OT: Talking cars addendum: End of Camaro -- Sad day or about time?
Lots of ties to GM around here, so...
Given GM's new motto of "Do less with less," the Camaro appears to be gone. This was my dream car in high school, and I have always enjoyed driving them but have never actually owned one. The high-end ones were priced not-too-much lower than the entry-level Corvettes, which GM looks to be building indefinitely. Is it time to retire the iconic brand?
Naturally I turn here for the soundest reflections on all things of gravity...
Sure sounds like they are dropping it after the 2024 model. That's a shame.
Firebird + Formula + Trans Am > Camaro + SS + Z 28.
Born & raised in Pontiac, Mi and I’ll be a Poncho nut till the day I die.
Those monsters in charge of GM killed my model line years ago.
You nailed it. I have always wanted to know what Pontiac would have done with the modern ZL1.
I don't know. Best Pontiac was the LeMans when they turned it into a coupe in the late 80s. They they killed it, jacked it up, and turned it into an Aztek. Bastards.
Wish I had more upvotes to give you.
It was my dream car in HS too and that was when they killed it the first time. I always thought i'd get one if they brought it back...and I got a focus. I got old and started looking at cars as tools not toys very early in my life. Either way, I'm guessing a 7th gen comes soon enough, tho it may be electric.
Once upon a time, kids dreamed of T Birds. Ford made cars, and not just trucks. Detroit had independent automakers, and AMC too. Pontiac. Oldsmobile. Even if the Camaro dies, it's minor compared to the changes the industry has seen and undertaken in the last 15 years.
My favorite car of all time is the first gen Camaro. I prefer the 1967 model year but wouldn't turn down the 1968' or 1969'. The gen 2's are also very nice. As for the Gen 3's and Gen 4's, I blame them for any negative stereotype that Camro has now.
When I saw the Gen 6 for the first time, I decided to buy one. I could have bought an entry-level vette to look cool, but I got all the power of a loaded Corvette in a car with more room.
As for the end of the Camaro, I doubt it. Expect an all-electric Camaro within the next 5-10 years. This isn't the first time they stopped manufacturing the Camaro. Honestly, they needed to take a break and reinvent the look.
Haha i was a kid for those 3rd and 4th gens and j thought they were the coolest
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Vasav, I was at work when I typed that and could have sworn I finished that thought.
"As for the Gen 3's and Gen 4's, I blame them for any negative stereotype that Camaro has now."
I however, loved the Gen 3 IROC's, one of the best looking cars of it's era and one that is still on my bucket list.
Had a used '67 Camaro 327 V8 with 2-speed automatic transmission. Fun car to drive, especially in winter (haha), but resulting rust issues prompted sale. It was the first and last "special" car that I drove through winter and salt season. Subsequent pleasure cars have been stored during salt season ever since.
My current summer driver is a 6th-gen '22 Camaro with a 6-2 litre V8 (378 ci) with 6-speed manual. It's the best, most fun, affordable sports car that I've ever had. It's a fitting bookend in my ICE experience, and I think it's a keeper.
Sad to see the end of the ICE Camaro, but looking forward to a possible ICE/EV hybrid with AWD, maybe like the new GT3 Corvette. Otherwise, the future's wide open and I'm excited to witness how it unfolds.
My first car was a '78 Cutlass Supreme, black, T-Tops, 403 cu 4bbl, lots of chrome with raised white letter tires, with the 442 suspension.
Very Detroit for a kid from the working class 'burbs of Inkster and later Dearborn Heights. Olds had serious style back then. Similar to mine:
My parents had an Olds that I LOVED growing up. But didn't the bad guys in Robocop drive these bad boys?
Yes, but only one at a time.
I'd buy that for a dollar!
My mom had a 1980-ish Olds station wagon of some sort in sky blue with the faux wood paneling stickers. My dad has an 84 cutlass supreme brougham in grey with a blue vinyl roof. Before the cutlass, he had an early 80s Monte Carlo in beige which my uncle totaled. After the station wagon, my mom got an 87 Thunderbird for some reason. I have no idea how my parents made their car buying decisions lol
do you remember when they did the big redesign back in the '82 model year? they were pretty cool back then. there was a gal i knew who got one on her graduation. she let me drive it a time or two.
I was a kid when this model came out and I loved it, especially the IROC-Z trim.
Sad day......they want everyone to drive a crossover
This is true and my least favorite trends but I'm probably going to buy a crossover soon. Looking for a dad mobile and those seem to be the best available options.
Minivan it is.
Somehow those feel TOO big. What i really want is an old Ford Taurus station wagon
I have a 2019 Buick Regal TourX (the wagon). Best car Buick ever built and ironically also the last. Designed and built in Russelheim Germany. It has the same 8-Speed automatic that Opel sold to BMW and a Saab Turbo engine. RIP Buick cars.
They've discontinued and reintroduced the Camaro before...so it is likely not totally dead forever. There is value in that name, so it will be back at some point, in some form, i would imagine. Likely as a crossover:(
It won't come back with a V8, so it may as well be dead forever.
Stellantis is also killing off the Chargers and Challengers this year as we know them in their "Last Call Tour". It doesn't mean they will not come back in all-electric replacement. Same with GM they also noted they may work on a replacement for the Camaro.
