Confirmed: Camaro will be on sale in 2009

[carsnut]

Source: GM

GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced today that GM will build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro sport coupe based on the award-winning concept that stole the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show and has ignited the passion of car enthusiasts around the world ever since – even spurring consumers to start petition drives and send in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits.

“The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the Camaro Concept continues to remind me of the uniquely iconic place our products can have in customers’ hearts,” Wagoner said. “Camaro is much more than a car; it symbolizes America's spirit and its love affair with the automobile.”

The all-new Camaro will begin with early production versions at the end of 2008 and will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. “The new Camaro will be almost identical to the concept, a thoroughly modern interpretation of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the best design of the car’s first generation,” said Ed Welburn, GM's global vice president of design, who owns a 1969 Camaro SS. The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe will feature an independent rear suspension, and will be offered in a variety of models with the choice of manual and automatic transmissions and V-6 and V-8 engines.

Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said the new Camaro will appeal to both men and women, and unite customers with fond memories of previous Camaros with those who first experienced a Camaro when the concept was unveiled in January.

“We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans,” said Peper. “The beauty of the best Camaros is that they have always been beautiful to look at with performance that rivals expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new-car buyers.”

In fact, the Camaro Concept design team embodies the universal appeal that Chevy envisions for the car: The core team reporting to the lead designer ranges in age from 27-35 and came from all over the world, yet they all had similar experiences growing up with a love for the Camaro and American performance cars. Their concept redefines the Camaro for both existing and new generations of fans in a contemporary way with responsive performance and modern technology.

Peper said Camaro will complement Chevy’s already-popular portfolio of performance vehicles led by Corvette and including its broad SS lineup.



sorry if this a repost, i just found this and thought some of you camaro lovers would be interested

[The_Canuck]

I think this is known by most.

[Spastik_Roach]

They'll mess it up.

[chayson roberts]

can it drift

[Quiggs]

Originally Posted by chayson roberts

can it drift

Ugh... I can't wait until this fad passes. Can't we just go back to normal retarded street racing?

Originally Posted by Spastik_Roach

They'll mess it up.

Guaranteed.

[my porsche]

Drifting = nascar for a younger white trash generation.

Exciting, hopefully the interior will be better than the concept car, but not a shitty typical GM interior (doubtful...)

[acemotorsport]

i want to drift it

[baddabang]

Originally Posted by acemotorsport

i want to drift it

I want to fry the tires off it, but drifting? No.

[Vindesh17]

I will most likely buy one a year after it comes out, just to make sure they work out most of the problems in the first year. I just love the look of the '67-'69 Camaros but I can't live without the modern-day features and this should be close enough stylewise.

[teatako]

i dont know which fad is worse, drifting or retro cars. im not a fan of camaros, or any muscle car , but when i see the second picture (silver concept with an older ss next to it) its nauseating. the older car is so much more bold . the concept looks like the cadillac XLR and a NASCAR stocker.
i said it in another thread and ill type it again: ugly cars are the future.

[taz_rocks_miami]

Originally Posted by Vindesh17

I just love the look of the '67-'69 Camaros but I can't live without the modern-day features and this should be close enough stylewise.

Same here. I'm not crazy about it, but I'll wait untill I see it in person to pass final judgement on the looks. Why 2009, can't GM bring it to market sooner?

[ScionDriver]

Something is going to screw it up, whether its that they knock the engine size down or build quality is terrible because by '09 GM will be deep in debt, but yeah I don't think its going to be pretty.

Besides most camaro drivers I know are assholes.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

by 2009 we will all have forgotten about this car and it will be an opportunity missed. However if they rush it through we'll end up with Solstice Mk.2. The Jessica Simpson of Cars - Not bad to look at but not all there mechanically (yes, Jess is a Cyborg )

I like the scowling effect of the front but was it necessary to be so retro? Try something new ferchrissakes.

[monaroman]

Hell yeah gimme one - 6.0 400hp coupe., looks great.

[CdocZ]

If it comes out as shown, I'll be happy. However, plenty of time to play with it, and perhaps screw it up....which is what I'm afraid of.