Barrett-Jackson to sell first 2009 Corvette ZR1


We aren't sure when the new Corvette ZR1 goes into production, but it seems Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale plans to sell the first 'retailable unit' built to benifit the United Way in January 2008.

According to thier web site, the car is lot number 1316 and will be sold on Saturday, January 19, 2008. They also have the car identified as a Convertible which is an obvious typo.

Ain't that a Bee-otch


It seems DreamWorks is identified in a lawsuit for allegedly using the Bee-otch design on an air freshener in the Bumblebee Camaro in the 2007 Blockbuster movie The Transformers.

Here is the story from the NY Post

Looks like this one should be pretty easy for Alia Madden since she claims to have had the design since 2002 and has licensed it out for use on air fresheners, mugs and shirts since then. Considering how much this movie has grossed, the meger sum of $850,000 she is asking for should be a drop in the bucket for DreamWorks.

Edmunds.com


5thgen.org - 2010 Camaro Forums

Seen the latest discussions on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro? See specific articles, facts, figures and discussions on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro at www.5thgen.org

Image galleries, full feature forums, custom renderings and more!

TireRack.com


One-Stop Complete Winter Source - Shop Now!

2010 Camaro in camo on the streets


Christa Lehmann captured a few images of a camouflaged 2010 Camaro in Australia.
Checkout the thread on MichganClassics.com

5th Gen Camaro Pro Stock

This picture was posted on 5thgen.org this week. We are told it was shot at the Peformance Racing Industry Trade Show recelty. Does anyone have additional pictures of this car?



*Update 12/12/2007 - we just saw the following link on 5thgen.org today: CLICK HERE

The 2009 Camaro , will be racing in NMCA Pro Street, & NOPI series,,, 510 Mike Moran Twin Turbo Engine... the Driver will Be Tony Baudier and Darrell Devenny

This is the information posted on the car below!

Along for the ride in the Corvette ZR1

This cockpit video was taken during the recent ZR1 testing at Laguna Seca. This is posted on vettetube.com.

Looks like a great ride!






Camaro popularity soared with Transformers movie

Source: tformers.com

General Motors has released a market research study that presents findings of little backlash from the consumers of the company's products in "Transformers," according to The Hollywood Reporter. It seems the heavy product-placement in the film did not deter consumers from having a favorable reaction to the company's products.

In fact, percentages of consumers that viewed Bumblebee (94%) and Optimus Prime (91%) as excellent of good outpaced Shia LaBeouf (83%) and Megan Fox's (82%) character. Jazz, Ratchet, and Ironhide all came in at 69%.

Respondents after seeing the film were 70%-90% more likely to consider purchasing the Camaro, Solstice, Hummer H2 and GMC Topkick. Independently, 144% improved their opinions of the Solstice, 72% of the Camaro, and 65% of the H2 and Topkick.

The data was compiled by an independent market research firm.

Celebrities, Customizers and Designers to Turn Chevy Camaro Toy Cars Into Unique Art


Souce: earthtimes.org

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- 11/12/07 -- Jada Toys, Inc. will bring together celebrities, fashionistas, car customizers and designers to participate in Kulture Klash -- an art show where the car world meets the art world -- to be held November 17-18 in downtown Los Angeles. The event, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, Wahoo's Fish Tacos and Archie Ice Cream will challenge 50 artists to create one-of-a-kind pieces using 1:10 scale Chevy Camaro radio control cars. The art will be showcased and auctioned off to raise money for various charities.

For more information about Kulture Klash, please visit www.jadatoys.com/kultureklash

See the entire article here

Camaro debut at the Middle East International Motor Show

Souce: ameinfo.com

After wowing enthusiasts at motor shows globally since its debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the multi award winning Chevrolet Camaro concept car is all set to make its first Middle East debut at the biennial Dubai-based motor show in November 2007.

More...

Transformers Ultimate Bumblebee

This Hasbro Bumblebee Transformer Autobot replica has been available in stores for a while now. With a price tag approaching $80.00 it isn't cheap. This large scale replica is a highly detailed interactive action figure, with lights, sounds and music it isn't your fathers action figure.

For a detailed demonstration of this toy visit the Hasbro website at www.transformers.com/bumblebee


Chevy Nation has arrived



Today is the day, November 1, 2007, there is some interesting Camaro information posted on the GM website ChevyNation.com

Click on the Club House link, then on the Silver Camaro Concept car to get to the good stuff. You will find interesting fact about the history of the Camaro as well as 'insider' information about the Camaro expected in dealer showrooms and garages acrosss the county in 2009.

Greenlight Camaro Convertibles coming soon!

Camaroz28.com is working with Greenlight to bring you a 1:64 scale die cast Camaro Concept Convertible with a 1969 Pace Car paint scheme



I have already pre-ordered my copy, take a look at their site and order yours today, supplies are limited and going quick!

* Limited to 1,500 pieces
* Each one individually serial numbered
* Custom car design and wheels
* Special CamaroZ28.Com graphics, text, etc. on both sides of the packaging, including matching trading card
* Special CZ28PACE license plate on the cars themselves
* Officially Licensed by GM!

Click HERE for details

Camaro Mule car spotted again

Souce: wheelsmag.com.au

An Australia native spotted this VE Commodore-come-Monaro in traffic on a Melbourne street not too long ago and submitted it to wheelsmag.com.au.

The real deal - Corvette ZR1

Looking at the picture below (originally posted by Loggins on digitalcorvettes.com) it shows the clear section in the hood that we've specualted about covered in camo tape from the outside.



See this and more pics of the car from Laguna Seca here

Yellow Corvette at Laguna Seca

Was this a Corvette ZR1 at Laguna Seca this past week?
Take a close look at the two pictures below, the hood seems to be the same used on the current C6 Corvette, no sign of a hood bulge. Is GM toying with the media?




Look at the previously leaked images below, it does appear there is a buldge on the ZR1 hood




The image below is a C6 Z06 - that shot looks very similar to the Yellow car at Laguna Seca with the camo tape...

Corvette ZR1 at Laguna Seca?


As posted on blogs.motortrend.com

The blogosphere is blowing up this morning with word that GM has a prototype of its upcoming 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 in Monterey, California for the last race of the Amercian Le Mans Series season at Laguna Seca Raceway. Even juicier is the rumor that the ZR1 will be doing demonstration laps at some point over the weekend. If that's the case, it should be quite a show, as the ZR1 is slated to produce some 650 horsepower

There is also a video posted on www.dpccars.com

Car videos Motorcycle videos Car pictures Street racing Sports cars

2007 Transformers DVD gift pack


Check out this TRANSFORMERS DVD movie gift pack on ebay this week.
Set included the 2-disc set TRANSFORMERS 2007 feature presentation and Special features disc in a collector tin, 128MB TRANSFORMERS MP3 player and a die cast Camaro Concept keyring painted Orange Metallic

Click HERE to see the items on ebay!

