Tuesday, December 11, 2007

2009 CHEVY CAMARO concept






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Announced, on August 10th, 2006 by GM
Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, Chevy will produce a new Camaro. Production will begin in late 2008 for a 2009 Chevy Camaro that should go on sale by the first quarter of 2009. It should be almost identical to the Camaro Concept car displayed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show.
Wagner was quoted as saying, "As evidence that we're not completely brain-dead, GM will build the Chevy Camaro". Well we will see I guess but this is certainly a step in the right direction. It does look like Chevy is trying to do better ... “The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the Camaro Concept continues to remind me of the uniquely iconic place our products can have in customers’ hearts,” Wagoner said. “Camaro is much more than a car; it symbolizes America's spirit and its love affair with the automobile.” From the sounds of it Wagoner is as puzzled as the general public is by some of the things not only Chevrolet, but the entire GM company, has done as of late.Hopefully they will continue to listen to the consumer and build something every Camaro enthusiasts can be proud of instead of a feeble attempt at a legend. Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper hopefully means what he says, “We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans. The beauty of the best Camaros is that they have always been beautiful to look at with performance that rivals expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new-car buyers.”
GM officials have estimated that the new Camaro could get 30 or more miles per gallon on the highway with a V8 that goes to four cylinders at highway speeds. With gas prices probably being $3.50/gallon or more by the time the new Camaro comes out 30 or more MPG will be needed if not in effect required. Let's just hope it's not to little to late because 2009 is a long time away and a lot can change by then.

The new Camaro concept car keeps the long hood with hood bulge, short rear deck and narrow grille reminiscent of the classic Camaro, but mixes it with more contemporary styling, giving it a “retro” look. The interior adds to the retro feel with recessed gauges, a lengthy console and classic three-spoke steering wheel.The car is 186.2 inches long and rides on a 110.5-inch wheelbase. The wheels are 21s at the front and 22s at the rear, with monster 275/30 front and 305/30 rear tires, which should be able to handle the 400 horses from the LS2 6.0-liter V-8 engine powering through a six-speed manual transmission. The underlying platform is rear-wheel drive with fully independent suspension with McPherson struts up front and a rear multi-link configuration. Because the engine has a system that automatically disables half the cylinders when they’re not needed, the Camaro concept could get as much as 30 mpg on the highway.



The first Camaros were designed in the mid-1960s, and the 1969 model, which was the inspiration for the new concept, was considered the best of the first-generation cars. In the first three years, some 699,000 Camaros were sold.

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