GM to make next-generation Camaro in Lansing instead of Canada | General Motors news | Detroit Free Press | freep.com


I'm a bit of a Michigan fan so I'm happy to see this. Good for the city of Lansing as well.

 

Saw it on the news today. Glad it's going to be built back in Michigan. Rumor has it, it's actually cheaper to build it in the U.S than it is in Canada and that's why it's coming back. I couldn't find a solid reason for the move online, but my best guess is due to the U.S $ becoming significantly weaker to the Canadian $.

 

Isn't the next gen car going to be alpha based and the ATS is being built or moving to Lansing? Also yeah, the cheaper dollar favors production her ein the US as well.

 

I guess we know for sure how long the camaro will be out before the refresh...

So where is this production going, because I've always heard they can barely keep up with equinox demand?

 

The current Impala will be in production until June 2014. Its still a huge fleet seller, and is still out selling the new Malibu.

I don't think Oshawa has anything to worry about. Zeta II production supposedly is going to start there sometime in 2015 which will include The Chevy SS and Caprice PPV and any other offspring from Zeta, like maybe a Ute/ElCamino and SS Wagon or even a Buick sedan.

 

This seems to be the first official word from GM that the 6th Gen will be Alpha based. Now, which version, Alpha or Alpha+? Hmmm.

 

I thought this as well. If Camaro moves to Alpha (as most here in the know seems to have nailed a while ago), then it makes sense that the production move to the plant that is outputting vehicles on that platform.

I too thought that Zeta production at Oshawa would continue at least for a while.

 

Its sad if the only real reason GM is moving production back to the US is cost savings...but I digress.

Nice to see it, either way.

 

I think the reasons are rather obvious. IF Lansing is going to be the plant to produce fellow Alpha based RWD vehicles (ATS/CTS) then it's the only place a Alpha based 6th Gen Camaro should be built.

And even if cost is only reason why GM moved it in with other Alpha vehicles they are in the car business to make money. They owe it to the consumer, shareholders and even for now the US Government/taxpayers to build the best vehicle at the most competitve cost that they can.

 

I'm not sure I follow you here. I see the move as a positive for a couple reasons. Jobs moving to the US, and its a positive sign for American manufacturing and global competitiveness.

What's the downside?

 

IMO the reason is a mix of US labor actually being lower than Canada, you avoid the import/exchange variable and reduce some of the transportation costs due to most of the sales being US.

With all due respect GM is a 'for profit' company and decisions are made 'by the numbers.' Don't let the media or others fool you otherwise.

 

Its completely because that's where the other Alphas are being built. Manufacturing lines these days are all about being flexible in building several models on the same line. ATS, CTS, and Camaro are all relatively low volume so it only makes sense that they're built in the same place.

 

I'll be amazed if the Camaro moves to Alpha (not Alpha+). The ATS is considerably smaller than the current Camaro and while the enthusiast would love a smaller car and the weight of the Alpha platform, the general buying public isn't likely going to love the idea of a car that is significantly smaller...to the point that Grandma can notice when the two generations are next to each other. Another point, if CTS is going to be Alpha+, you can be sure that the platform will be engineered for a 'V' variant and setup to handle a v8 rwd drivetrain, nothing like it is currently available in the ATS and it would seem unlikely that GM would put all of the chassis development $$$ into Alpha to house a drivetrain unique to Camaro.