GM posts picture of Camaro in Camo!


Fastlane.GMblogs.com posted a picture of Ed Welburn hugging a Camaro recently.
Our guess is the Ed is covering up the B-Pillar area

There are a few other minor things you can make out in this picture, what do you see?

See the blog entry here

Brandonppr from 5thgen.org 'removed' the Camo for all to see

Looks like the first year will be a 2010

We just received this from GM:

To answer some recent questions in cyberspace:

Yes -- the Camaro will have a key (versus pushbutton start)

Yes -- it will be a model year 2010 -- but we have not moved the 'start-up' date. We'll start building Camaros in the 4th quarter of 2008 -- and they'll be in dealerships in the first quarter of 2009

Yes -- the new Camaro will have a B-pillar. BUT - it isn't noticable from the outside. Think of a first gen with the rear window in the up position. The rear window will cover the B-pillar and there will be a weatherstrip attached. The B-pillar is necessary for several reasons -- the most important being: reduction of mass and structural rigidity

Transformers 2007 DVD now in stores


Today is the day, you can buy the Transformers DVD in a number of special edition packages. Available in one or two dic sets, Widescreen and HD format, there is plenty to choose from. Sorry Blu-Ray customers, that version is not available at this time.

To purchase a copy today from Amazon - see the link on the right side of the page!

See the list below for the stores and what special editions or freebies they have.

Source: www.tfw2005.com

Best Buy- Box Set – Robot Heroes Exclusives Cliffjumper and Battle Damaged Prime w/ 2-disc Special Edition DVD ($29.99) – Minimum 10 sets per store
- Free Megatron Lithograph with purchase of DVD – Minimum of 30 per store
- Exclusive Voyager Figure Repaints – Metallic Megatron and Metallic Ratchet ($19.99) - $5 off of one figure when purchased with DVD
- Buy the DVD and any version of the movie game and receive a $10 gift card

Blockbuster- Exclusive 128MB MP3 player with 1-disc DVD – Minimum 4 per store

Borders
-Exclusive "Making-Of" Booklet with purchase of 2-disc Special Edition DVD ($39.99)

Circuit City- Free Gift Card with code for 15 minutes of exclusive online content about the movie included with purchase of DVD
- Free Transformers Hat with purchase of DVD - First 20 customers per store who purchase Transformers DVD

Felpausch
- Buy the DVD, get a free pack of the Transformeres 3-D Battle Cards

Fred Meyer
- Buy the DVD, get a free T-Shirt

Hastings
- Free reversible Transformers beanie with purchase of movie

KMart
- Free LED/Flashlight included with purchase of 2-disc Special Edition DVD (same as sister company, Sears)
- Buy movie and any Transformers toy $19.99 or greater and get $10 off instantly

Movie Stop- Free movie poster with pre-order of DVD

Sears
- Free LED/Flashlight included with purchase of 2-disc Special Edition DVD (same as sister company, KMart)

Shopko
- Buy the DVD and receive a $5 non-themed gift card and a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew

Suncoast (and related stores such as FYE, Sam Goody, etc.)
- Steel case, Autobot (Protect) and Decepticon (Destroy) versions

Supervalu Chains (Albertsons, Cub Foods, Jewel-Osco’s, etc.)
- Mouse Pad with DVD purchase

Target
- Transforming Optimus Prime Case w/ 2-disc Special Edition DVD
- Exclusive Prequel Comic w/ DVD purchase
- Buy the movie and the Target Exclusive "Evolution of a Hero" Collectible Bumblebee Set and receive a $5 gift card.

WalMart
- Exclusive Box Set – 1-disc standard DVD & exclusive prequel animation “Beginnings” narrarated by Peter Cullen

1969 Camaro body kits are here


This week there is a 1994 Chevy Camaro Z28 on ebay. The company selling it has created a unique 1969 Camaro body kit and has posted their prototype on ebay.

While this car was not built using a kit, it was hand built using steel panels. We are not sure if future models will be using a kit but they will be based on lower mileage CF4 Fourth generation Camaro chassis.

There are some body kits I like, and some I don't like. A favorite is the 1953 Commemorative Corvette by AATcars.com

You can read the details and see more images at MichiganClassics.com

hybrid Camaro?

Souce: BloggingStocks.com - Bryan White

Not much. At least not publicly. Projects like the GM Volt and E85 cars and trucks are there, but what about gas/electric hybrids? Nada. And the maddening part is, GM has the stuff to make it happen. What if GM came out with an iconic American nameplate (as in, a sports car brand) that had muscle and great gas mileage? Like matching a new hybrid system with GM's V8 Camaro (a Chevy product)? That could happen...but it's not. Why not?

More...

GM has the Volt coming about the same time as the Camaro Convertible hits showrooms all over the world. Personally, I see hybrid sports cars in the form of a Saturn Sky or a Pontiac Solstice, those are much better suited then the heavier Camaro/Zeta platform.

Camaro concept in Orange County

Source: dailytitan.com - Phillip Radke

Chevy brought out its large array of Corvettes but the main attraction lay with the brand new Camaro, which is intended for release in 2009.

The convertible version of the Camaro was on display, showcasing the realm of possibilities the company is exploring within the next year.

The final design is not set for the convertible version, but representatives at the show confirmed that the body style is set in stone, if not for a few tweaks that will be made to meet safety regulations.

More...

Production Camaro to get a B-Pillar


According to a report on Edmunds.com GM product guru, Bob Lutz, confirmed that the production Camaro will in fact have a B-pillar, making it a standard coupe instead of a traditional hardtop coupe. This will hold true with the Dodge Challenger as well.

See the story here

Camaro Mule caught during testing?


Autoblog.com posted this story and has pictures provided by Chris Doane & Brenda Priddy & Company

Insiders have confirmed this Middle Eastern-market Chevy Lumina SS mule with severely truncated rear doors is indeed a mule for the production Chevy Camaro that will hopefully go on sale as a 2009 model.

Click HERE for the entire article and the rest of the pictures

The new Camaro is headed to Busch series racing


Source: speedtv.com

NASCAR hopes to inject new life into its Busch Series by changing the types of cars raced, beginning as early as 2009, according to multiple sources familiar with the project.

