Camaro Convertible Concept: Official GM Press Release

For release: Jan. 5, 2007, 12:01 a.m. EST

CHEVY CAMARO CONVERTIBLE CONCEPT DEBUTS AT NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Link to GM Media site

DETROIT – The Chevrolet Camaro concept was the celebrated star of the 2006 auto show season. You can only top that by literally and figuratively blowing the top off. That’s exactly what GM’s designers and engineers did to create the Camaro convertible concept. The introduction of the Camaro convertible concept was on the eve of the North American International Auto Show at GM Style, an exclusive, fashion-splashed event combining celebrities, couture and automobiles.

The Camaro convertible concept, wrapped in Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat paint with twin gunmetal gray sport stripes, is based on the original Camaro concept, with only minor changes required to accommodate the convertible body style.

“The best follow-up to last year’s award-winning Camaro concept is a Camaro convertible,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. “The Camaro convertible concept instantly evokes an emotional response – it’s a vehicle that you want to make room for in your garage.”

The Camaro convertible concept embodies strong heritage while appealing to a new generation of customers who seek a distinctive statement in a new car.

“For some of us, an emotional bond was formed when we introduced the Camaro coupe last year,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “It is magnificent. But now this year, if this Camaro convertible doesn’t make your heart beat faster, you should see either your optometrist or your cardiologist, because you have a problem.”

Chevrolet already has announced production plans for the Camaro, which will go on sale in 2009. A production convertible model will be added later that year.

Fun spirit
Like the Camaro concept vehicle, the Camaro convertible concept blends a dramatic, forward-looking design that is mindful of the brand’s storied heritage. That design includes classic long hood/short deck proportions and a wide, wheels-at-the-corners stance that gives the vehicle the look of hugging corners even when stationary.

The Camaro convertible concept is motivated by a torquey V-8 engine that rightly sends power to the rear wheels via a manual transmission. It also features a four-wheel independent suspension system and four-wheel disc brakes.

“There is an undeniably fun spirit with the Camaro convertible concept,” said Peper. “The promise of fun made by the convertible top is reinforced with the Camaro’s ‘let’s go’ stance – it’s a car that begs to be driven.”

The Camaro convertible concept shares exterior dimensions with the Camaro concept, although the convertible concept’s windshield surround, which features a bright anodized finish, is changed slightly to accommodate the convertible top.

Additional design details include:

Tonneau cover over the folded top
“Halo” headlamps
LED taillamps
Rear spoiler with LED-lit CHMSL
Racing-inspired fuel filler door
Front-inlet hood scoop, inspired by the Corvette Z06
Heritage-inspired rear fender “gills”
Anodized aluminum door handles
Bold 21-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) wheels, with accent color
The Camaro convertible concept’s Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat color is a contemporary update of the classic hue, which was originally offered in 1969. It is complemented with twin gunmetal gray sport stripes. The modern interpretation of the classic color and its dark accent stripes simultaneously reflect the Camaro’s heritage and deliver a deep, lustrous and thoroughly contemporary appearance.

The Camaro convertible concept rides on 21-inch front wheels and 22-inch rear wheels. The wheels have a deep-dish, five-spoke design and feature charcoal center sections with bright outer edges and a red outline on the wheel edge. The charcoal wheels complement the gunmetal gray stripes on the body.

Inspired cockpit
Inside, the Camaro convertible features a simple yet purposeful interior that reflects design elements inspired by the muscle car era, including the first-generation Camaro. A new, light-and-dark color scheme enhances the airy feel of the convertible, particularly when the top is lowered.

The seats’ fronts feature platinum-tone leather surrounding suede-like Alcantara® inserts, with black, sculpted seatbacks. The use of light color only on the seating surface is reminiscent of vintage houndstooth interiors, while a matching, tri-coat platinum paint is used to accent the door panels and instrument panel, giving a modern, bold feel to the interior.

“The light-on-dark interior coloring makes a strong statement that conveys the spirit of freedom and fun that is embodied by a Camaro convertible,” said Micah Jones, interior designer.

As with the Camaro coupe concept, the convertible concept features an instrument panel inspired by first-generation Camaros, including an intricate “round-gauges-in-square-holes” design. The gauges have a deep, three-dimensional appearance, with white faces and red pointers.

“The instrument panel – including the four auxiliary gauges mounted in front of the shifter – pays homage to first-generation Camaros, while achieving a modern appearance through its refined integration of components,” said Jones.

