records retention debacle happened. Supposedly warehouse fire. I know I’m rambling now, but when you think you may have a rare Camaro, and just need a little help with some hope of records, somewhere somehow. But back to this issue, no but Hell no on a “EV CAMARO”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t want Camaro to go electric either. But if ALL CARS are going electric and ICE engines are getting banned, I would rather have an electric Camaro over any other electric car. Camaro is the only car I am willing to drive, and if GM stops making Camaros they will force me to buy a Mustang. I refuse to drive any other car.
Sully don’t Panic, there are Used Camaros For Sale, I’ve had 18 Camaros & the only New One is the one I just bought. 1st one was a 68 Shell in the Junkyard I built.
For some reason I can’t hear a son getting his license and asking his father for a Tracker so he could pickup his girl friend
Better than a bus pass.
If only GM believed in the Camaro like those of us that love them do. But that ain’t happening, so let the Camaro RIP. Don’t make it like an aging athlete who leaves his/her lifelong team for one more season somewhere else. The fans will only despise you.
The Camaro and Corvette can’t be compared they are completely different cars, one cannot replace the other. A Corvette is a weekend/summer car, no one is going to buy a mid engine Corvette as a daily driver, it’s not practical. But a Camaro is a perfect daily driver. If I could only pick one, Corvette or Camaro, I would rather have the Camaro.
In my opinion, as Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro lover and owner, General Motors should make the Corvette and Camaro under a different brand. It would be geared to performance oriented products. Corvette already does not carry the Chevrolet badge; they should do the same for Camaro. One thing I noticed is that General Motors placed more development into the Corvette. They should place the engine in the Camaro as they did the Corvette. The branch could be considered as General Motors performance branch. It’s sad to see a beautiful piece of machinery be discontinued.
I would like to see GM create a Camaro version of the Corvette E-ray. It would be a stellar performing car that I would certainly be interested in purchasing. Since 2009, I have owned 3 new Camaro2SS’s. I had a fantastic 5th gen., an imperial blue metallic 2010 2SS that I really really loved. It was such a beautiful design and it ran so well. Then I bought a 6th gen. Charcoal gray with red hash marks 2016 2SS with literally everything on it. It even had cordless charging for my phone…lol. Unfortunately, someone crossed 3 lanes of traffic and hit me head on, totaling my great running car, that I absolutely LOVED. Thanks to great engineering and a well placed airbag system, I was not injured, other than my feelings being hurt over my poor car. That was February 2020, which was right before Covid-19 really hit hard, so I had my work cutout for me if I was going to find the exact Camaro I was looking for. I was looking for a 2SS with everything on it once again, but this time it it would have to have the 10 speed transmission. After searching high and low for the exact car that I wanted, and being pressed for time by the pandemic, I found the exact car I wanted located about 120 miles away…A fully loaded black 2020 Camaro 2SS with 10 speed transmission (which is by far the best transmission I have ever had in ANY car). I absolutely LOVE this car !! I am currently still driving my black 2020 2SS, so when the news came that GM was ending the 6th generation Camaro with no replacement in sight, I was devastated. I seriously don’t know what my next car could possibly be now, and I don’t like not having a plan in place for future car purchases. GM could literally make for a LOT of happy buyers if they used the drive train that is currently being used in the Corvette E-Ray. It would certainly be a very quick car…and satisfy Camaro lovers with a new 7th generation car that would sort of bridge the gap between an all I.C.E. powered drive train and an all electric powered drive train. As much as GM would love to start producing a large number of all electric models, the fact of the matter is that the technology is lagging behind the desire of automakers to produce large numbers of reliable, safe, and efficient electric cars and trucks. Come on, GM…give us a beautiful new 7th generation Camaro eSS with a 6.2 liter internal combustion drive train that is boosted with an electric component that is incorporated into the drive train like the Corvette E-ray !! It is a beautiful compromise that will benefit GM AND the customer base in a multitude of ways.
CYBORG, I Said all this in an early Post but did not go on & on. There’s a 4 Wheel Drive 68 Camaro SBC in Poland, Twin Turbo that Really Runs, I want One! I have 4 1st Gens & 3 other LT1 Camaros,, And a New August 2023 Turbo 4 (Vivid Orange). Yes, Yes,Yes Need a Hybrid Camaro AWD.