If plans go according to schedule, the next-generation Busch Series cars will be Chevrolet Camaros, Dodge Challengers, Ford Mustangs and an as-yet-to-be named Toyota model, sources said. Ford overhauled the Mustang as a 1960s-retro model in 2005, to positive critical and commercial results. Chevrolet and Dodge will release similarly retro-themed Camaros and Challengers, respectively, by the 2009 model year.

Click HERE for the article

Chevrolet Camaro convertible celebrates its European debut


As posted on duemotori.com

With the new HHR, Chevrolet Europe is expanding its product portfolio this fall by adding an exciting US model. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, the brand with the bow-tie logo gives a glimpse of what the further emotionalizing of the brand might look like:The Camaro convertible concept celebrates its European debut at the IAA. “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 Vice President Global Design. Ed Peper, General Manager Chevrolet USA, added: “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.”
Click HERE for the entire article

New Super Vette has an official name


We've all read the proposed names for months now, Corvette SS, Sting Ray, etc. It appears the new name will bring back the ZR1 RPO designation.


While the recent announcement to rethink the SS lineup by Chevrolet had most of us thinking SS was a sure thing, this announcement makes me think they brought back the right name. Ever since we first heard of the rebirth of ZR1 in 1989, it has been synonomous with power.


This was posted on http://blogs.motortrend.com/


"Chevrolet's 650-horsepower Corvette, developed under the codename "Blue Devil," will be called ZR1. That badge will appear on the January 2008 Detroit show car, and on the production version set to go on sale later next year as a 2009 model. GM has been developing this car for several years, using a supercharged version of the new 6.2-liter small block V-8 used in the 2008 Corvette(pictured). GM also considered such names as Z07 and Super Sport for the ultra-low-volume car. Price will be much higher than the 505-horsepower Z06, and Chevy will continue production of that car when the ZR1 launches."


Image is property of Brenda Priddy


Roush and the GMT900 Silverado

It looks like Jack Roush and team have been playing with the new Silverado...


New Camaro finally headed to production

According to GM Holden managing director Denny Mooney, the Camaro is about to leave the Engineering phase and head to production!

"Mr Mooney said that as the engineering development for the Camaro winds down, "our next-generation project won’t be far away"."The Camaro project is now slowing down because they are now getting into production. All the heavy engineering work is being done as we speak. The design work is pretty much done," he said."

Source: GoAuto.com.au

If you liked the Transformers movie, now you can own part of it yourself!

Ebay seller premiereprops7 is offering up many items claimed to be from the movie, the biggest items is the original 1977 Chevy Camaro that ends up morphing into the 5th Gen Camaro. Take a look at the Camaro auction here

Some other items include are available here Capt Lennox's hat, signed movie posters, Allspark cube, license plates from some movie cars and more - see the items here

2007 Eyes on Design

Earlier this month was the Annual Eyes on Design show near Detroit, Michigan

Held on the grounds of the Henry Ford Estate, this scenic backdrop had some of the finest cars around on display, including a suprise appearance by the Camaro Convertible

See all of the images in our gallery at www.MichiganClassics.com

Here is a sample




Will people buy the new Camaro?

Source: The American Spectator - Eric Peters

Automotive journalists, bloggers and others have expressed great enthusiasm for the revived Camaro sports couple that GM plans to bring back to market sometime in mid-late 2008. Packing at least 400 horses in Z28 form and with hunky-looking retro-'60s sheetmetal, it's easy enough to understand the excitement.

But liking the car and buying the car are two very different things. GM may be in for a rude surprise -- and left holding the bag (again).

Consider it. I very much like Ferraris. But unless my financial situation changes for the better considerably, all my lust will never translate into an F430 parked in my driveway.

Now granted, the new Camaro is no six-figure Ferrari. But it is a double-digit gas pig. That comes with the big V-8 (and big V-6, in base models) under its hood. With gas cresting $3 per gallon, topping off the 20-something gallon tank of a V-8 muscle car will run you about $70. And that will last you about a week, maybe. So $300 bucks per month for fuel.

Click HERE for the entire article

ROUSH Performance Expands Line to Include GM Parts


While the Livonia, Michigan based Roush racing has a long standing tradition with Ford performance, they will soon expand to GM vehicles!

This is exciting news with Jack Roush's pedigree for building quality vehicles with great performance, this opens the door for a Roush Tuned Chevrolet Camaro. I hope the market doesn't become flooded like the current Ford Mustang, with sales declining, many tuned versions of the car are making their way to showrooms, almost monthly.
Source: RoushPerformance.com

First Drive: Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept


Source: Caranddriver.com
Image: MuscleCarJohn at Team Camaro

Seventeen months have passed since the Camaro Concept coupe made its debut. Since then, we learned that the Camaro would indeed be produced (on GM’s much touted Zeta platform), we saw the stunning convertible concept, and learned, of course, that it, too, would be produced. Somewhere in between, editor-in-chief Csaba Csere drove the coupe concept in Detroit. And recently, we got to drive the sexy ragtop in California. Was there a production Camaro anywhere in sight? Nope. Were the designers on hand loose-lipped and revealing of all those details we’re so hungry for? Not this time.



A great ragtop in the making
What we did find out, not surprisingly, is that the Camaro is going to make a great droptop. In the California sunshine, the convertible’s Hugger Orange metallic paint shimmered, while light shot off the chrome from its massive 21-inch wheels. Next to the deep blue lake on Tejon Ranch, the Camaro looked every bit of badass, yet invitingly approachable in that extroverted hue. Indeed, the roofless Camaro will not only look good, but should allow the driver to look good in a way that the hardtop just can’t: by exposing him to the throngs of envious passersby. The convertible requires its drivers to trade some of the hardtop’s intensity for some genuine joi de vie. And that’s a trade we expect a lot of people to willingly make.

Too big for reality
But boy is she big. At 186.2 inches in length, the Camaro Convertible Concept is about as long as a Ford Mustang but the Chevy is fully six inches wider, and if the concept had a production-spec windshield and roof, it’d be a couple more inches taller. The fenders are waist high and the huge wheels completely fill out the fenders.

These dimensions, however dramatic for the auto show stand, render both concepts about two sizes too big for road-ready musclecar duties, a reality we experienced behind the wheel; it’s scary enough to be driving a multi-million-dollar one-off show star, but trying to keep the big thing within the narrow lanes of the Tejon Ranch back roads was absolutely nerve wracking, made only worse by its show-car (i.e. held together by Scotch tape) steering system that had its own whimsical interpretations of our directional inputs.

The Camaro’s massiveness was even more apparent when Chevy drove the convertible into the weekly classic car meet at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, where it completely dwarfed the vintage Mustangs, Corvettes, and Camaros on display. Gotta tell ya, though, even the Mustang guys loved it.

