While General Motors debuted the 2010 Chevy Camaro in Detroit and L.A. on Monday, they also gave it a proper debut in Australia where much of the car's development work was performed. The General just published some new pictures from the car's Melbourne debut in which the new Camaro poses for the camera with a second generation model, two third generation models, a fourth gen and a very cherry 1969 Camaro SS owned by reigning V8 Supercar champion Garth Tander. Those pics plus GM's own shots that were taken at the live reveal in Detroit have been added to the first gallery below, beneath which we've included our own updated gallery of live shots from the Detroit reveal that includes images of the car after it was driven outside.
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The high price of petrol is causing people to do some pretty crazy things, but after seeing these photos of a Camaro pulling a U-Haul on public roads, we're hoping pickup trucks don't become that bad on gas that one would consider using a muscle car as a mule. An astute photographer nabbed a couple shots of the long-awaited 2010 Camaro as it was helping someone move or delivering the AllSpark to Optimus Prime. While performance coupes probably aren't the best choice for pulling cargo, at least the Camaro's 6.0L V8 has been quite the hauler for GM, albeit under the hood of trucks and SUVs.
The 2010 Chevy Camaro is a foregone conclusion. It's definitely coming on schedule and it will give GM's value division a credible competitor to the current generation Mustang and new Dodge Challenger. But, just because the Camaro of old is best remembered for its fire-breathing V8 engine options doesn't mean that a significant portion of sales won't be comprised of the somewhat less-hot V6 model. Rising gas prices will make sure of that point, and GM's execs know this fact just as well as we do. Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of sales and marketing, is quoted on Inside Line as saying, "Everyone thinks we'll be positioning the Camaro as a burn-ass hot rod. But that's only about 30 percent of the business. The other two-thirds will come from 27-mpg V6 sales, with a significant female share."
This truth, in fact, mimics past Camaro and Mustang sales. Sure, a large portion of the past pony car segment was made up of the go-fast models, but the largest percentage of sales has always been of lesser performing and therefore less expensive models. As we've reported in the past, a four-cylinder model is also being considered, though that option is not yet ready for prime time, according to LaNeve. Not surprisingly, he also suggests that it's not just the Camaro that is likely to get smaller, more fuel efficient engine options. For our part, we'd gladly welcome GM's fine turbocharged, direct-inject Ecotec engine as an option in more models.
The hits just keep on coming for fans of the Chevy Camaro. Just yesterday, we quoted Bob Lutz as suggesting that the Camaro could get a four-cylinder engine option. Now we hear that Mark LaNeve, VP of sales and marketing for GM North America, says that, "We won't position it as a muscle car," speaking again of the 2010 Camaro. Sure, you could spend hours debating the terms "muscle car" and "pony car", but we're pretty sure that very few ever thought of the Camaro as a fuel-efficient option. But, that's exactly how GM will position it. "The mainstream positioning will be fuel economy, design and a V-6," says LaNeve.
The truth seems to be that GM just cannot afford to sell a couple hundred thousand Camaros a year with V8 engines rated at around 20 miles per gallon combined. But, before V8-lovers get too upset, remember that it is the fuel efficient engine options which make the fire-breathing V8 an option at all. Without mainstream options like either a direct-injected V6 or even a small turbocharged 4, there is simply no way that Chevrolet could ever reintroduce the Camaro at all.
A four-banger in a Camaro! Blasphemy you say? Could be, but what four-pot are we talking about? In this case, the General's car czar Bob Lutz suggests that the new 2010 Camaro due next February could offer the same 2.0 liter direct-injected engine used in the Saturn Sky Redline, Pontiac Solstice GXP and the SS versions of the Chevy HHR and Cobalt. Before dismissing the turbo-four immediately, consider the top-of-the-line engine options the Camaro offered after the last oil-embargo-driven doomsday. In '72, the big block 402 engine offered just 240 horsepower; in '73, the Z28 was equipped with a 245-horse 350 and by '75 the hottest option underhood made only 155 horses. Ouch. The 2.0 being considered for the Camaro punches out 260 horsepower, and based on our time with the engine, you feel each of them as you run up towards the redline. The next step-up will likely be a version of GM's 3.6, as offered in the CTS and G8, also making around 260 horsepower.
Other Camaro tidbits mentioned by Lutz: it will be priced higher than the Mustang, as GM sees the Camaro as a higher-end offering. Specifically, Lutz suggests that the Camaro will feature a much better interior than the 'Stang, along with its inherently better independent rear-suspension arrangement.
Perhaps a bigger question to ponder is how bad will the performance industry be impacted by new fuel efficiency standards along with the ever-tightening emissions regulations. Just so long as carmakers such as GM continue to offer engine options like their 2.0 liter DI four-banger, the performance drop-off won't be nearly as drastic as it was back in the mid-70s. Thank God for that!
