Chevrolet Camaro axed, however identify will return…some day

The Chevrolet Camaro has run its race, for now, though the corporate is promising “this isn’t the ultimate chapter for nameplate”.

Chevrolet hasn’t confirmed when the Camaro identify will return, or whether or not it should nonetheless be completely used on two-door automobiles.

A report on the finish of final yr claimed GM is contemplating turning Camaro right into a sub-brand with a pair of all-electric three- and five-door crossover coupes, which may later be joined by an EV sports activities automotive primarily based on the identical structure because the Corvette EV.

Manufacturing of the sixth-generation Camaro on the firm’s Lansing, Michigan plant will finish in January 2024.

The unique Camaro made its debut in 1966, a couple of years after the Ford Mustang. Whereas the 2 automobiles have gone toe-to-toe for a lot of a long time, the Camaro took a break in 2002 after the manufacturing of the fourth-generation mannequin ceased.

It sprang again into life in 2009 when a retro-themed mannequin was launched primarily based on the Zeta platform developed by Holden for the Commodore vary.

The present Camaro was launched again in 2015, and relies on the Alpha rear-wheel drive structure primarily utilized by a collection of Cadillac sedans.

Engines obtainable within the present Camaro included a 205kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, a 250kW 3.6-litre V6, and a 339kW 6.2-litre V8.

The highest-spec ZL1 had a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 cranking out 485kW and 881Nm to the rear wheels.

In honour of the Camaro’s departure, the corporate will quickly launch Collector’s Editions of the Camaro in RS, SS, and ZL1.

Chevrolet hasn’t revealed what it should embody in these North America-only Collector’s Editions, however has stated it should reference the first-generation automotive’s improvement codename: Panther.

The Collector’s Version Camaros will likely be obtainable to order from the northern summer time.

In its homeland, gross sales of the Camaro have tapered off dramatically. Because the flip of the last decade, it hasn’t managed to crack 30,000 gross sales, with simply 24,652 bought in 2022.

The Camaro’s decline isn’t remoted, although. The Ford Mustang has seen the same drop, though off a better base, and solely managed to shift 44,332 items final yr.

The opposite member of the horse automotive triumvirate, the Dodge Challenger, has really managed to carry regular over the previous decade, and due to the sharp falls registered by its rivals, really ended up in first place final yr with 55,245 gross sales.

The Camaro was formally bought in Australia between 2018 and 2020, with conversion work carried out by Holden Particular Autos.

When it was new, the Camaro SS with a 6.2-litre V8 and eight-speed auto had a beginning worth of virtually $86,000 earlier than on-road prices. That put it at a extreme drawback to the Ford Mustang, which was factory-produced in right-hand drive.

By comparability, a Mustang with a 5.0-litre V8 and 10-speed auto started at a shade over $66,000 earlier than on-roads. Gross sales predictably mirrored the value discrepancy.

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