GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced today that GM will build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro muscle car based on the award-winning concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in January. The concept "ignited the passion of car enthusiasts around the world ever since," the automaker says — even spurring consumers to start petition drives and send in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits. The car will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009.

"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.

According to trade publication Automotive News, Wagoner said unlike the Ford Mustang, the 2009 Camaro will have independent rear suspension. He also said the car might use GM's cylinder deactivation technology to improve fuel economy. Even without that, he said the car will get good milage. "Remember, we produce Corvettes now that get over 400 hp and get 28 miles to the gallon." Lastly, he hinted a convertible version may also be in the work. The car will come "in many shapes and sizes," he said. Wagoner reiterated his belief that GM can sell 100,000 Camaros per year.

MUNICH, Germany -- Chevrolet Europe executives are studying whether to bring the Camaro sports coupe to Europe.

Last month, General Motors confirmed it will build a new version of the American muscle car based on a concept unveiled at the 2006 Detroit auto show.

Although the Camaro concept vehicle has not been shown in Europe, Chevrolet Europe is considering importing and selling it here.

"I want the car for our lineup," Wayne Brannon, executive director of Chevrolet Europe, told Automotive News Europe. "But we want it to be a good business case. We are considering it."

Brannon said he would like to make a decision by the first quarter of next year. He said a number of factors will be considered in the decision, including engineering issues for Europe, emission requirements and volume.

"We would not look at it as a huge volume opportunity," Brannon said. "But the project has to make sense."

Chevrolet Europe says there already has been a positive reaction to the car from dealers and customers.

The sales expectations probably won't be large because American muscle cars are minor players in the European market.

Ford, for example, sold 441 Mustangs through six months this year, according to British market researcher JATO Dynamics. That's down from 463 during the same period last year but up substantially from 2004, when Ford sold just 70.

Coupes are also a niche segment. In the last two years, carmakers have sold an average of 30,000 units as customers increasingly switch to the coupe-cabriolet segment. That market is now nearly 10 times the size of the coupe segment, JATO reports.

GM will begin production of the Camaro at the end of 2008 in Oshawa, Ontario, and the car will go on sale in the United States in early 2009.

GM built the original Camaro between 1967 and 2002.

In the September 25th episode of syndicated automotive radio program Cruise Control Radio, co-host Les Jackson claims to have seen a photo of the production version of the new Chevrolet Camaro. He claims to have spoken with GM engineer Dr. Terry Woychowski on Sunday at a press event, who showed him a photograph of the production car.


"It looks terrific," Jackson said. He claims the photo he saw looked "even better" than the concept vehicle show earlier this year. While this subjective assessment doesn't tell us much, it's safe to assume GM officials really meant it when they said the production car would be nearly identical to the concept.


Jackson also claims Dr. Woychowski told him GM was "in a real rush to get it out the door," and "don't be surprised if it's by this time next year." General Motors has officially stated the new Camaro will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. Woychowski comments seem to suggest that date could in fact come at least 12 months earlier than expected.

DETROIT -- General Motors will introduce the Camaro convertible concept on the eve of the Detroit auto show at the GM Style event. GM says it will begin selling the convertible in late 2009.

The car will debut Saturday, Jan. 6, amid a fashion-type show combining celebrities, couture and cars. The show opens to the media Sunday, Jan. 7.

The Camaro convertible will be in Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat paint with twin gunmetal gray sport stripes. The color is an update of one offered in 1969. The convertible is based on the original Camaro concept revealed at last year's Detroit show, with some minor body changes to accommodate ragtop styling.

The hardtop Camaro will go on sale in 2009.

"The best follow-up to last year's award-winning Camaro concept is a Camaro convertible," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design, in press release.

The convertible will have a V-8 engine. It will be rear-wheel drive with a manual transmission and a four-wheel independent suspension system with four-wheel disc brakes.

Welburn said: "It's a car that begs to be driven."