There hasn't been a Chevrolet future products summary in a long time here, so here's what's going on based on public comments from former and current GM executives, back alley deals and a minimal of guesswork thrown in (everything that was told to me in confidence I'm keeping out of this):

*Corvette will be introduced this January, and go on sale later this year. It will have a 6 liter, 400 horsepower evolution of the LS1 engine. The Z06 will be on "hiatus" (don't you love that word) till at next year (2006 model year) and will have just under 500 horsepower.

*Impala will have a supercharged SS coming out in December. It will have a V8 in 2005 with a minor facelift, and will be redesigned for the 2007 model year. Though I'm not entirely convinced, word is the 2007 replacement will be RWD. Last year Kurt Ritter all but dismissed the idea of Chevrolet selling a car larger than Impala, saying "“We could sell a car that’s larger than an Impala but we think Impala can cover most of that market. Mercury Marquis is more a Buick effort,” (ai: January 2003). But now that Chevy has a new General Manager and there's still a couple of years left, there's a chance Caprice will return as a version of the big RWD Buick.

*Malibu will have an SS version before long, oddly based on the Maxx, instead of the lighter sedan (?!).

*Colbalt will be introduced this auto show season, and will be out late summer. By every account it's a sharp looking car and it's interior quality seems to be the focal point of everything I've heard. Colbalt SS will have the same drivetrain as the Ion Redline (supercharged Ecotec 4), and is planned to be out shortly after Colbalt production starts.

*Monte Carlo isn't assured of production beyond 2005, and as far as I can tell, there is no plans to produce it beyond then. The issue is the "W" chassis, which is being phased out as the updated "mid-lux" (really a modified "W") replaces it. more on that later.

Camaro is being developed as we speak. Thank Kurt Ritter, former General Manager of Chevrolet for this. He made this (and a RWD sports sedan) a TOP priority at Chevrolet, along with help from alot of devoted people within Chevy, alot of dealer input, and help in the form of Rick Wagoner (CEO of General Motors), Bob Lutz, and quite a few others. Regardless of the rants of the "GM is out of touch" people, the problem was simply needing a cost efficient chassis to put the new Camaro on. Nothing more & nothing less. The old GM management attempted to put all passenger cars save the Vette & Cadillac on FWD. Someone woke up one day, and realized the F-bodys needed to be redone, so they looked at the V-chassis (was due to be replaced in a few years, so not worth it), the Corvette (not cost efficient), & the CTS (Cadillac had issues with that). More on that also later.



The "mid-lux" is seen as a transition chassis (though pre-Lutz, it had a more permanent purpose), and while a Regal, Impala, or Grand Prix sedan, all which sells in great numbers is an easy financial case, the coupes aren't. Grand Prix coupe didn't make the change to mid-lux because of this, and it's not likely Monte Carlo will either. The MC (along with Impala) was scheduled to make the change in 2004, the whole thing was cancelled shortly after Bob Lutz's arrival to look into putting their replacements on RWD.

I mentioned above that I'm not entirely convinced the 2007 Impala will be a RWD car, and here's why: The 2005 Impala is scheduled to be placed on the mid-lux chassis last I heard, and it's sales have all but exploded, becoming GM's best selling car. On the flip side, the sales of the soon to be replaced Cavalier have also exploded the past year, but Cavalier isn't changing it's entire formula the way a RWD Impala would. Another wild card is what changes Chevy's new General Manager, Brent Dewar has in store. Ritter wasn't in favor of a bigger than Impala RWD car, while Dewar seems to be, hence chance of a Caprice.

Meanwhile, the Camaro seems to currently be solidly on track. The Cadillac CTS chassis was a bit pricey as it was for a new Camaro (There's a $8,000 spread between a base CTS & a base Camaro), so Camaro had to wait for a chassis. Kurt Ritter hinted at this big time when he stated last year that a priority was getting a suitible chassis for Camaro.

With Holden finishing up on their "Modular" RWD chassis, the Camaro has a suitable RWD chassis .

 

Thats the chassis I thought it would go on..

Will be intrested in how differs from the multiude of variants that will come off that "Modular" chassis.

 

"Someone woke up one day, and realized the F-bodys needed to be redone"


F-bodys

Does this mean there is hope for the Firebird??????

 

I think he mis-spoke...sorry

 

Sounds good.

 

definitive mis spoke but its is good news, almost everybody seems to know and think that the next Camaro is right on track

oh boy
4.6 vs 6.0

 

GMs is talking about getting back in touch with the people. For this reason I still hold a sliver of hope for the firebird. I think that if a 5th gen Camaro sells well, mixed with the obvious uproar from people when the firebird isnt released alongside, there may be one put back on the market.

Be maybe a couple of years late, but I have patience

 

guionM,

wow!!- you are always are a great source of info!!!

 

I heard it before but its great to hear it again, can't wait to see the prototypes. Any chance of seeing them at NAIAS?

 

So if the Camaro is on schedule, when do we see a concept car? Obviously not this year’s auto show, but maybe for 2005? Also when do you think we will start getting spy shots of the alpha and beta cars on the road?

 

Thanks for the info GuionM.

My wife and I are already looking into an Impala next year and of course the new Camaro for myself. Thanks again.

 

I think the GTO put the nail in the coffin for the Firebird as we know it. It's too bad but i don't see Pontiac having two cars that are that close to each other.

 

I don't think anyone at GM can say the "C" word until next fall, so the 2005 show circuit is probably a good guess.

 

Exactly. Once the date expires on the CAW contract and the moratorium on mentioning the "C" word passes... I'd expect to see something. January '05 perhaps?

 

Though I am happy about the corvette, and camaro and the impala getting a v8. I'm not happy about the news about the Monte carlo. I'm not a sedan person, and though sedans are getting sportyer, I prefer a coupe over sedans anyday. it has been stated, (or maybe implied ) that the monte would be redesigned in 2005. if they were going to cancel it, why not cancel it after the 2004 year??? why spend the money to redesign it only for it to be out for a year.

I understand that GM probably doesn;t know what to do with the mc, and i guess that fact that they haven't stated any news about it is better then stating bad news about it.

Guion, have you been hearing that there is a possibility that the mc won;t return, or are you hearing all these changes for future impala's, but there has been a lack of info about the mc??? there's a difference.

well, great info none the less.