Craftsmanship and attention to detail are evidenced throughout the interior, including the smoke satin aluminum finish on trim plates, vents, seat handles and safety belt buckles. The shifter and pedals are made of billet aluminum. The steering wheel has a detailed, deep-dish three-spoke design and the front seats are hinged at the center – rather than the sides – for an integrated appearance. A separate ignition button is used to start the engine and the speedometer and tachometer needles complete full-sweep indexing when the engine rumbles to life.

A “spine” motif runs through the center of the vehicle and on the seatbacks, including a prominent center console that stretches to the rear seat. The spine reinforces the symmetry of the Camaro convertible, as well as its precision.

An attainable icon
The original Camaro was introduced to the Baby Boomer generation, a large group of young, individualistic and mobile Americans that drove fundamental changes in the auto industry. The Camaro was personal, sporty and powerful – attributes that were typically found on more expensive, smaller and, often, foreign sports cars. The Camaro represented a real life-sized sporty car that was attainable for just about everyone. An almost endless list of optional features, colors and trim combinations ensured owners could tailor their Camaro to their exact taste.

As Boomers transitioned into larger vehicles to accommodate growing families, younger drivers embraced used Camaros as their first cars, and third- and fourth-generations of the Camaro continued to deliver affordable fun and performance to a new generation of enthusiasts. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of owners of all walks of life have found driving fun in a Camaro during the past 40 years.

The new Camaro concepts draw on their namesakes’ heritage, but also the global, youthful influences of the 21 st century. These influences are seen in the Camaro convertible concept’s bold proportions, tailored wheel-to-body relationship and detailed interior – including the multi-dimensional instruments. It’s a design that resonates with a generation of younger car buyers influenced by highly stylized “tuner” cars and import sports cars.

“Youthful buyers want a car that makes a statement in its design as much as its performance,” said Brian Smith, exterior designer. “The new Camaro concepts bridge heritage with contemporary style, with a design that is simultaneously admired among import-influenced youth and traditional enthusiasts.”

Along with style and performance, the timeless spirit of fun is woven into the new Camaro concepts.

“Camaro has always represented the American ethic that style and performance don’t belong exclusively to the wealthy,” said Smith. “Camaro has always been everybody’s sports car, and these new concepts demonstrate its spirit is relevant for a new generation.”

Ed Peper on the Camaro Convertible Concept

A year ago, Chevrolet unveiled the Camaro Coupe Concept to rave reviews at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was the hit of the show, and it led to the announcement that Chevrolet will again produce the Camaro Coupe, starting in 2009.

The goal this year was to top last year’s announcement – and we have, by blowing the top off!!!

On Saturday, January 6, 2007, at the GM Style Event in Detroit, the Camaro Convertible Concept will be unveiled for the first time. In the same manner that the original Camaro concept raised the pulse of enthusiasts everywhere, I believe the new Camaro Convertible Concept will continue to represent for Chevrolet the direction of its vehicle line up – expressive style, spirited performance and great value.

From its updated Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat paint with twin gunmetal gray sport stripes to its four auxiliary gauges located near the shifter, the Camaro Convertible Concept celebrates many of Camaro’s heritage features in a contemporary way. Although this is a show car and not the actual production vehicle, it was designed to represent the production model that will follow within a year of the Camaro Coupe production.

For further information regarding the Camaro Convertible Concept, the press release has been attached to the end of this message. Shortly, you will receive a copy of the hero card poster that is being distributed to the public at the North American International Auto Show. In the meantime, you and your customers can gain further details and pictures by visiting “chevy.com/performance”. This website will be available for viewing starting on Sunday, January 7, 2007.

The Camaro has touched many lives with nearly 4.8 million being produced over 30 years. The love and lore of Camaro remains strong. The Camaro concepts redefine the Camaro for both existing and new generations of fans in a contemporary way with responsive performance and modern technology. We look forward to its rebirth in 2009!

Sincerely,

Ed Peper
General Manager - Chevrolet

Canadian made Camaro Convertible?


We have heard the recently introduced Camaro Convertible concept car was built near Detroit, Michigan, not in Canada as you will read in the article below.

Source: Canada.com

GM to unveil Canadian-made Camaro convertible concept at Detroit auto show

Friday, January 05, 2007


The Chevrolet Camaro convertible concept will be unveiled at the GM Style event on the eve of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Friday.

