For about 4 years now I have been following the Camaro closely..and have even written a few articles. I am as big an F-body fan as anyone, and one of the reasons I have my sites now is because I was wondering when the next Camaro would come out and found this forum. From there my interest in the car industry grew...though at first I admittedly did not know my *** from a hole in the ground.

That being said, when I think of a new Camaro, I just don't feel the mental fire like I used to. I really have no idea how to explain it...but it just seems like we are on no more solid ground than we were three years ago. In that time there have been numerous articles, hints, rumors, and other steamy corprate induendo, yet still nothing remotely solid. First it was Sigma, then Kappa, then it was Zeta, now the Zeta car is being made, but it might not be Camaro it might be a Chevelle...and Camaro is a special project the may be on beta. We have been lucky enough to have an internal caretaker at GM who has given his heart and soul to the Camaro effort...yet I almost feel bad for him because he has to work in a cloak of darkeness and worry about his job. Ford would kill for a personality like him to market the Mustang. If GM cares about it's Camaro enthusiats, he has been the only face of it.

Another concern many do not think about is the price of gas, which has jumped considerably. Toyota and Honda are gaining ground and publicity with hybrids while GM lags. DOD is nice, but fuel savings are not that great in a normal car (we have not seen it in a performance car). It would be miserable for the 5th gen to mirror the 1970.5 and come out right at the end of a performance era.

That being said, I am confident there will be another Camaro, but there are times I wanna crawl in a hole and not come out until it is here. I wanted to see if anyone shares my opinion...

 

Without some type of sports car for the masses soon, Chevy is in big, big trouble. Chevy is far from being the "cool" thing on the street anymore, and if it isn't catching up with them yet, it will be.

More and more used Camaros are getting crappier by the day, and with no other direct enthusiast link aside from a Corvette (which kids can't afford), 16-19 year olds getting their first cars will hop into other, "cool" used cars or cheap new ones such as Civics, tCs, Tiburons, Mustangs, etc. I love the new Chevy Cobalt, and as I mentioned in other threads before my girlfriend and I may even buy one next summer...its at the top of a short list.

But she wants something cool and brand new...I am thinking an $18,000 Mustang, of all things, might be the ticket. Chevy offers me nothing besides a Cobalt SS, which isn't even out yet.

Despite all the fun stuff in the pipeline, right now, in the eyes of a new generation of enthusiasts, Chevy is more irrelevant than ever before.

 

Yea, I said something like this in another thread and got roasted for it.

I'll be happy as a pig in **** when the new Camaro comes out, but right now it's like rooting for the Browns... you get all excited then a few months later none of what you read matters. I guess I gotta believe ****'s goin on inside GM for a new fbody, but that news changes every two months. I'll wait to get excited again when Bob Lutz comes and knocks on my door with the keys to my new Camaro.

Until then I'll continue to mod the hell out of my thirdgen, throw it though the turns and push it down the 1320. And when Im ready for another car to accompany the RS, I'll look for a Camaro. If it's not there, I'll look for a Typhoon. If I dont find one I like, I'll buy my dad's old 1969 Z28/RS which is only a shell and make it a pro-touring car. The only senario above that makes GM any money is a new Camaro, I hope they're taking notes.

 

I really want a new camaro probably more than anyone . The one thing Im tired of is all the drama , Im over it , tired of reading about it ect . I dont get excited about little blips people post anymore , the story has changed so many times its almost getting amusing . Im done guessing what it might be . Im sure I'll be there to buy one when it comes out , but I really think we have a LONG way to go before we see anything at all official from GM . Not unless the new camaro is being developed under the most top secret program in automotive history ....unfortunatley , not likely .

I'll be there when it finally comes out and even if doesnt . I like 3rd and 4th gens so much Im not fretting . If they dont come out with a new camaro soon , Im just gonna restore a 3rd gen 91-92 Z28 and will be as happy . That idea has been HOT in my head the last year or so . Like Chuck said , the only one of my options that makes GM any cash is a new Camaro .

 

How weird that you would start this thread. I've been pretty down in the dumps about the Camaro lately and was just about to start a similar thread!


Here's what I consider fact today:

-The Chevy Zeta coupe is being co-developed with the Buick convertible and Pontiac GTO.

-Under the skin they will be IDENTICAL. Same black metal, same dimensions. No, the Chevy will not be any smaller. Yes, the Chevy coupe will be a restyled version of your uncle Henry's Buick. Draw your own conclusions.

-The Chevy coupe seems like it wouldn't make a good Camaro....but don't worry, it seems that there isn't - or never was - any intention to call it "Camaro" anyway.

-Aside from our good friend here, who has made it his mission to keep the troops rallied..... there is absolutely NO evidence whatsoever that a Camaro is coming from GM...at least not into the foreseeable future.



For a Camaro enthusiast like myself....this is all very depressing.

