Jeremiah 29:11

Posted on Fri, Feb. 29, 2008

Camaro's return to be late to race

By MARTIN ZIMMERMAN
LOS ANGELES TIMES
last updated: February 29, 2008 03:41:31 AM

The new Chevy Camaro would seem to have everything going for it: a genuinely storied tradition, a built-in fan base, even a starring role in a blockbuster movie.

But as they say at the local comedy club, timing is everything. And in that regard, at least, the Camaro can't seem to get its act together.

General Motors Corp. expects to have the new Camaro in dealer showrooms during the first quarter of 2009. That would be three years after a Camaro concept car was unveiled as GM's entry in the current muscle-car revival and well behind retro rivals such as the Ford Mustang and Chrysler's Dodge Challenger.

"I honestly don't understand what they're waiting for," said Dick Guldstrand of Burbank-based Guldstrand Motor Sports.

Certainly, fans of the original Camaro are eager to get a look at the new version. The last Camaro rolled off the assembly line in 2002 and the versions seen since have been concepts, including the yellow-and-black copy that starred as Bumblebee in last summer's popcorn hit "Transformers."

"That was pretty impressive, but I'm waiting to see the real thing," said Mark Bird, a 53-year-old member of the club Cool Runnin' Camaros of Southern California and the proud owner of a restored 1969. "As for buying one, I'll have to talk my wife into it."

GM knows that more than a few of its customers are toe-tapping with impatience. Designing the car around a new rear-wheel-drive platform -- rather than using an existing automotive architecture as did Ford and Chrysler -- is the main reason for the long lead time, GM spokeswoman Wendy Clark said.

"Maybe we showed the concept a little early," she said. "I know it feels like a long time, but it will be worth the wait."

Or will GM miss the "sweet spot" of the muscle-car rebirth? The trend began a few years back when Ford fielded a redesigned Mustang that mimicked the lines of the iconic late-'60s fire-breather but came with modern amenities such as fuel injection, air bags and four-wheel disc brakes.

The vintage look proved to be a big hit with baby boomers who recalled the muscle cars of the late '60s and early '70s, such as the Challenger, the Pontiac GTO, the Plymouth Barracuda and the Camaro Z28. Those cars, fabled as much for their dreadful handling and braking as for their straight-line speed, are the new stars of the collectible car circuit, with extremely rare and well-preserved models selling for millions of dollars.

The Camaro concepts seen so far have strong echoes of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the ultimate expression of the car, itself one of the gems of the muscle era.

"If you're not into it, it's hard to explain," said Los Angeles attorney Barry Freeman, 69, who owns two vintage Camaros. "It's a seduction that people of my generation have never escaped from, nor do I want to."

The first muscle cars were killed off by high gasoline prices, a weakening economy, new federal regulations and rising insurance rates.

Those same factors are threatening to choke off the cars' comeback before the new Camaro even reaches dealers.

"It's a tough time to be introducing cars like the Challenger and the Camaro," said Karl Brauer, editor in chief of online auto site Edmunds.com, noting that Mustang sales began to slide last year.

"The number of muscle cars in the market is a good barometer of how well things are going in the economy, and these cars are late getting to the party."

It doesn't help that the new fuel economy standards Congress passed in December will make it tougher for automakers to justify selling big-engine cars. (For example, the high-performance SRT8 version of the new Challenger, due in Dodge dealerships in May, boasts a 6.1-li

RLSH700

I think we all know why it is coming out so late, they are playing a game of trying to make your opponent blink first with Dodge. They want the Challenger to be released so then they can make the necessary adjustments to the platform, engine, whatever so then it wins in the magazine competitions. Typical GM approach, let others be the first then try to choke them off by introducing after them and one-upping them.

RoswellGrey

Unfortunately, that's also a workable business model.

Billionaire

I don't like the new Camaro. Its shape is too blocky.
I dislike all the new cars that are blocky shaped.
They look like they were designed by Picasso, and I hate Picasso.

I wish they would make a really nice, faithful new version of the 1978 Trans Am.
I think that was the best looking Trans Am ever. I remember riding in one when I was
in Junior High and the guy that owned it was so proud of it. He had a gold one.
I'd like to get one of those and pay someone to do a rotisserie restoration and
make it a restomod with really nice new parts.

RLSH700

True, but it doesn't always work out too well. Chrysler was the first to make the minivan, and after how many features and benefits they tried to offer throughout their various attempts to make a one-step better, they never managed to take the market away from them. After putting in lousy effort over 20 years, they finally gave up. It is better to be the leader if you want to take control of the market. I blame this strategy for the reason why GM has been failing for so long.

nonsensez9

1st quarter '09? hmmm.... that's when I'll be replacing one '05 mustang. Can't wait to see the final product. If they make the nose a little less pointy it will be a difficult choice.

Jeremiah 29:11

I for one hope all of these Muscle Cars do well, as it may be the last time we see new production Muscle cars on this planet with the way the CAFE regulations are headed in a few years.

Albeeno

I think that in 20-30 years from now when hydrogen fuel cells and hybrids and electric motors are dominating the scene, anything with the Shelby name on it and the SRT8 Challenger will be considered priceless... If you were buying one of these as purely an investment, I bet the best bang for your investment buck would probably be a 2008 Shelby GT convertible and/or a 2008 Challenger SRT8. We already know that Chrysler will produce roughly 6,400 Challengers and I believe Ford plans to produce only 2,300 Shelby GT's (coupes and convertibles total). I think the 2007 Shelby GTs (produced in coupe form only) were around 5 or 6,000 total production.

Any current collectors out there who might care to comment? I'd love to know your thoughts!

Jeremiah 29:11

In 30 years I will be looking for a old folks home to live in.

joeyr

I think as long as they are cars, they will be people who make them go faster. A hi speed hybrid or hydrogen might be in our future one day. Right now we have a challenger hybrid....a car that burns rubber and gas in equal facilities.