Great interior
All that width, of course, makes for a very spacious cabin. Whereas the Camaro Coupe Concept is closed and cave-like, the convertible is the opposite. Its chopped, gray-tinted windshield is way too low to be feasible for production, but boy does it make for a sunny cockpit. We can’t say enough about those bitchin’ gauges, though we doubt we’ll see them in the production model.



The white seats with contrasting stitching are great to look at and very comfortable. The rear bench is wide enough for three, though there are only seat belts for two. And the low rear headrests create a nicely unobstructed view out the back. And perhaps the best argument to take this convertible over is hardtop sibling: there’s no roof or window glass between your ears and the glorious LS2 V-8 symphony trumpeting through the tailpipes.

Don’t worry, it’ll shrink
The only real news from our brief joyride was confirmation that the production Camaros will be smaller than the concepts in pretty much every dimension, which would make it comparable to its Blue Oval–branded nemesis. It will be shorter, narrower, and shod with smaller wheels. Its windshield will grow to provide actual wind shielding for six-footers, and the interior will shrink to something more natural for a 2+2 musclecar. We were assured, however, that the changes won’t significantly alter Camaro’s flawless proportions, something we’re inclined to believe knowing that since late 2005—before either Camaro concept saw the light of day—members of the Camaro’s original design team have been working in Australia on the Zeta platform rear-drive underpinnings, ensuring that the production version stays true to the vision.

Shrinking the Camaro will also make it easier to extract the very most from the Camaro’s muscle. This is a musclecar, after all, and as such, the flagship engine will be the 400-hp LS2 V-8 straight out of the 2007 Corvette. One or two V-6s will also be available for lower-cost models, likely including the new 302-horsepower, direct-injection 3.6-liter from the 2008 Cadillac STS and CTS. All engines will offer a choice of six-speed transmissions of both automatic and manual varieties.

So is there anything left to do now? How about letting us see the real thing? For that, however, we’re gonna have to wait until it launches in spring of 2009.

Test shot of Bumblebee toy sells on ebay


It looks like a prototype/test shot of an upcoming Bumblebee Transformers toy recenlty sold on ebay for $100. My searches for Camaro Concept items would not have caught this one, if it had I would have been the high bidder.

Click hereto see the closed auction on ebay as well as the images.

2009 Corvette SS in final tuning phase

Source: CarandDriver.com

It looks like the Corvette SS/Blue Devil/Z07 or whatever you call it is about a little closer to the streets and showrooms! Bob Lutz tells us that this is the first time a Corvette has been challenge to develop. With the amount of power this car is putting out, they have had to look for new ways to engineer the car to be safe, predictable as well as the fastest car on showroom floors here in the USA.

Lutz goes on to say "We’re certainly not going to be at 600 because some of our competition is at 600. So, 600 is a number that is not satisfactory for us. I would say comfortably in excess of 600 is the way I would term it.” As for 700 horses, “that would be a stretch. Tom Stephens (GM’s head of powertrain) would say, ‘maybe in the second year."

With this car, GM is taking the horsepower wars to a whole new level. With 500 HP pony cars already on showroom floors with the Ford Mustang GT500 and the Dodge Viper, how fast will these cars get? With the price of this new Corvette expected in the six-figure range, it will still be a deal considering what its competition is.

Let us know what you think - post a comment below.

Chevrolet to revive the Nomad nameplate

It looks like the Nomad nameplate will be back on Chevrolet showrooms in 2009. According to a recent article on http://www.carpages.ca/ The Nomad will be another GM Lambda large crossover vehicle. This vehicle would fill the gap between the Chevy Equinox and the Tahoe.

The article states they see the decision to use the traditional Nomad nameplate on a vehicle other than a two-door wagon to go smoothly. I disagree, GM has had a couple of Nomad concept vehicles at auto shows and they resemble the Nomad of the 1950s, two door sport wagons on car chassis. I believe their decision to use it on a big four door SUV is a mistake.

Personally, I would rather see a Nomad version of the new Camaro before it goes on the Lambda platform. What do you think?

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Right hand drive Camaro

GM is confirming the new Camaro will be available in a right hand drive configuration for the UK and Australian markets.
Along with other Chevrolet models, this is being done to better position GM for the global market. Great move in our opinion

Source: whatcar.com

The new camaro in Europe?

Chevrolet Europe announced they plan to export the new Camaro in 2009!

Source: duemotori.com

“Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Chevrolet Camaro for all of the right reasons,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. “Camaros were beautiful to look at and offered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet, they were practical enough to be driven every day and priced within the reach of many new car buyers.” The long hood, short deck and wide stance of the Chevrolet Camaro Concept leave no doubt that it is a serious performance car. Those looks are backed up by a 400-horsepower aluminum small-bock V-8, a six-speed manual transmission, and a sophisticated chassis with four-wheel independent suspension. Like its forebears, the Chevrolet Camaro Concept would be practical enough for everyday use. It features fuel-saving features like Active Fuel Management™ cylinder deactivation technology, yielding highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or better. Its overall size is a comfortable fit for city streets and suburban parking lots, and its back Seat provides occasional seating for two adults.

Read the entire article here

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In addition to the OEM style parts, you will find chrome door handles, tailgate handles and bezels as well as aftermarket headlamps and tail lamps

GM investigates recent leaked images of Super Corvette

According to a Detroit News article this morning, GM is investigating the images of a Corvette Supercar were leaked to the internet this week.

GM believes the photos were snapped in Romulus by an employee of a transport company that was in the process of shipping the vehicle. Earlier internet reports stated that employee was identified and arrested, but those charges have not been confirmed.

As this vehicle gets closer to production, more opportunities arise for spy photographers to catch a glimpse. GM is getting better at keeping things a secret.

Click HERE for the Detroit News Article

Are these Corvette SS pictures real?

You be the judge. These images of a red Corvette SS test mule showed up on Jalopnik.com this week.

Being the previous images of that silver car were found out to be faked, will these prove to the be real deal?


What GM learned from the GTO flop


Excellent article here. This touches on much of what the automotive community already knew, but it is good to hear it out of the mouth of the General themselves!

Source: Autoweek.com

CHICAGO - The 2008 Pontiac G8 is General Motors' second recent attempt to sell an Australian-assembled car in the United States.

The first, the 2004-06 Pontiac GTO, failed to reach sales expectations and was dropped. The coupe was based on the Holden Monaro.

During an interview this month at the Chicago Auto Show, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said the automaker learned three lessons from the GTO:

1. The car's styling was not fresh. That body style had been on the market in Australia "for probably close to seven or eight years. So if you are going to bring in a car, it should be at the beginning of its design cycle, not at the end."