DETROIT (AP) - General Motors Corp. said Friday it plans to offer a new Chevrolet Camaro convertible in 2009 and will display a concept version of the Canadian-made convertible at a gala event surrounding the North American International Auto Show.

GM said last summer it would make the new Camaro at its plant in Oshawa, Ont., just east of Toronto. The new Camaros are expected to land in dealer showrooms by 2009.

The convertible concept, which will be unveiled Saturday at a media event, is based on the original Camaro concept that received rave reviews at last year's auto show in Detroit.

GM stopped making an earlier version of the Camaro in 2002 but decided to bring back the iconic muscle car to appeal to car enthusiasts and younger buyers. The new version will offer better fuel efficiency and more sophistication than the 1969 version on which it's loosely based.

"The Camaro convertible concept instantly evokes an emotional response - it's a vehicle that you want to make room for in your garage," said Ed Welburn, GM's vice-president for global design.

The rear-wheel-drive convertible concept features a V8 engine and manual transmission. It also has a four-wheel independent suspension system and four-wheel disc brakes, the automaker said.

Chevy follows up the Camaro Concept coupe by losing it's top

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept - Auto Shows
Well, whaddya know? After last year's Camaro Coupe concept, along comes the convertible.
BY HOWARD WALKER, December 2006

It didn’t take a rocket scientist, or the brain power of that guy who kept winning Jeopardy, to deduce that GM would follow-up its much-praised Chevy Camaro Coupe concept with a ragtop version.

The production Camaro is still more than a year away, so to keep interest in the company’s pony car strong, this drop-top concept will take center stage on GM’s Texas-sized display at the Detroit auto show.

To our eyes, chopping the top makes the Camaro look even more smokin’ than before. While the coupe was cool, this has cruisin’ down Pacific Coast Highway written all over it. You can bet GM CEO Rick Wagoner already has the keys for next summer’s Woodward Dream Cruise.

2007 North American International Auto Show Coverage

The conversion from coupe to convertible may look like a simple chop-job, it involved modifying most of the bodywork aft of the doors so as to make space for a folding roof. The windshield was also re-jigged—it’s higher in the middle and lower at the corners—and features a shiny billet-aluminum frame.

Designer Brian Smith says he envisages a simple cloth top with a glass rear window and small quarter side-glasses. But, for the concept, there’s no actual top beneath that leather-covered, rear-hinged hard tonneau, so bring your rain poncho.

To tie-in with the original ’69 Camaro convertible, the concept gets a paint job in eye-poppin’ Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat with twin gunmetal-gray stripes. Check out the thin, orange pin-striping around the rims of the wheels to echo the look of the old Redline tires.

Inside, there’s a new black and white color scheme. The seats are trimmed in Saturday Night Fever-style white leather with white Alcantara faux-suede inserts, while the instruments get new white faces with cool blue neon rings. Interior designer Micah Jones had to rework the rear seats to make room for the top folding mechanism, which meant ditching the rear section of the center console from last year’s coupe concept.

Apart from those show-car 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels and some embellished trim and interior bits, what you see here is pretty much what you’ll get when the Camaro convertible hits showrooms in 2010, a year after the coupe. Those who’ve seen the production versions in the hallowed halls of GM Design say both coupe and convertible stay amazingly true to the concepts.

Under the skin, the new Camaro will ride on a version of GM’s Global Rear Drive platform—known internally as Zeta—developed by GM’s Aussie Holden division. It features a four-link independent rear end which should give the Camaro a handling edge over the live-axle Mustang. Expect V-6 and V-8 power and a starting price around $25k. We’re drooling already.

Camaro Convertible information and specifications

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept: Hip, Hugger for Detroit show is necessary step for Chevy

By Todd Lassa

Photography by David Freers, GM Media Archive

If showing a Camaro convertible concept at the 2007 Detroit show seems obvious, that's only from your armchair.

It may not be so obvious as it is necessary. Chevy will launch the Camaro coupe in late 2008 as a 2009 model; then to battle the other Ford Mustang body style, it'll launch the Camaro convertible about spring of 2009.

As the concept makes the rounds of car shows following its Detroit debut, GM Australia ishard at work on the production car. Expect thicker sills and tunnels and added cross-bracing to give the convertible's unibody coupelike stiffness.

