Gen 5 Camaro Internal Engine Tech - Auto Buyers Have Spoken: GM Will Build An All-New Chevrolet Camaro

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Next generation of classic sport coupe goes into production in late 2008, on sale in 2009; will be almost identical to wildly popular concept unveiled at NAIAS

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Dear sports car fans: General Motors heard you loud and clear.

GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced today that GM will build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro sport coupe based on the award-winning concept that stole the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show and has ignited the passion of car enthusiasts around the world ever since – even spurring consumers to start petition drives and send in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits.

“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.”

The all-new Camaro will begin with early production versions at the end of 2008 and will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. “The new Camaro will be almost identical to the concept, a thoroughly modern interpretation of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the best design of the car’s first generation,” said Ed Welburn, GM's global vice president of design, who owns a 1969 Camaro SS. The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe will feature an independent rear suspension, and will be offered in a variety of models with the choice of manual and automatic transmissions and V-6 and V-8 engines.

Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said the new Camaro will appeal to both men and women, and unite customers with fond memories of previous Camaros with those who first experienced a Camaro when the concept was unveiled in January.

“We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans,” said Peper. “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.”

In fact, the Camaro Concept design team embodies the universal appeal that Chevy envisions for the car: The core team reporting to the lead designer ranges in age from 27-35 and came from all over the world, yet they all had similar experiences growing up with a love for the Camaro and American performance cars. Their concept redefines the Camaro for both existing and new generations of fans in a contemporary way with responsive performance and modern technology.

Peper said Camaro will complement Chevy’s already-popular portfolio of performance vehicles led by Corvette and including its broad SS lineup.

An American icon
The Camaro has touched many lives – and graced many garages – with nearly 4.8 million produced between 1967 and 2002. More than 1,000 Camaro clubs exist globally, and thousands of Camaro web sites pay homage to the sports coupe. A recent report on America Online’s Top Searches of 2005 placed Camaro in the Top 10 car searches for the year.

Hell Freaking Yeah.

Sounds like a good graduation present for me... I graduate with an engineering masters in 2009 :drool:

Sounds like a good graduation present for me... I graduate with an engineering masters in 2009 :drool:

me too. can you say "signing bonus" :judge:

about time. never doubted they'd make it. if only i'd hear of a firebird :(

Independent Rear Suspension = no thanks

I'll buy me an older one with a solid rear axle...the people wanting to make real power are gonna hate that.

Sounds like a good graduation present for me... I graduate with an engineering masters in 2009 :drool:


100% man!! Except my date is 2010 for MBA. So far away :(

100% man!! Except my date is 2010 for MBA. So far away :(

I graduate with my Masters enxt May...how 'bout my Ph.D in 2013?

Independent Rear Suspension = no thanks

I'll buy me an older one with a solid rear axle...the people wanting to make real power are gonna hate that.I concur. I wouldn't mind having one, but after seeing all the IRS issues that Vette/Terminator guys are having, I think I'll stick with my ole 4th Gen...

Independent Rear Suspension = no thanks

I'll buy me an older one with a solid rear axle...the people wanting to make real power are gonna hate that.

i thought the exact same thing when i read it.

i also have a VERY strong feeling that this is going to be a overweight pig of a car, just like the goat.

i thought the exact same thing when i read it.

i also have a VERY strong feeling that this is going to be a overweight pig of a car, just like the goat.

91 RS M5,A4 LO3 V8 CR 9.3:1 Discpl. 5.0 (305) HP: 170@4000 TQ: 255@2400 TBI 3.08 ---- 2.73 ----
Source: http://www.thirdgen.org/1991-chevy-camaro
Weight: Apprx(dont know your options) 3300lbs source: http://www.thirdgen.org/tech-data

No offense bud but your car ain't no russian gymnast either. Although Chicks do indeed dig convertibles :drive:

91 RS M5,A4 LO3 V8 CR 9.3:1 Discpl. 5.0 (305) HP: 170@4000 TQ: 255@2400 TBI 3.08 ---- 2.73 ----
Source: http://www.thirdgen.org/1991-chevy-camaro
Weight: Apprx(dont know your options) 3300lbs source: http://www.thirdgen.org/tech-data

No offense bud but your car ain't no russian gymnast either. Although Chicks do indeed dig convertibles :drive:


yea, but my car currently weights under 3,000lbs with the full interior in it. :jest:
hell, 4thgens are heavy in comparison to my car. but thats not my point.


if the car weighed 3300, id be happy as hell.... but how its looking now.. try 500lbs heavier then that. :barf:

aw i was just teasin ya. plus tho the 4th gen is heavy but I was looking at it more from a power:weight perspective.

It just seems cars are getting heavier and heavier, with exception of like the lotus.

i graduate 09 with a bachelors...i feel a grad gift for myself. Also let me say...ITS ABOUT EFFIN TIME GM

I don't think GM had a choice but to build it. Ford has the Stang, Dodge is coming out with the Challenger so they had to, couldn't be left out. How could there be a pony car war w/o the camaro. I wish they would scrap the GTO for the Firebird but I doubt it will happen although it would be nice to have back. I don't think the IRS will kill the car it hasn't been that big of an issue with the cobra's and it can't be weaker than the POS 7.5 rear end we have now.

I don't think GM had a choice but to build it. Ford has the Stang, Dodge is coming out with the Challenger so they had to, couldn't be left out. How could there be a pony car war w/o the camaro. I wish they would scrap the GTO for the Firebird but I doubt it will happen although it would be nice to have back. I don't think the IRS will kill the car it hasn't been that big of an issue with the cobra's and it can't be weaker than the POS 7.5 rear end we have now.
The GTO IS HISTORY already..announced a couple months ago... :jest:

Sounds great.

