Over the past decade many of the big auto companies have released retro mock-ups of their biggest car models. Some great examples are the new retro Mustangs, Chevy HHR, Chevy SSR, Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Ford Thunderbird models. There are also a countless number of other newer autos designed with a complete old-school look. Probably the biggest new, and retro, automotive scheduled to hit the market is the modern Chevy Camaro. Plans to release the Camaro coupe sometime in spring 2009 are still active, even with GM’s imminent closure on the horizon.
The original Camaro models were born nearly 40 years ago and have now been revived to add some competition to Ford’s retro Mustang models. If that wasn’t enough competition, in light of the old Nixon-era big three (contending auto companies including Chevy, Ford, and Dodge), Dodge also just released a new retro Challenger model.
The brand new Camaros will be sold in two separate coupe models- the V6 and the V8. The V8 has been tacked as the “Camaro SS” and will be the top end model for the series. The V6 edition will be marketed as “LS” or “LT trim” models and will include higher end options, such as bright HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, a rear spoiler, specific tail-lamps, and fully custom 20-inch wheels.
An early concept version of the new Camaro appeared in 2007-2008, in the Transformers movie, specifically the character known as Bumblebee. The car is first shown as an older Camaro model and then is later coaxed into transforming into a newer Camaro by another character. The actual car featured in Transformers was not a real Camaro because the real models weren’t anywhere close to finished when the movie began filming. Many will be surprised to know that car was built from the ground up using many parts from a new GTO; a lot of the body parts were even made out of fake plastic and were designed to look like real metal, such as the door handles and the Plexiglas windows on the car.
The brand new Camaros are set for an official release in spring of 2009, with a special convertible model set to retail around nine months later. With the recent drop in gas prices there is a chance the new Camaros will sell well, but then again with the sinking economy the release could go both ways. In a similar comparison, the retro Mustang that was released by Ford sold increasingly well, but Ford has reported that sales are now beginning to cool off.