2. "We overpriced it."

3. The wrong dealers were targeted. Initial GTO distribution was based on historic Pontiac sales, which were heavily in the Midwest. But Midwest buyers did not want a rear-drive car. Instead, California should have been targeted at the beginning. "We will not make that mistake this time."

Zeta platform can save GM $750 Million

GM plans to save up to $750 Million dollars using the new Zeta platform.

Engineered by GM Holden in Australia, the savings come from not doing things the old GM way by having a unique chassis for each region. Todays Global approach to doing business shares the platform across continents. It gives GM the flexibility it hasn't seen since the days of Fisher Body (how many of you remember that?). GM can build anything on this platform, pony cars, sedans, convertibles & even wagons.

Source: AutoInsiderNews.com

Camaro Convertible ends up missing!


It seems more than a few people who attended the recent Chicago Auto Show felt as if something was missing. After winning two awards, "Best of Show" and "Vehicle I'd Most Like to Have in My Driveway" during the show, Chevrolet had to remove the Camaro and put it on a transport truck headed for California for another commitiment before the conclusion of the Chicago show.


For those who waited until the last day of the show, they were not able to see the Camaro Convertible - hopefully everyone out there reading this blog in the Chicago area had a chance to check it out.

Muscle cars reach a new era


You've seen the Barrett-Jackson auction shows on SPEED TV. You've seen cars that once rolled off of showroom floors for $4-5,000 selling within minutes for six figure dollar amounts.

Between those high dollar cars and the recent offerings from the big three with the retro designs of the new Mustang, Challenger and Camaro there are plenty of options for people to, at least partially, relive the era of the sixites and early seventies with a classic looking car.

A recent article in the Baltimore Sun captures the current trend in car buying, old and new. Click here to see the story.

The Shrifter™ - paddle shifted manumatic

The Shrifter™ is the hottest performance invention of the new millenium! Turn your electronic automatic transmission into a paddle shifted manumatic! The Shrifter™ is a patent pending design that provides ultra quick up and downshifts without removing your hands from the steering wheel. The Shrifter™ will change gears in milliseconds--Faster than any mechanical manual or automatic floor shifter. And you can switch on the fly between manual and automatic modes.

Here is a 1968 Camaro using the system: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2563772

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Challenger muscle car to roar out of Brampton, Ontario

Source: Globe and Mail - GREG KEENAN

The Chrysler entrant in the North American muscle car wars will roar out of Brampton, Ont.,
DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. announced Tuesday that the Dodge Challenger will be assembled in its Brampton plant about a year from now.
“Quickly bringing desirable new products such as the Dodge Challenger to market is critical to keeping our plants humming and our dealerships busy,” Reid Bigland, president of DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc., said in a statement.
The Challenger made its re-entry to the Chrysler world at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but it was overshadowed by the return of a rival, the Chevrolet Camaro from General Motors Corp.

Camaro Convertible is headed to Cleveland

Good morning, Camaro Comrades and Firebird Friends!

Chevrolet and the North East Ohio Camaro Club is pleased to invite you to another "Camaro/Firebird Day at the Cleveland International Auto Show" - on Saturday, March 3rd at the " I X " Center -- which is just south and next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
You will enter the "West" Entrance at 9am -- and Chevy will host a Continental Breakfast in the Chevy Exhibit where you can get up close and personal with the STUNNING Camaro Concept Convertible..........before the public gets in that day!
Admission is a reduced rate of $7.00 per person payable at the door.....exact change is appreciated!

Also on display:

  • The Chevy Volt concept -- the car that 'shocked' the world at the North American International Auto show!
  • The new Equinox SPORT
  • The HHR Panel
  • The Silverado RALLY SPORT concept truck


AND........for our Firebird Friends ........

>The G6 GXP
>The Solstice GXP
and ...most importantly --- The G8 Concept car!

...........and of course, the entire GM lineup of cars and trucks............
We're limited to 300 people..........so we ask that you sign yourself up --(you're allowed one guest!)
When we hit 300, we must put you on 'alternate only' --
So.........don't delay!

Sign up here and don't delay!!!

Post your first and last names in this thread to sign up!

I hope to see you there!!

Scott Settlemire
aka FbodFather

Making Modern Horsepower the Old-Fashioned Way


Source: The New york Times - Don Sherman

January 14, 2007

At a Detroit auto show press conference last week, Dodge announced that for 2008 the Viper SRT10 would get a boost of 90 horsepower — to 600, from a mere 510. Some reporters in the crowd might have thought that DaimlerChrysler engineers had at last modernized the Viper’s brute-force V-10 engine with dual overhead cams and four-valve cylinder heads.

They would have been wrong.

Instead, they learned, the monstrous Viper engine would continue to breathe through two valves in each cylinder, and those valves would still be opened by pushrods, a venerable mechanism that has all but vanished from modern cars. Still, the Viper V-10 would have a full complement of technology tricks inside, like variable valve timing, which makes it possible to tune the engine for both high power and low emissions with a few computer-controlled adjustments.

High horsepower and high technology usually march in lockstep, advances in performance arriving whenever mechanical innovations permit. Fuel injection, turbochargers and four-valve-per-cylinder designs have all made it possible for automakers to deliver the power that makes drivers reach for their checkbooks, yet remain in compliance with air-quality regulations and often with little penalty in fuel economy.

After the energy squeezes of the 1970s, the future of automobiles seemed to be small — downsized cars and trucks powered by engines with fewer cylinders and smaller displacements. To compensate for the reduction in brawn, engineers set out to fine-tune the coming generations of engines. Inevitably, producing V-8 power from a four- or six-cylinder engine pushed the engineers in the direction of higher engine speeds — more revolutions per minute to extract equivalent performance on less fuel.

Of course imports from Europe and Japan, where gasoline has long been expensive, were already using overhead cam engines to extract the best performance from their small size. Moving all the mechanical parts that open and close the valves to the top of the engine — thus eliminating the pushrods — yields a stiffer valvetrain that in turn makes it possible to spin the engine faster, a key to maximum power.

Stacking the cams on top of the cylinder head also clears the way for larger, more efficient ports, the pathways that direct gases into and away from the combustion chamber. A third benefit is that operating four valves for each cylinder is impractical with pushrods but a cinch with overhead cams. Doubling the number of valves can improve combustion, lower exhaust emissions and increase mileage.

But bucking this prevailing wisdom has long been a Motor City specialty. Wouldn’t you know it, Detroit’s seemingly old-tech pushrod engines, also called overhead valve designs, have become horsepower heroes. It’s as if the 505-horse V-8 that lets the Corvette Z06 run with Ferraris, the engines in G.M.’s bread-and-butter full-size trucks, Chrysler Group’s Hemi V-8, and the Dodge Viper’s thundering V-10 never got the memo that pushrods are obsolete.

