The Auto Writer

GM Readies Camaro Production

Just as so many other automotive enthusiasts have been doing over the past few years, I’ve reported and/or gushed over the impending reveal of a production Chevy Camaro by General Motors.

First, it was the rumors that the car would actually be brought back. Second, it was the appearance of a concept model which made its debut at the 2007 NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show). Third, it was the announcement that the company’s Oshawa (Ontario) plant would build the new car. For the past eighteen months various blogs, news outlets, and print publications have speculated not only when the Camaro would arrive but what it would finally look like. Finally, last Friday, several photographs of the production version were “leaked” on the internet and disseminated almost everywhere.

The 2010 Chevy Camaro

So, why was yesterday’s Big Reveal anticlimatic for me?

For a few reasons:

This was the worst kept reveal. Very little about the Camaro shown yesterday was new; we opened up our Christmas present before the big holiday!

Gas prices are terrible. Inasmuch as I am in favor of the latest iteration of the muscle car craze, the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Chevy Camaro suck up the gas. Sure, there will be people who buy these cars and won’t give a rip about gas mileage but even with the smallest engine under the hood you’ll still be paying plenty at the pump for each fill up. Besides, I can’t see driving any of these cars without a V8 inside as that defeats the purpose for a muscle car. Then again, a supercharged V6 sounds ideal.

GM is pretty banged up. Though I’m pulling for GM to succeed, I can’t help but think that the Camaro is the wrong car for the wrong time. I might show less concern about the timing of the car’s release if there were several more fuel efficient cars that will beat the Camaro to the market. With the latest generation Camaro set for first quarter ’09 production and a convertible coming one year later, will GM still have enough money on hand to bring the Volt, Cruze, and other vehicles to the market? I hope so.

All that being said, I will add a bit of ambivalence to this article — bring on the Camaro!