There are only two things that might make me feel better.

1) DCX comes out with a bitchin' 'Cuda in the next couple of years.

OR

2) Bob Lutz announces at NAIAS: "Screw it, I'm going to find afew hundred million to develop "Beta" and build a real Camaro to kick Mustang's butt!!!!!"

 

It's probably just a natural response to the situation we're in...a long time since it was being made, a long time until it is made again. Kind of like getting excited about the NFL in March.

 

I do agree....I will probably feel much better once someone announces something...till then

 

2002 was a bitersweet year for me. It was the only year I sold cars full time, and obviously the end of an era for the dealer I worked for. We sold 35 Firebirds in 2002 after only one in 2001. I ordered all 35 for stock, and had the privelege to sell my father a Sunset Orange 2002 6 speed Formula. Talk about the special bond I have with that car...it was ordered SOLELY because I had never seen Sunset Orange, and wanted to see one in person. My sales manager let me do whatever the hell I wanted when ordering F bodies, so when I passed a Sunset Orange, Hurst shifted, bling-bling wheeled Formula under his nose, he didn't blink. It was the only orange one of the 35...I ordered it with the knowledge that in the back of my head, if I fell in love with it I could sell the 30th on the lot and buy it.

Car came in, sales manager puked at the color and threatened my job, I fell in love with the car but couldn't part with mine, called up my dad, he came down, and bought it in 15 minutes. One look, one drive was all it took. I had an NBM Formula coming for him that we ended up selling to someone else when it came in a few weeks later.

Ordered it, almost bought it, sold it to my dad. I feel like a mini-Scott in that, were it not for me, that car would never have been. I feel like a dad to it

Short of a V8 Grand Prix coming, and G6 variants, there is nothing fun about selling Pontiacs...and it hasn't been any fun since October 2002...when we sold our last one.

 

if there is one coming i'm glad they are keeping it secret. i don't want to see any spy photos of the next camaro. i would just love to see it hit me and the rest of the world at once. what we know is that the GM performance division has been building something for a while. just don't know what.

 

I've found that if I don't come to the site that often I get excited about it again once I do come in here. (When I'm off doing some training or something. That's the only time I can keep myself from checking up on new camaro news.) But if I get in here every day or more, I find myself feeling the way some of you guys are talking about. Just avoid the site for a week.

 

I hope no one takes the the wrong way but this forum has been a bit depressing of late and I'm begining to worry. If this keeps up, I won’t be surprised to hear the evening news talking about people jumping off bridges around the country because Chevy hasn’t announced a new Camaro

So, rather than spiraling downward feeding on each other’s depression, a little therapy might be in order (no, I'm not a psychologist). Get involved in something that makes you happy (besides our cars) and you’ll be surprised how quickly time passes. Then, one day, out of the blue, you’ll see a headline somewhere that announces to the world that Chevy is building what we all are hoping for. A new Camaro (actually, a Firebird for me)! The car to answer everyone’s dreams!

This sort of happened to me in the 80’s. After owning two different 2nd gen Trans Ams in the 70's, I was really disappointed by what GM was offering in the 3rd gen. Those early 3rd gen years were pretty sad. It just so happened that’s about the time I started my family. That kept me too busy with new priorities and before I knew it, 10 years had passed and I saw the first pictures of the 4th gen. You can’t imagine the rush I got from seeing that. I now have two 4th gens in my garage.

I still have faith and firmly believe that GM will come through. But, I’m not going to let it get me down waiting for it. Chin up folks! There’s more to life than the F-Body... although it is up there near the top!

 

on a side not, what is the difference in what you do and the
LRRP,LRSD, etc.?

 

hey the new 2005 Mustang is out

 

This is the problem with this site and others like it. You dont have to have sports cars or even exiting cars to do well. Toyota is about to become the worlds largest auto company and they have the most bland line up I have seen. The 2 "sporty" cars they have, the MR2 and Celica are going to be cancelled with no replacement.

Chevy needs to have great quailty cars that hold there value to do well, not a Camaro. Niche cars only create a litte exitement and a small surge in sales. It doesnt help in the long run.

As far as Camaro goes in my view. If it comes back in 08 on anything but a dedicated platform (or a heavily reworked version of an existing one like the Mustang) its just like the GTO the wrong name on what could be a awsome car. I might even buy one if its nice. The last Camaros were 2002..... At this point its 2 little 2 late or a great car 2 late.

 

You're completely ignoring the halo effect that surrounds an impact model such as a sports car, however. Yes, Toyota is doing VERY well in sales, however you're ignoring the fact that their customers are getting older rather quickly. You may have heard of a little brand called Scion? Scion was created because Toyota realized its image was getting a little old and a little stodgy, and that Toyota needed the youth market to keep it viable in the 21st century...hence the sub-branded Scion.

Chevy IS a sub-brand...hence the problem.