The convertible concept has charcoal SS stripes over a lustrous Hugger orange paint job-the stripes are so dark they appear black under certain light. You might think of the 1969 Camaro RS/SS Indy 500 official pace car, which has orange stripes on a white body.

The two back seats are about six inches closer together to make room for the tonneau cover. As in last year's coupe, the front seat tracks are on the center console and on the rocker panels instead of the floor for better rear-seat foot space. Circular gauges in square frames seem certain for production. The large, round gauges now are white-faced, with black chrome numbers and a red anodized needle, for more clarity, versus the coupe's turned-aluminum face with chrome numbers.

There's a blue glow circling the convertible's gauges, and the only reference inside to the orange paint is the seat stitching. The deep-dish three-spoke steering wheel and Rallye Pack-inspired four-pack gauge cluster at the base of the floor console, fortunately, return. The six-speed manual's gearshift looks like a piece of sculpture, and the chromeseatbelt buckles are designed to look like the iconic belt buckles in late 1960s GM cars.

The convertible concept has last year's ram-air 6.0-liter LS2 engine, rated 400 horsepower and with Active Displacement Management and an exhaust note that makes a sensuous, throaty burble. Built on the next-generation Holden/ Zeta architecture, the car has independent rear suspension. It's likely the base engine will be the DOHC 3.6-liter V-6, not the 3.9-liter pushrod V-6.

The best news is, size the tires down to a "normal" 18 or 19 inches, and you're looking at the convertible you're likely to find in dealerships in 2009. Stay tuned for our full story on the Camaro Convertible concept coming soon to MotorTrend.com and the upcoming March issue of Motor Trend.

CAMARO CONVERTIBLE CONCEPT DESIGN DETAILS

Tonneau cover over the folded top
"Halo" headlamps
LED taillamps
Rear spoiler with LED-lit CHMSL
Racing-inspired fuel filler door
Front-inlet hood scoop, inspired by the Corvette Z06
Heritage-inspired rear fender "gills"
Anodized aluminum door handles
21-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) wheels, with accent color

CAMARO CONVERTIBLE CONCEPT SPECIFICATIONS


Vehicle type: two-door, four-passenger rear-wheel-drive convertible
Wheelbase (in / mm): 110.5 / 2806
Length (in / mm): 186.2 / 4730
Width (in / mm): 79.6 / 2022
Height (in / mm): 53 / 1344
Track (in / mm): 63.8 / 1620 front; 63.3 / 1607 rear
Powertrain: V-8 engine with manual transmission
Suspension: four-wheel independent: MacPherson strut front, multilink rear, progressive rate coil springs, gas-pressurized dampers
Brakes: four-wheel disc, 14-in rotors with four-piston calipers
Wheels: cast aluminum; 21-in front, 22-in rear
Tires: 275/30R21 front, 305/30R22 rear

Here is the 5th Gen Camaro Convertible

Right before the NAIAS in Detroit, Michigan - the pics of the long awaited Camaro Convertible surfaced on the internet this afternoon. Stay tuned to this blog for many more pictures to be uploaded.

Speculation has been that GM will have a convertible Camaro concept on display during the 2007 NAIAS. It is rumored this car was in the works during the August 2006 official introduction of Chevrolet's intent to produce the Camaro as a 2009 model. The car is this much closer to reality.

Don't miss the Convertible Camaro gallery at 5thgen.org

Click here to see the Hi res pics from Autoblog.com

5thgen.org to debut Camaro Convertible!

If you are looking for pictures of the 5th Generation Camaro Convertible, you should check out 5thgen.org this coming Saturday night (January 6th). They will be at the GM Style show preceeding the opening of the 2007 NAIAS in Detroit, Michigan.

Visit the forums for the latest news and some great renderings of the new Camaro!

Camaro Collectibles

From diecast to remote control cars, the 5th Gen 2006 Camaro concept car is making it's way to collector cases all over the country. From GM brochures to actual press kits from the 2006 NAIAS Auto Show in Detroit to Mattel Toys offering a 1/64 Hot Wheels diecast version of the Camaro and Jada Toys having a few variations in 1/64 and 1/18 scale diecast as well as plastic radio controlled cars, there are a couple of unique items currently selling on ebay for under $10.00, the first is the Camaro keychain



Another is the Camaro Christmas Ornament, these make great gifts for the Camaro collector who already seems to have it all. These items are being offered by eBay seller gr8lakes