So why do pushrods persist? Because they are superior in certain areas and inventors keep coming up with fresh ideas to keep them in the game.

Packaging is where the overhead valve engines trounce the overhead cam alternatives. Extra camshafts, and the chains or belts needed to drive them, increase weight, cost and complexity — but especially size. Pushrod engines, notably V-8’s, can fit in spaces that may be too small for an overhead cam design. Because the top of a pushrod engine is so compact, engineers can load the bottom half with larger pistons that sweep through a longer stroke.

As an example, consider two current cars with V-8 engines of about 500-horsepower, the 7-liter Corvette Z06, a classic pushrod design, and the 4.3-liter Ferrari F430, a high-tech dual-cam engine. While the horsepower is similar, the Corvette V-8 produces 470 pound-feet of torque compared with the Ferrari’s tepid 343 pound-feet. Torque is what spins the tires when a rambunctious driver tromps the gas pedal, and it’s what helps pull a heavy trailer over a mountain pass.

The Viper holsters a magnum V-10 under its low hood. Along with the arrival of new technology deep inside, this engine grows to a strapping 8.4 liters for 2008. Extra camshafts aren’t necessary when you’ve got 10 huge pistons answering every nudge of the throttle.

The challenge is to make large engines seem small and economical at the gas pumps. To do that, G.M. and DaimlerChrysler disable half of the cylinders in some of their V-8s during cruising, when all their muscle isn’t required. Cylinder deactivation is easy to accomplish with pushrods, but more difficult with overhead cams.

To coax their pushrod designs to rev higher without running out of breath, engineers have designed lighter, stiffer, lower-friction valvetrains. Pushrod V-8 engines racing in Nascar routinely rev to 9,000 rpm. Thanks to natural trickle-down, the lightweight valves, low-friction lifters and high-tension valve springs made of exotic steels have filtered into production pushrod engines, giving them the speed and stamina to compete with Ferrari’s V-8. While the F-430’s screaming 8,500 r.p.m. maximum speed is still out of reach, the 7,000-r.p.m. redline of the Corvette outdoes the 6,600-r.p.m. maximum of the Porsche 911 Turbo. The new Viper engine revs to 6,200 r.p.m., 200 more than before.

To fill the cylinders with the air and fuel needed to sustain high-speed operation, Detroit engine designers have packed larger intake ports into the space available between the pushrods. Lacking the room to go wider, engineers increased the capacity of the intake passages by making them taller.

Variable valve timing is another emerging technology that engineers employ to minimize emissions, improve smoothness and enhance power. Changing the timing of specific operations — when valves open and close in relation to each other and to the position of the pistons — is not difficult in a dual-cam engine, which controls the intake and exhaust valves independently.

Accomplishing variable valve timing with a single camshaft is a different matter entirely, because the lobes that lift the valves are locked in relation to each other.

Engineers at Dodge, working with the British firm Mechadyne, redesigned the camshaft to create two concentric shafts, one inside the other. The hollow outer tube holds the exhaust lobes while an inner shaft drives the intake lobes.

This allows continual adjustment of valve operation, according to the needs of the engine at different speeds.

The cam-within-a-cam concept has existed for decades, but perfecting it for production might just add another decade to the life of the pushrod engine.

Berger Chevrolet is giving away a 5th gen Camaro

You can drive a 2009 Chevrolet Camaro for one year compliments of Berger Chevrolet in Michigan!

Want to be able to drive the hottest car to come out of Chevrolet since 1967? Click HERE to enter

Ed Welburn talks about Camaro pricing

It looks like GM finally has the message about pricing new products. With recent releases like the Chevrolet HHR starting at well under $20,000, has GM got the message?

Ed Welburn is quoted in this article in the New York Times about the Holden Efijy. With recent reports the base level 3.9l V6 Camaro starting at $21,000, that is good news for future Camaro owners everywhere.

Though its recently introduced Chevrolet HHR has been a modest hit, G.M. remains a little gun-shy of retro designs. That’s after its experience with the slow-selling Chevy SSR pickup, a 2000 concept. But somewhere between the popular concept and production, the SSR’s charisma was compromised. The vehicle’s original shape was retained for the most part, but its size grew and so did its price.

“The main thing that grew on the SSR was the price,” Mr. Welburn conceded. “It got away from its original segment. That’s one thing we will keep in mind, going forward on the new Camaro. There’s a difference between styling and designing. It not only has to look good, it also has to be priced right.”

Aftermarket suspension upgrades underway for the Camaro


Peddersusa.com is already developing a fully GSR Integraded Suspension System for the new Camaro and Zeta Chassis cars. They currently offer upgrades for the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO. Take a look at their website for more information

Silver Camaro makes a Cameo in South Florida



In another great PR move by GM, the Silver Camaro Concept Coupe is in South Florida along with the press from almost every country in the world. The Superbowl is coming February 4th and the Camaro is taking at least a sliver of the attention.
GM is offering another round of test drives for the press. In the article below, Josh Dowling from The Sydney Morning Hearld takes the Camaro for a spin on the Miami Speedway.

Click HERE to see the four page article

Camaro news from Down Under

I found an interesting article tonight. It mentions a few little things, including the mule Camaro chassis that are running around Australia under Commodore bodies, maybe due in showrooms in later 2008, earlier then the first quarter 2009 comment we have heard more than once.

Click here to see the article posted on Carsguide.com

2007 Barrett-Jackson: Oldest production Camaro


Source: Autoblog.com

Looking at this Camaro, you might not immediately recognize that it is anything special. After all, there are countless Z/28, RS and SS versions scattered in every corner of Westworld this week. And as far as powerplants go, this has but a 275hp 327 V8. No slouch certainly, but with ZL-1, COPO, 302 and 396 options aplenty, the 327 doesn't really stand out that much. It even has an automatic.

So what makes this one noteworthy? First of all, note that it's a 1967 model. That was the first year for Chevy's answer to the Mustang. And then take a look at the VIN. It's number 16. It's also Fisher body #001.

THE first production Camaro.

It goes without saying that it also happens to be the first L.A. built car with the deluxe interior. These are the kind of things that the specialists pay attention to. The seller is billing it as the lowest surviving VIN. We're not sure if that means all 15 cars that preceded it are gone, or that they were all prototypes, but it is certainly one of the earliest Camaros ever made, and quite a sharp looking car to boot. Classic Ermine White exterior with Red Deluxe interior that looks factory fresh.