When will GM get it that not everyone wants electric? You’ve seen the success of the hellcats. If GM would come out with a V8 Camaro with no AFM/DFM and auto stop crap that made at least 800HP they would have a GOLDMINE. It doesn’t need to be California legal because honestly the other 49 couldn’t CARE LESS and wished the big one would hit and sink it into the ocean already.
2024 Camaro SS, AFM, DFM can easily be defeated. No auto stop on the SS. And ZL1. 450 HP. Bump that up to 650 in the ZL1 offering. Still available with a 6 speed tranny. These are true drivers cars and still a few on dealer lots. GM just needs to keep making them
But in 2024 MY, only 13500 were produced.
AFM/DFM is NOT easily defeatable. You have to pull the heads, replace all lifters and cam, replace the valley cover and tune the ECU. I did this on my Silverado after it dropped a lifter. Just tuning it out does not replace the crap internals. You need a FULL delete kit.
There is a plug-in device sold by a company called Range based on vehicle make, model. Plug it into the OBDII port and done. Stays in V8 all the time.
There is no evidence left in the OBD that it was in use when you go in for service.
For over 20 years, somebody inside of GM has been wanting to kill the Camaro. In the 1990s, they spent little money to keep it fresh, which led to fewer sales, which supplied the reason to kill it. Then they sent production to a small plant in Canada for it to die. Making a deal with the UAW that it would die, forever.
When the faithful threw a fit, GM listened and suddenly their mistake was realized as Camaro enthusiasts came out of the woodwork. Suddenly, GM is acting like they COULD have earlier, but didn’t.
When the Camaro was revived, using an OZ platform and customizing it for the USA market, they still aimed toward the top-option cars and later with the high-horsepower cars. When the volume was in the more-normal cars instead. So, they justified it with a showcase for their non-Corvette powerplants of massive power with race car handling, from the factory.
Ford focused the Mustang just the opposite, as a normal car that could be optioned into a race car, or built into a good race car. Same with the Challengers! A lot more V-6 cars were sold than the hot rods. The normal cars paid for the hot rods, not vice versa.
Rather than have a specific and consistent platform, GM swapped it among several, as time progressed. It’s identity soon became a “hot rod sports coupe version of _____” rather than Camaro itself. Sure, the Gen I cars shared components with the X-car Novas, but those things upgraded the status of the Novas.
The pattern toward discontinuation seems to be lackluster sales brochures and no freshening of the product, for several years prior to the ultimate end. These are ORCHESTRATED actions of management. Slower sales result, which is their desired reason for ending things.
Another reality is that GM is finally headed toward an EV future. It’s hard for an EV to have “a soul” like an ICE vehicle has. All of the performance is in the software running things rather than engine designs/responses to throttle input AND sensory enjoyments.
The Buick Avista concept could have been a great sibling to the Camaro, but that was not to be, either. Camaro as the “street fighter/track champion” and the Avista as the sophisticated upscale cousin.
GM has needed to get back to being a “car company” for “car enthusiasts”, run by enthusiasts and engineers to make complimentary products. Not a “build them all the same to save money at each price point” car company. FEW modern marketers realize that a car should be defined by its charismic character rather than just building ONE option at each price point! Not everybody with $30K to spend wants the same vehicle. More options lead to more potential sales, IF the marketing works. With that last item being a traditional GM weak point, for decades.
GM wanted to be a bigger Tesla and save the planet so people will buy their stock. now Tesla is sinking what will GM do now ??
GM already has a Camaro EV, it’s called the Blazer.
We need a 7th gen with an LS3 and a little more room in the back, so you could actually have passengers. Build it and they will sell.
Sure they do for nascar especially to challenge the new mustang gt a 550hp camaro ss to challenge the bmw m4 a cadillac version of the 1970 camaro and most importantly give finally the camaro fans what they what a hellcat and jailbreak defeating factor zl1 850hp zl1 yearly limited addition and a 427 z28 650hp track monster make a new 7 generation camaro 1970 and a svw sport coupe camsro and a cadillac challenger to the m4 and make a supercharged version 3.6L 400hp as the new v6 model and watch sales increase 1970 m4 challenging camaro ss