What some call “out of date” others call “heritage,” something that our American brands have in spades and need to take advantage of.
Also, a DOHC Direct Injection 3.6L plus 6 speed tranny is not up to date? You must be from the future.

I’d never buy one, because I’m not a muscle car guy, but I can appreciate it, in much the same way as I can appreciate Atlas Shrugged. Well done, but totally not my thing. As long as it’s not too much heavier or more expensive than the Mustang, it’ll do ok. For a while.

I don’t think fuel economy is really the big problem with this car for one reason: this is a sports car, and no one gives a damn about the fuel economy of a sports car. It could run on minced baby seal brains and it’d still be bought up by it’s intended demographic because, quite frankly, they don’t care what the miles per gallon is. Even in “Secretary’s Car” trim, economy is way down the list (You want economy? Buy a Cobalt coupe) of buyers’ criteria. For the likes of the Flex, sure, it’s an issue. For the Camaro? Heck no.

The problem is that it’s a niche car that’s been overexposed selling in a saturated market. The SS might sell well for a few months, but it’ll languish after that because once the image buyers and diehards have had their fill, the mainstream shoppers aren’t going to buy Camaros en masse, and the presence of the Camaro isn’t going to help shift Malibus, let alone Cobalts or Traverses.

What GM needs, really, is something that will get fickle mainstream consumers into their showrooms. The Malibu is almost that; the Camaro certainly is now.

I’m not convinced the new Camaro would have been successful in 1988, though. Back then, retro wasn’t ‘in’ and a design harking back twenty years could easily have fallen flat and been derided as just old and unimaginative.

As to the rear of the new Camaro resembling that of the new Challenger, that should come as no surprise as the 1970 Challenger looked a lot like a 1969 Camaro. So much so, in fact, that the makers of the movie Vanishing Point tried to use a ratty old shell of a 1969 Camaro as a ‘body double’ in the final scene when a 1970 Challenger is blown up.

I don’t really mind if one or both is FWD, but give me something that LOOKS American.

AND, make them full-line cars.If it’s impractical to give us the 2-doors simultaneous with the sedan and wagon-so be it-so long as you don’t renege on the future promise.

The Impala name went on coupes, convertibles, wagons, as well as 4-door sedans.You could also get manual transmissions–both 4-on-the-floor and 3-on-the tree.

When they “brought back” the Impala, I noted that there were only 2 taillights per side, and that the only model was a sedan and no manual was offered–not a real Impala.And despite 2 lights a side, not really a real Bel Air.

And, why isn’t it a Pontiac? Isn’t Pontiac supposed to be the flash and dash division according to GM’s Branding Team?

But I also never forget about the types of cars that made the brand in the first first place like the Camaro. This is a car that’s vital to the Chevrolet brand. The Firebird was even more vital to Pontiac (and they won’t bring it back, why?)

When GM killed these cars they killed a huge part of each brand’s distinctive identity, the real passionate part of the brand that isn’t present in or carried by the other products sold by that brand (and it really should be). They also alienated a massive fanbase of true Chevrolet fans. All to make more dirty bucks on stupid trucks.

The Malibu doesn’t impress me, it looks like a Toyota, not a Chevrolet or an American car. I already know that Toyota makes the best four door appliances in the world so I’m not sure why I would want to buy a knockoff from GM.

When GM makes a Malibu and a real RWD Impala that echo their heritage and look like a proper Malibu and Impala should like this Camaro then I’ll be interested in them.

The Camaro (and Challenger and Mustang) are the types of cars only GM and American automakers can deliver. It’s the same with the Impala example above too. Those are really the kind of cars I want from an American manufacturer, otherwise they don’t do anything that isn’t already being done by the foreign automakers operating here.

Cars like the Camaro prove that some within GM at least know what the brand and the name really stand for. Pretty much everything else doesn’t, it’s amazing, and frustrating.

Here in Oshawa the Camaro will be running in the most modern flex plant in the world.Even if GM doesn’t make a dime on the Camaro,its showing the rest of the world that GM is still a force to be reckoned with.

You don’t think that’s a problem? If you have to GIVE AWAY the product (which, to a certain extent, you are doing if you can’t sell it for a profit), then I submit to you that the product is not that good, and that the company is not at all a force to be reckoned with.

Lets not forget folks,that not everybody loves/worships the Japanese offerings.I,m a 54 year old male and I drive a Firebird cause thats what I like.I love Vettes but can’t afford one.

I had a Firebird and a Vette. Nice looks on the outside, but crap, I had one serious problem or another with each one, as often as once every 6 weeks or so!

Once outside of the warrantee period, they are both more expensive than that aforementioned girl with $95,000 worth of credit card debt.

Good looks, yes. But bad design, poor assembly, incompetent dealer service.

I may be the only pistonhead in North America who hates working on my own cars. I used to work on them, but it was a necessary evil. So I do know a lot about them, enough to know that I REALLY need a competent service department. When I get my car back, I shouldn’t find extra screws and dashboard parts in my footwell, and I shouldn’t discover days later that the service caused a new problem and/or the original problem wasn’t fixed.