IRS should definitely be an option though, having it standard on all models will increase weight, cost, and complexity way too much.

I concur. I wouldn't mind having one, but after seeing all the IRS issues that Vette/Terminator guys are having, I think I'll stick with my ole 4th Gen...

Hi. The Vette differential which you are referring to in the C5 is no longer used. The C6 version is exclusive to the C6. The GTO version will no longer be built from an aluminum housing. What's the problem?

New generation torque management will hold it all together. :jest:

i thought the exact same thing when i read it.

i also have a VERY strong feeling that this is going to be a overweight pig of a car, just like the goat.

:werd:

Except that I REALLY like the IRS. After driving the Corvette over rough bumpy roads and especially bumpy turns I'll never go solid axle again. My Camaro ass would slide out on me if I took to fast and thats with a full-out street/track suspension. The Corvette just glides over the bumbs.

Just race with street legal tires, that way you can get the satifaction of beating people with street tires instead of "cheating" with drag tires!

if the car weighed 3300, id be happy as hell.... but how its looking now.. try 500lbs heavier then that. :barf:

Ya no way the new Camaro will be less than 3500. Hell for the C6 Z06 they had to use tons of carbon fiber to get it in the 3100 range. And I highly doubt the Camaro will be lighter than a standard C6 since it will have 4 seats, so expect 3700s if we are lucky! I will be happy as long as the first number starts with a "3".

New generation torque management will hold it all together. :jest:
yea... until we turn it off. then stuff breaks and we have to upgrade everything. :(

Except that I REALLY like the IRS. After driving the Corvette over rough bumpy roads and especially bumpy turns I'll never go solid axle again. My Camaro ass would slide out on me if I took to fast and thats with a full-out street/track suspension. The Corvette just glides over the bumbs.

that has little to do with it being a live axle.. theres alot more to suspension then just the type. lol.

Just race with street legal tires, that way you can get the satifaction of beating people with street tires instead of "cheating" with drag tires!

um, i like to go fast.
anyone who thinks drag tires are cheating, doesnt have a powerful enough car to realize what they're for. my car would be downright dangerous to drive on street tires down the dragstrip.

Ya no way the new Camaro will be less than 3500. Hell for the C6 Z06 they had to use tons of carbon fiber to get it in the 3100 range. And I highly doubt the Camaro will be lighter than a standard C6 since it will have 4 seats, so expect 3700s if we are lucky! I will be happy as long as the first number starts with a "3".

yea, i konw.... but they just keep getting heavier and heavier.. meanwhile all thoes damn imports somehow remain light.
i hate to compare the two, but dammit, i hate having 100more hp, and just bearly hanging with the lighter cars.... think LS1 vs GTO if it makes you feel better.

The best news from GM in a long time..... Can't wait to get mine!!! and IRS will be awesome!

lol, i sound so negitive in this thread....... i am excited... its great news.. and i want one. :)

that has little to do with it being a live axle.. theres alot more to suspension then just the type. lol.......

yea, i konw.... but they just keep getting heavier and heavier.. meanwhile all thoes damn imports somehow remain light.
i hate to compare the two, but dammit, i hate having 100more hp, and just bearly hanging with the lighter cars.... think LS1 vs GTO if it makes you feel better.

The thing is, a live axle has 0 ability to run negative camber unless you go full out with it on a track car. And once you get to off camber corners like you always find on street or track, your geometry goes to crap. Now on a smooth corner, live-axles will do pretty much just fine. That rarely happens unfortuneately. IRS is simply better in most real cornering situations.

I hate to say it, but if the next gen is to be taken seriously as a sportscar, it has to have IRS. Hopefully they will offer an anti-squat geometry "drag suspension" option. Better yet, an optional 12bolt rear :) But the standard liveaxle has to go so that GM can make some $$ with this thing and thus keep making it. Id rather have a IRS Camaro than no Camaro.

And hey, no worries on the weight. Have you seen what the euro cars are weighing these days? Its insane. The new RS4 is 3900 lbs! Yuck! M3s are easaly 3400+, basicly about where F-Bods are. Even the Japanese are porky. 350Zs weigh as much as F-bods and more than Vettes. The Evo is about 3200-3300. (My DSM is AWD and its still under 3000 most likely.WTF?) I dont want to know what the new Lexus IS cars weigh. I bet 3600.

I have given up on ever seeing a mid-size performance car under 3000 again. :(

yea, i konw.... but they just keep getting heavier and heavier.. meanwhile all thoes damn imports somehow remain light.
i hate to compare the two, but dammit, i hate having 100more hp, and just bearly hanging with the lighter cars.... think LS1 vs GTO if it makes you feel better.


The Accord is sitting at 3400 lbs and the ricers consider it a "muscle car". Those imports are starting to get really heavy these days especially the ones that used to be feather weight. Crash standards are starting to hit them really hard these days.

Hey leave us street tire guys alone, when we lose to a guy without cats we say we lost to off-road parts, when we loose to drag tires we say we lose to drag tires, same thing goes with of any other part. We do have egos to protect here after all :emb: .

im happy they are building one, but im 16 now and wont be having one anytime soon. HOWEVER I dont think the camaro is gonna be the hot shit everyone thinks it will be. its gonna be heavy, and with IRS prone to breakin halfshafts as bad as a 4th gen is to breaking the 10 bolt.