TriShield

Just Don't Call is a Muscle Car

Posted by: David Welch on March 19

General Motors, eager to flog its reputation as a green company, has a slight problem. One of its most high-profile new cars will be the Chevrolet Camaro coming out next year. With its muscle car heritage and optional V-8 engine, the Camaro is hardly the statement of green, high-tech modernism that every carmaker is trying to broadcast these days. Ditto for the Dodge Challenger, which Chrysler showed at the New York Auto Show today. Arguably, both cars say that these companies are stuck in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

GM thinks it has a solution. Just don’t call the Camaro a muscle car. Mark LaNeve, GM-North America’s vice president of sales and marketing, says he wants to advertise the car’s sporty ride and handling, bold styling and (get this) its fuel economy when Chevrolet launches the car next year. When equipped with a V-6 engine, the car should get about 28 miles per gallon on the highway, La Neve says. “We won’t position it as a muscle car,” he says. “The mainstream positioning will be fuel economy, design and a V-6.”

That will require a real sales job. But Chevy has no choice. GM’s biggest-selling division has to transcend its roots as a maker of performance cars like the Corvette, big trucks and NASCAR. Otherwise today’s car buyers, now looking more and more for gas sippers, will drive right on by. Today, Chevy buyers say fuel economy is the third qualification on their list for buying a car. A couple years ago it was 8th or 9th, says Brent Dewar, GM-North America Vice President of sales, service and parts. GM is trying to gain some green cred with marketing chops like its “Gas-Friendly, Gas-Free” campaign, which touts GM’s foray into technologies like ethanol-powered engines, hybrids and its research into hydrogen fuel cells. “It’s a marketing challenge when you make a paradigm change,” Dewar says. The same could be said for marketing a fuel-efficient Camaro.

LS1crazy01

iTrader: (14)

Maybe they should just advertise the SS as a muscle car.

Hydramatic

This shouldn't be much of a problem...The Camaro was never a true muscle car in the first place. It always has been(until the 4th gens at least) a simple long hood short trunk coupe with economical engines but with a V8 or two as options.

The people who think that Camaros are performance cars exclusively have apparantly forsaken the Camaro's place in GM's lineup. It has been there since the beginning to steal sales from the Mustang and provide the market with an economical coupe that EVERYONE can afford. I hope GM makes the base models $20k or lower...that would spike sales in a good way. If a $20k price tag means having a Turbo Ecotec, then so be it. I need a new Turbo Coupe.

TriShield

You can call it whatever you want, but it's a muscle car. Nobody here would be interested in it otherwise and it wouldn't be allowed at muscle car shows. The genre is fairly broad other than it's solely RWD and emphasizes acceleration over everything else.

LTSpeed

My LS1 already gets 27-28mpg highway. Why would I trade down for a V6?

JHL88

so you're saying because it was made to steal from mustangs its not considered a muscle car? thats what it seems to me and i have to disagree. then what do you think a "true" muscle car really is? out of curiousity

LS1crazy01

iTrader: (14)

I consider it a muscle car no matter what they promote it as!

MadIceV8

iTrader: (12)

Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger are all pony cars.

landonew

Technically, I believe they refer to it as a "pony car". Regardless, the lines between muscle car and pony car have been blurred over the years, so I think it is safe to call it a muscle car instead of simply arguing about syemantics.
Now when people call a corvette a muscle car, that is over the line. Obviously a sports car due to its 2 seater + great handeling characteristics.

djsanchez2

iTrader: (14)

Hahaha that is awesome my M6 gets 28-31mpg and outpowers that lil V6. Don't let the public find out. Wonder what the LS3 or LSA/8 will get in fuel economy, like it would matter anyways.

Like was said before if marketing the badboy as a turbo 4cyl. or V6 super gas saver will keep it alive and sell units that fine w/ me as long as we get out big bad SS with a blown engine.

LS1crazy01

iTrader: (14)

Are they really gonna put a turbo 4 cylie in there? That would be sweet.

LS1Transhed

Thats not a shocker at all, the base models are the majority that sell anyways.. they are what keeps these cars alive. But in no way, shape or form is the base model a muscle car, but it never has been. The Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Cuda, Challenger ect.. have always been "Pony Cars" with the V8 trims blending into that "Muscle Car" genre.

TR GTO

I don't know if we can say we have a GM offered muscle car in a long time, I wouldn't even call the GTO a muscle car, it was just a grand tourer with more power.

LS1crazy01

iTrader: (14)

Agreed!

mzoomora

iTrader: (36)

Exactly. Sporty coupes but not sports cars. Muscle cars were originally mid sized cars with huge engines, just because a car is fast does not make it a muscle car.

98whiteFormula

I could care less if they put a 50 mpg mower turbo 4 in it,as long I get my V8.How bout a no badge Camaro with the LS7 option.

SS#1531

iTrader: (4)

If they want to promote the V-6's economy that's fine. We need people to buy those versions to keep the car alive. And the V-6's have never been anywhere close to a muscle car anyway.

It would be cool to see some V-8 versions advertised, but it's probably not necessary. Those pretty much sell themselves. Anyone interested in a V-8 pony/muscle car is already gonna know the Camaro is available with one.

LS1Transhed

I wonder what a Turbo'd I4 Camaro would even sound like lol

Semper91-RS

A coffe grinder stuck inside a dying elephant, most likely? Like most rice? I'm not really pleased about this whole "Inline Turbo 4" ****. I don't want an import motor in my Muscle. I don't care how GM markets it, as long as we all know what it really is. And what it is IS American Muscle.

mzoomora

iTrader: (36)

It is hardly an import engine, and it wouldnt be the first domestic with a turbo 4. It could be considered a compact car engine though, but I dont necessarily agree. And with CAFE regulations it wouldnt hurt to sell more efficient vehicles to keep the more powerful ones in production.