Click HERE to see the Autoblog Hi-Res gallery for more images of the car

Base Camaro to be around $21,000

It appears the General has learned a thing or two about pricing it's new models.
With the sea of Chevrolet SSR pickups and Pontiac GTOs that sat on dealer lots for months, it looks like the plan to price the new Camaro in line with the Ford Mustang is becoming a reality. GM needs to do this if they have any hope of the program succeeding.

-----------------------

Source: Canadian Auto Press

Earlier this week, General Motors' main product man, Bob Lutz, announced
Australia's Holden Commodore will make its way here as the Pontiac G8. (Photo: Holden)
some important details regarding the replacement of GM's lineup of larger than midsize sedans, the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Chevrolet Impala. Lutz confirmed that the Pontiac's successor would be called the G8, following in suit with the G-number naming scheme, and that the car would have "distinctive Pontiac styling". The G8 will be a rear-wheel drive vehicle, launching the Zeta platform in North America. However, Pontiac will initially be following a proven formula used with its recent GTO, with production first beginning in Australia alongside its brother, the Holden Commodore, with which it shares its underpinnings.

The sources also were able to confirm a couple of other important details that Camaro fans will most certainly enjoy. The base V6 model is said to have an MSRP starting at around $21,000 US dollars, and would have GM's 3.9-litre V6 engine with a choice of six-speed automatic or manual gearboxes. Also, regarding the Camaro's styling, the magazine reports that the body will remain close to the concept in terms of its design and dimensions. The only changes reported are an increase in roof height by 15.9 mm (5/8ths of an inch), while the body has been slimmed down by 8.5 mm (1/3rd of an inch).

Click HEREto see the entire article

Can GM keep the public's interest in this car for two more years?

Source: AUTOMOTIVE NEWS -- RICK KRANZ
01/18/07

DETROIT - While sales of the Camaro are at least two years away, Chevrolet kicks off a two-year campaign this spring to generate buzz for the car.

The campaign includes a primary role for the Camaro in an upcoming movie, tie-ins with Major League Baseball, music videos, fashion shows and movie stars, a Web site that will include the words Camaro Nation, and a long list of other activities.

Said General Manager Ed Peper: "We are going to have loads of things going on. My ultimate goal would be to get at least three months' or more worth of orders before we get to build the first one."

Orders will be accepted once prices are announced, sometime near the production of the first model.

Other tie-ins are planned with the Grammy Awards, Country Music Awards and the New Year's Eve celebration Chevrolet sponsors on network TV.

"There is an enormous amount of things that we will try to do in the next two years to keep the buzz going," said Peper.

The Camaro coupe goes on sale in early 2009, followed several months later by the convertible.

A hardcover book that chronicles the car's development will be released when the Camaro goes on sale.


Peper said the new Camaro has a featured role in the science-fiction thriller Transformers, which opens July 4.

Steven Spielberg is the film's executive producer.

"That will be a huge deal for us," Peper said.

"We are going to get a lot of play off that this summer into the early fall."

Camaro may lose its buzz by 2009

Source: Detroit Free Press -- January 19, 2007

BY KATIE MERX

Last week's unveiling of the Chevrolet Camaro convertible concept won oohs and aahs that rivaled those for the Camaro coupe concept shown at last year's auto show.

But at least a few analysts and prospective buyers question whether General Motors Corp. can keep the excitement going until the sports car reaches showrooms in 2009.

"The positive buzz in 2009 certainly won't be as intense as when the coupe first rolled out last year," said auto analyst Kevin Tynan of Argus Research in New York. "You even saw it last week. The convertible generated some excitement, but it didn't generate as much buzz as the coupe did last year. ... The response was: 'OK. Just build it already.' "

But GM says it's bringing the car to market on a time line that compares with the time it took to bring the Pontiac Solstice to market from its unveiling as a concept car.

"We've got all kinds of things planned to keep the buzz going," said Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper. "One of them is, it will be the star of the 'Transformers' movie this summer."

Auto analyst Erich Merkle said he believes the Camaro will still be hot in two years.

GM's only mistake with the Camaro was killing it in the first place, he said. "I don't think they'll have any problem generating excitement. God, I love that car."

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Familiarity does little to diminish the Camaro's appeal


Source: Edmunds.com -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

We're aware of only one way in which the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible concept is like Christmas: The knowledge that it's coming and will be shown at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show does little to diminish the excitement when it arrives.

We find this also true of Oktoberfest, but that is another story.

The existence of the Camaro Convertible concept was so predictable, in fact, that any number of Photoshop manipulators, both amateur and professional, have already built their own. Or at least they have made virtual versions of it for fun or profit. In the last 12 months an entire cottage industry has cropped up around digitally chopping the top off last year's Camaro Coupe concept.

Well, those Photoshop junkies are about to be put out of business. Here's your first real look at the production version of the Camaro convertible, which will go on sale around the middle of 2009, several months after the coupe's launch. Looks good from where we sit, but too bad about those Z28 stripes.

Chop, chop
We don't want to understate what the folks at GM design have done here, but the convertible concept is, in effect, a coupe with its top chopped off.

And we mean the company literally chopped the top off. The team, headed by Exterior Designer Tom Peters, popped a fresh fiberglass Camaro-coupe-concept body out of the mold used for last year's showcar and got to cutting.

It is a testament to the tedious and time-consuming detail work of the design team that the car doesn't really look much different from the coupe. Although the doors and front end are unchanged from the coupe, the upper half of the car's rear section is entirely different. According to Peters, if you measured down 2 inches from the top of the rear fenders, everything above that line is new.

Consider the rear spoiler, for example. The one on the convertible looks the same as the little lip on the trailing edge of the coupe, but it's not. It's shorter and is set at a different angle to the rear deck. This and thousands of other minute contouring changes are aimed, paradoxically, at making the convertible look like the coupe — making it appear as if you could construct your own version given only a Camaro coupe and a reciprocating saw. To endure a description of each example of surface-change minutia, one would have to be paid a great deal of money by General Motors.

Huggably soft
It is perhaps more fruitful, or at least less painful, to discuss the more obvious changes to the vehicle. Possibly, you've noticed that the convertible concept's body is covered in retina-searing orange paint. This is more officially referred to as Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat. The paint treatment, both the Hugger Orange and the dual gray stripes, nicely represent the thinking behind the convertible concept.

It is at once more overtly retro and also more frolicsome-looking than the stern silver coupe concept was. "Hugger" was the Chevy marketing department's nickname for the Camaro in 1969, because it "hugs" the road. Hugger Orange first appeared on Camaros in 1969, the model year that inspired the current concept and was the color of the stripes on the Camaro convertible that paced the 1969 Indianapolis 500. (An advertisement from that year read: Why is the Camaro the pace car again? Because it's the Hugger.)

