Oh I agree with you 100%.

 

The real question is why is it taking so long to get us the Camaro.

 

The new Camaro isn't just a carbon copy of a car that's already in production in some other country. It's an entirely new car.

 

Why is the GTO/El Camino not a fair comparison? Because when people think of the new vs. old GTo they compare this...

and most believe the new GTO had none of the visual character of the old. Let's face it, the new GTO had the flamboyance level of a Chevy and probably would have done better as a Chevelle.

But now when people think of El Camino's they are going to compare this

to the style of El Camino most people assosciate the name with

and not this style

and the new Ute Camino is actually a visual improvement over the El Camino most often assciated with the name where as most considered that not the case with the GTO. The GTO had alot more history baggage to live up to than the El Camino does.

 

Thanks for the great pics, Calico!

But I think most folks have fond memories of the El Camino as this:








And the Ute makes a fine successor!

 

I don't care what it's called - if the dealers pull the same crap that they did back in '04, and if the initial marketing push is once again weak and feeble (I don't recall seeing a decent ad for the Goat until '05), this thing will fail.

I gotta be honest - I just don't see this thing taking off in the US regardless of what it's called. The mid-size pickup truck market is already weak, and four doors seems to be the minimum for any truck nowadays. A two-door two-seat RWD car with a pickup bed seems like the very definition of "niche market" to me, especially if the engine offering will be limited to a single high-HP V8.

 

I think you may be surprised.

 

Well, to prevent the ruffling of feathers by the El Camino crowd, they could introduce it at GMC instead.....

And call it the Caballero!

 

With the current political climate, is it wise to use the El Camino or Caballero name anyway?

 

That ruffles my feathers. I'm fine with the Ute as an El Camino with just the addition of a bowtie. The GTO styling debates don't apply so much here, it's hard to have a sedan-pickup that Doesn't look like an El Camino.

 

Just had to stir the pot a little.....

 

I think they should call it a ranchero





...I kid I kid

Actually I think calling it an el camino would go over better then the GTO did.
The GTO looked like a grand prix so everyone compared it to one.
There is nothing stateside that looks like the Ute so there wouldn't be that comparison. It would be more natural to compare it back to the old el caminio.


Also niche market. Pretty much a useless pickup with a big engine, kind of like the SSR.
May sell a little better then the SSR because of the lower price(assuming) but not going to be a big seller.

It's obvious right now it's an over sea's car as it's not bloated yet.
Give it a few years for GM to ad 500lbs of useless weight and bigger fenders and bumpers and really make it bloated! THEN it will be ready for the el camino name!

 

I wouldn't call the Ute useless.

Graft a Chevy front end onto it, give it a cowl hood (to avoid any "bland" styling arguments), and call it an El Camino.

 

I'd like them to call it the El Camino, give us the same options as the G8 (except call it SS), and add the Crewman 4 door to the lineup. Don't just get your feet wet GM, dive in and give us options.

Base El Camino/Crewman - 3.6 V6l from the G8
SS 6.0 El Camino/Crewman - 6.0 from the G8
SS 6.2 or 7.0 El Camino/Crewman - whatever the top motor happens to be from the G8 GXP

The Crewman can also be made with AWD, so why not add that option too.

Btw, the GMC version was also called a Sprint

 

I've seen people say that the Ute already has a Pontiac face. Well, what is up with this?