You just stated exactly why I wouldn't trust anyone under 30 with the design of the Camaro.
Here's the damn problem. It goes just as much for the Camaro, the Mustang and the Challenger, and every other damn car that the American brands pull out of their back pocket to drive sales because of the heritage of a nameplate.
The whole damn attachment to
heritage is killing the ability for our companies to innovate. As committed to history as those damn Europeans are, they'll toss a damn name out the window to try something new, figure out it doesn't work, and go back to the same name like nothing ever happened, while still having a radically different product. Because, why not? Why does a damn
name have to dictate what the entry to a
changing, fluid, competitive segment has to be?
Everyone freaks out every six years when Chevrolet is about to roll out a new Corvette, and every single time, GM has to remind people of what the basics are; Front-engine, rear-drive, eight cylinders, and a cheap price tag. Honestly, when they're introducing a middle market sports coupe, why the hell would it be any different for the Camaro? Ever? Sure, GM
thought about replacing the Camaro with a derivative of the L-Body and the Beretta - just the same that Ford did with the Probe and Mustang. The difference there is that the Feretta would have had a V8, and well, all-wheel-drive.
Forward thinking? From my '90s era American motor company?
Simply put, GM won't go tossing the basic formula out for the Camaro. They'll equip it with different engines and transmissions. The pricing structure might step up a notch. But it'll still be a mid-size, 2+2, rear-drive sports coupe. What the hell are we all screaming about? Honestly, if GM wanted to make it V8-only, the market wouldn't care. They'd still buy a bajillion of them because "Camaro" is emblazoned on the back, and there's a bowtie on the grille. If GM wanted to make it N/A V6 and a V6 turbo, they'd still sell a billion of them because "Camaro" and a bowtie. Sure, people would flip, but they'd get used to it, and the market would move forward.
Given GM's cautious take toward the trucks and how it backfired, and their cautious take toward the Malibu and how it backfired, its really anyone's guess as to whether or not they'll take chances with the Camaro. After all, they went very cautious with the new SUVs, and they control 75% of the market. And they'll probably still control 75% of the market, regardless of what Ford or anyone else does. Fair guess is that GM incorporates the Code 130R styling language to a premium mid-size coupe, and uses the platform to introduce the newer tech to the middle end of the market. Its anyone's guess on a turbo I4 if they go that route (I'm still betting on a 2.5T), but you can bet on that 3.6L V6 making an appearance, and it'll be the first non-Corvette to get the LT1, and will probably get that matched to the 8-speed auto out of the box. Row your own will probably be yet another iteration of the Tremec T060, I doubt they'd fork over that 7-speed unit from the Corvette.
As the official GM fanboy on GTP, I can speak of one primary concern: A CTS Coupe, V-Sport Coupe, and CTS-V Coupe. A new Camaro would have to compete with a car on the same chassis, likely using the same drivetrains, with nearly identical performance with only a slight price increase. Would that be enough for older buyers to select a Cadillac over a Chevrolet? Hell, what about the long-rumored Buick GN revival that's been batted around for years?
The market has changed. The Camaro has to change. It all boils down to GM committing to change in the face of a Mustang that's merely evolved, and a Challenger that just adds oodles of horsepower to an out-of-date chassis. Based on my visit to the Ren Cen this weekend, getting a full-face of GM culture, I'm leaning toward an unchanged Camaro future. The nameplate rules all.
) Apart from a possible 4 banger, my main question is on whether or not it will be LS or LT powered, but I'd assume that it'll be an LT engine that powers it.