This was my biggest complaint with GM cars and service departments. I’ve never had this issue with Mazda, BMW, or Toyota service departments.

This will sound harsh, but I believe it wholeheartedly: I’m glad I got out before one of those cars had a chance to strand me in a dangerous neighborhood or kill me (or somebody I love) with a malufnctioning steering, brake, airbag part, or with a component improperly installed by the dealer’s service department.

TriShield, I think most of us agree with that – I do – but the timing is off. Right now GM needs mass production cars to make money, not a niche product to pay homage to its heritage. While super-expensive import gas guzzlers still sell well, that is not the market segment that would buy a Camaro. Those who would are most affected by the rising gas prices.

That is awesome. But in this case the breast is damn good, just a smaller size. The drive train mix is right. Manuals for those who want them on both engines. Great power, Brembos, killer exterior styling. These cars should be a smash success. GM did do a good job here. It had better. One thing Japan can’t make is a Camaro, or Vette, or GTO. These cars have American heritage, something that can’t be duplicated by someone else (Holden is part of GM). But if the product isn’t right, heritage isn’t going to mean squat. This would be a grand slam home run…five years ago. Squared off against the Mustang the competition between the two would have been great. But the times, they are a-changin…The high curb weight and middling mileage will kill volume production. Many people that would have bought this car will have to ponder the day to day cost of gas if this is their only ride. I suspect that a good chunk of potential buyers may already be driving vehicles that are pounding the gas budget. If this only offers 2 MPG more than their present ride they may look elsewhere.

Here in Oshawa the Camaro will be running in the most modern flex plant in the world.Even if GM doesn’t make a dime on the Camaro,its showing the rest of the world that GM is still a force to be reckoned with.

Lets not forget folks,that not everybody loves/worships the Japanese offerings.I,m a 54 year old male and I drive a Firebird cause thats what I like.I love Vettes but can’t afford one.
I would buy a Mustang in a heartbeat if my pay check didn’t come from GM.Yeah, yeah,I know but its a concept called loyalty,hard to find these days.

Fact is I’m not alone.At the last Firebird show I attended the young folks were trying to find any Camaro info they could.And NO! there was not a mullet to be seen

A lot of naysayers may change thier minds when they see and drive it.

To repeat an earlier posters words,
Don’t rain on our parade yet!

This is the type of car that is truly a Chevrolet, truly American and truly what a whole legion of people out there want to buy. This is the type of car thousands have been demanding since GM killed it in 2002 to divert more resources into SUVs.

It’s not a copy-cat, Japanese-wannabe car like the Malibu and it isn’t beyond bland and characterless like pretty much everything else GM sells as a Chevrolet. It’s also not a huge hulking truck, SUV or lame crossover thing.

Every Chevrolet should have as much heritage, be as distinctively styled as well executed as this car and the Corvette. It should have never been discontinued in the first place. This is what true American cars are all about.

When you give designers and engineers a real legend to resurrect and a mission the work they turn out is magnificent.

I will always be proud to buy and own cars like this. To me transportation is more than just going somewhere, it’s an experience. And when I spend a lot of money on a new car I want it to truly be something special sitting still or behind the wheel.

The Camaro (and Challenger and Mustang) as it is today is truly something special. I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts and wonder why every Chevrolet GM churns out isn’t in the same league as this car and the Corvette and if the entire company wouldn’t be better off if they were.

Priceless.

I agree, btw. Ten years ago it would have been a huge success. Today GM would have to pull a miracle out of their hat and make Camaro’s mpg at least 20/30 with the base six. Since the same engine in a Caddy does 18/26, we all know what will freeze over before that happens.

I do like its looks, though. Not so much interior, but perhaps I could live with it.

carlisimo wrote:
And what about a slower, cheaper, more efficient version for those who feel ~200hp is plenty and are buying it for the looks?

Like me? Sure. 200 is plenty.

ferrarimanf355 Says:

I’ll take an SS, in yellow, with everything but the leather, automatic and sunroof. Hopefully, I can keep the pricing well under $35K with that in mind…

I’d like mine with the big giant walking robot option!

SunnyvaleCA Says:

Could you tell us more about the “paddle shiting”?

If I remember correctly, that sub-option is available in the big giant walking robot option; but he doesn’t shit, he pees oil!

The comment about the Mustang’s 210hp V6 vs. Camaro 300hp…If news reports are to be believed, the 2010 ‘Stang should launch about the same time as the Camaro with a 300+ hp “Ecoboost” twin turbo V6. Mustang base V8 also is supposedly due for a significant hp boost.

I hope the Camaro is around long enough (and the Mustang and the Challenger, too) to matter. The automotive “environment” into which these cars are being launched is just too eerily similar to the early ’70s. And we all know what happened after that.

And what about a slower, cheaper, more efficient version for those who feel ~200hp is plenty and are buying it for the looks? Isn’t that buyer profile the one that keeps the Mustang successful?