Automobile giant General Motors Corp. is set to go one better than its offering at the auto show circuit last year, when it unveiled the concept Camaro sports coupe. This year, at the Detroit Auto Show on Sunday, GM will launch as its showpiece the concept Camaro convertible. The automobile giant released a picture of the concept convertible on Thursday.
The photograph shows a concept convertible in hugger orange pearl tricoat with twin gunmetal grey sports stripes, an enhancement to the color originally used in 1969. The features being provided include push button ignition, spoiler, large radials (21 inches in the front and 22 inches in the back), and also hood scoop.
The concept convertible will be unleashed for sale to the market after the hardtop sports coupe version is released in the 2009 calendar year. However, this does not mean that GM will go without releasing any models before these two, as its Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz, promised a few coupes late in 2008.
While the concept cars, both the coupe as well as the convertible are powered by V-8 engines, which makes them a slightly expensive proposition, the plan is to have on offer V-6 versions as well, keeping the cost factor in mind. The approach is the same as the one adopted by GM's rival, Ford, for its Mustang.
Joe Phillippi, principal of automotive consulting firm AutoTrends says " I expect the V-6 will start in the low $20,000 range, but the exact price? Whether V-6 or V-8, coupe or convertible, you can be sure it won't be very far from whatever the Mustang is priced at the time." This is well in sync with the price of the competition. The Mustang V-6 is also priced at about $20,000.
With the announcement regarding the Camaro convertible, the Bob Lutz influence on the GM way of building cars is finally beginning to show, according to industry watchers. For long he had been talking about these cars, and finally they are beginning to show up, in a big way. This can only be good news for GM.
The Camaro will be the final number in a trilogy that Chevy has been banking on to move upwards. The first of these to be released is the redesigned 2008 Malibu, slated to be in the showrooms this fall. The Malibu has been built off the same platform that was used for the Saturn Aura Sedan of 2007. Next in the list is another redesigned car, the Impala, and the third one is the Camaro.
While Chevy as a brand is moving upwards now, it still has a way to go before the Camaro can make an impact. The Camaro will not be out before 2009, and someone has to take up the baton till then. The initial impact will have to be made by the Malibu, which is expected to hit the ground running.
Cost and affordability have been two key considerations that GM has focused on while designing the Camaro. The idea is to make it affordable to the masses, unlike the Corvette which is also a fundamentally wonderful car, but on the higher side where cost is concerned.
Ed Peper, General Manager at GM, made this very apparent when he said that the Camaro will feature a traditional softtop instead of a retractable metal hardtop, to minimize cost and at the same time ensure that there is extra space in the trunk.
According to Phillippi, the strategy at GM is to ensure that the Malibu sells at least 200,000 units, which along with a projected 100,000 Camaros a year would be enough to fill one plant to capacity.
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