Times are a changing.
Indeed. Glad we were able to have a seat at the last call for all of these guys. I'm not opposed to EV's, but as a good buddy of mine said about the transition to electric... "There's just something about a car that goes vroom". I fall into that category.
I have two kids of driving age, and it is horrible that there isn't a cheap American car to buy them, like the base Camaro once was. What is gonna be worse is when all cars are electric and nobody can fix them (nor afford them). It will wipe out so many jobs like mechanics.
There'll always be a job for people who can fix things. Being a mechanic may change and may get more specialized but they won't fade away.
The lack of cheap American cars is a major annoyance. I imagine electric cars will come down in price but i think American automakers will keep selling x-overs with higher margins rather than try to compete with entry level cars
Mechanics aren't going anywhere... sure there will be less oil and spark plug changes, and no exhaust system to work on... but suspension, brakes, tires, electric powertrain, etc. will all still require mechanics. Will some retraining need to be done for the electric powertrain? Sure but that's no different than every other evolving industry on the planet.
Although I'm getting a Fisker soon, I hope EVs go away altogether. Hybrid was the way to go.
I came close to buying one a few times but I always came to the realization that I don't want to be post high school camaro guy.
Don't worry. It will come back as an EV (sigh).
And don't get me wrong. I'm fully on board with electrifying - or widely adopting non-petrol burning vehicles - to move the masses around the planet. But I will always hold a warm spot in my heart for the dream cars of my youth (Camaro, Mustang, Fiero...yes, I said Fiero) with growly engines (Fiero excepting). It seems so wrong to rebrand these automotive icons as EVs.
personally my bigger issue is seeing sports brands on SUVs but most buyers disagree with me. Lost that hill with Porsche and BMW 20 years ago. Now mustang too.
The carbon output to build a EV vs ICE is 2.5x higher. So there's no carbon saving unless it's driven over 130000 miles. The hybrid is by far the best option if carbon output reduction is the goal.
camaro died after the 81 Z28
Not true.
I bought a brand new 1991 Z28 that was an absolute beast and it looked as good as it ran.
There were a lot of Camaros around at my high school.
I preferred the Trans Am, and - before that - the GTO.
However, the "most memorable" car my dad ever had in the garage was a candy apple red, Olds 4-4-2, convertible - white interior - Hurst shifter - that baby moved, and - turned a lot of heads in the neighborhood.
Yes sir. You got all your bases covered and in the right order.
Mine was the Regal T-Type, which was the cheaper version of the Grand National.
OSW, the Grand National was in that “class” of car - you could describe as a “mover”.
It makes me think of some late 60’s muscle cars Detroit made. Road Runners, Chargers, etc…
Ha! I had a Regal T-Type in college. Paid $700 for it, so you can guess its condition. It was a great car, though.
It'll be back. And if it's electric. It will be faster. Electric is the future. I almost went electric this past go around. But my hang up with electric is still (probably same for most) price, and range.
I test drove a Porsche Cayan (electric). Let me just say ho lee phuc. 0-100 in about 4 seconds. Whisper quiet, smooth as butter. Give electric another generation or two to make it more appealing for the early majority.
I don't think they'll make it because of cost.
Another drawback to EV's is the electrical work needed to install a fast home charger if your breaker panel isn't up to snuff. You will have to replace it when installing a fast home charger. Average cost to replace a breaker panel is around $2,000. An EV is better for the environment but it will wreak havoc on you pocketbook.
Yep, installing the EVSE is an expens$ive pain. It is nice, however, being able to use your phone to "start" the car in the garage to warm the wheel, seats, and interior without having to worry about exhaust fumes coming into the living areas. And, no more oil droplets on the clean garage floor or driveway. There is an upside, just an expensive one for now.
Bang Ding Ow
or about time?
I had one as a rental once.
Cannot see out of the damn thing.
Disappointing though. Especially since there was a convertible version. Really no such thing as an affordable convertible anymore.
Sad day for me. Never owned one, nor any pony car. I could never get used to the gun slit visibility sitting in the driver's seat. But. My old neighborhood was loaded with 60s pony and muscle cars.
My guess is that Chevy will steal a page from Ford. If the new Mustang Mach E (GT) is a "Mustang" (fast as stink, BTW), then Chevy can release the next Camaro as an EV.
It's sad because an era is ending, a fun era, one that started for me with a hand me down early 60s Olds F85 Cutlass, thanks Mom. Ah well, nothing lasts forever. Think I'll go listen to the LT4 bark on startup, maybe scare the neighborhood with the thought that Mad Max is going for a ride on cold tires (never a good idea).
the existing camaro ICE car is beautiful and can be had for decent money. i fear though that the 'new' camaro (which you know they will come out with) will be like the 'new' mustang that looks like a focus with bad attitude, and having lost any semblance of the classic mustang looks.
and you would know, mr. fast cars, your garage has to be like a car museum but for cars that actually get driven.
March 24th, 2023 at 12:15 AM ^
Yes, I share your concern about the next gen Camaro. The new "Mustang" has none of the sleek, classic lines of Ford's ICE pony car.
Added injury? My state and my insurance company classify the Mach E as a "4WD Truck".
And? Really no point in owning a beautiful machine if you're not going to enjoy using it for its designed purpose.