The thick double stripes on the hood and deck lid, which were used on the Z28 model beginning in 1967, are obviously another retro touch. Instead of white or black stripes that were most common 40 years ago, Chevy went with decidedly modern gunmetal gray stripes for the new concept. It's just that kind of interplay between retro inspiration and modern finish that made the Camaro coupe such a success. The problem is, Chevy never built a first-generation Z28 convertible, so we question the choice.

"We wanted the convertible to have a more fun, sporty personality to it," said Peters. "The coupe had machined seriousness to it which was partly inspired by the T2 [Terminator 2] robot."

Certainly the new wheels were designed to strike the same balance. Intended as a modern interpretation of the classic Chevy Rally wheels, they're the same size as those on the coupe (21 inches front, 22 inches rear) and have become a focal point. The way the radial lines of the spokes are carried to the very edge of the rim makes the wheels look enormous. And the combination of a highly polished rim, gray-painted spokes and raw aluminum centers keeps your eyes' attention for longer than the relatively austere, machined five-spokes of the coupe. There's also more retro in the wheels' orange pinstripe that mimics the look of old red-line tires.

To temper the coupe's malicious mien, the designers added a few more shiny bits to the body. The convertible's taillamp surrounds are now highly polished as is part of the exposed racecar-style fuel filler. The windshield, which is about 10 millimeters shorter than that of the coupe, is also covered in bright anodized metal.

Lighten up
Lead Interior Designer Micah Jones gave the convertible's cockpit a fairly large dose of Prozac compared to the unremitting — almost German-level — somberness of the coupe's cabin. Only a designer could claim that white is both retro and modern. Technically white isn't even a color. But we see where Jones is going here: White is the color of that ubiquitous totem of modern design, the iPod and the stark contrast of white and black interior pieces and upholstery is reminiscent of the old black-and-white houndstooth upholstery offered four decades ago, certainly in combination with Hugger Orange.

The interior's basic design is unchanged from the coupe, with the same uncluttered dash and cool four rectangular auxiliary gauges just forward of the shifter. But now the deep-dish, retro-unreadable gauge faces are white instead of aluminum and are trimmed with blue light. And to make room for the top mechanism, the rear bucket seats are squeezed nearer each other. Actually, that's not true: There is, in fact, no top mechanism because there is, in fact, no top. It's a concept, OK? There's nothing under that black hard tonneau cover.

The unspeakable dirty bits
There's a reason we haven't mentioned the powertrain, suspension, brakes or any other dirty bits yet in this story: They are unchanged from the coupe. Even Chevy's public relations people don't mention how much horsepower the 6.0-liter small-block V8 makes or the number of gears in the manual transmission. When pressed, they'll say it's "carryover" from the coupe, meaning 400 hp, six speeds and rear-wheel drive.

The suspension is all-independent just as it will be when the production version, based on an Australian-designed Holden platform, arrives in about two years. Likewise, the top engine will be the big pushrod V8, while base cars will receive V6 power.

Like we said, nothing too surprising but we're still excited to see and drive the real thing.

Interesting Camaro and Zeta information

Source: Blogs at MotorTrend.com

The two most obvious, of course, were the Camaro coupe - star of last year's Detroit Show - and its bright orange convertible sibling, a car that will undoubtedly be one of this year's crowd pleasers in Cobo Hall. Both cars roll on GM's Zeta rear drive architecture, which was developed in Australia by GM's Holden subsidiary.

Zeta came into being to support Holden's home-grown Commodore family of vehicles, which form the mainstay of GM sales in Australia. Aussies like roomy, rear drive sedans, and when Detroit went front drive in the 70s, the Holden engineers had no choice but to continue to do their own thing. And it's just as well they did, because without Holden, there's no way GM would be looking at producing a Camaro - and a rear drive Chevy Impala - by the end of the decade.

Zeta is a very versatile architecture. The front axle centerline on the Camaro is about 50mm further forward than it is on the Holden Commodore (and therefore the Pontiac G8, the lightly made-over Commodore sedan that will debut at the Chicago Show next month). The reason for this expensive change is that it allows the Camaro - and the Impala - to run 20-inch wheels without compromising steering lock. In fact, says one Holden source, 24s will fit.

Both the Camaro coupe and convertible concepts are therefore very close to the production versions, say GM insiders. The roof of the coupe will be raised about 15mm for production, and the bodysides will be pulled in 5-10mm. But that's about it. What you see here at Detroit is basically what you're going to get in Chevy showrooms in 2009.

Camaro wins 'best of show' again!

Source: The Detroit News -- Eric Morath

Chevy Camaro voted "Best of Show" in Detroit News Readers' Choice Awards

Billed as the new American muscle car, the Chevy Camaro Convertible is already winning over the public as a panel of 100 Detroit News readers dubbed the concept vehicle "Best of Show."

The Camaro headlined the 2007 Detroit News Readers' Choice Award winners which Detroit News Editor and Publisher David J. Butler announced today at the Detroit Economic Club's North American International Auto Show 2007 Luncheon.

Selected from more than 2,000 volunteers, the 100 readers toured the show Wednesday and choose winners in categories such as "Sexiest Vehicle," "Most Earth-friendly" and "Best Family Hauler."

"Manufacturers really respect these awards because they are the only awards given at the North American International Auto Show that comes from the car buyer," not from journalists and industry insiders, said Nolan Finley, News editorial page editor, who hosted the reader-judges.

Chevrolet Camaro drop-top upstages GM’s celeb parade


Source: Easier Motoring
January 8, 2007

How to create a curtain-raising splash for the Detroit Show? GM’s answer was to hire celebrities – including genuine Hollywood A-listers Christian Slater and Vivica Fox , as well as US comedians, soap stars and reality TV show winners from further down the celeb food chain.

The celebs paraded down a long catwalk, each accompanied by a GM concept car from around the world – many of which have already been seen at global motor shows. But the undoubted star was the new Chevrolet Camaro, a retro revival of the 1960s muscle-car favourite seen as a concept car hard-top at last year’s Detroit Show – but now confirmed for production in 2009 in both body styles. The Camaro was the only model – human or automotive – to win a standing ovation from the crowd.

In bright, ‘70s-style orange with dark grey competition stripes, the Camaro should make for an interesting contest with Ford’s equally iconic Mustang – and should prove whether or not America’s ongoing romance with retro muscle cars is a long-term trend.

Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design, has no doubt: "The best follow-up to last year's award-winning Camaro concept is a Camaro convertible," he said. It’ll be powered by a V8 engine, and manual transmission will be standard.