Posted on 02/17/2024 6:44:38 PM PST by Red Badger
Three pony cars made it out of the muscle car era to be part of our modern automotive world. These three are the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Chevy Camaro. The Challenger is barely a pony car, but the Mustang and Camaro provide several engine options leading up to a V8 engine at the top of the line, defining the pony car market. While the Mustang lives on, the Chevy Camaro is dead and won’t likely return in true pony car form.
The top-level Chevy Camaro was awesome
At the top ZL1 trim, the last two generations of the Camaro delivered 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque through either a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. This power is excellent, but not the top figures in the class.
The Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 provides 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque, while the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye delivers 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque. These two competitors best the Camaro for power, but don’t have the same bragging rights as the Camaro.
As far back as the 2018 model year, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE set a new track record at Nürburgring. This made many European automakers sit up and pay attention. This Camaro trim package includes incredible control features to handle the challenging corners of the legendary European track, with wider fenders and tires and the Magnetic Ride Control suspension package.
With a record time at the world’s most famous test track, why didn’t we see it in GM’s commercials?
GM could have pushed the affordable fun of the Camaro
Can you remember any commercials featuring the Camaro during the past fifteen years? You might remember one, possibly two, but the bow-tie brand had pushed its trucks, large SUVs, and, more recently, electric vehicles more than a classic pony car that represents what driving is all about.
The Chevy Camaro, especially in its classic form, is easily associated with the fun of driving down wide open roads. It would have been easy for Chevy to capitalize on the Nürburgring lap record. The brand could have presented this pony car in more advertising, doing what it does best: provide fun driving on any road.
Did we, as Americans, fail the Chevy Camaro?
Although the collective feelings about the sixth-generation design changes weren’t well received, the Camaro has been present at local Chevy dealers for many years. There it sat, in all its glory, waiting for any driver to scoop it up. The Camaro waited to deliver affordable fun, but all it could do wa wait. But did we gobble up this glorious car? Nope.
In fact, Camaro sales dipped to an incredible low of 21,893 in 2021 after reaching 88,249 only a decade before. According to Good Car Bad Car, Camaro sales increased in 2022 and 2023 compared to the 2021 low. Unfortunately, those figures weren’t enough to save this pony car from extinction.
There it was, waiting for any driver to take it for a test drive and then home to be the fun and active car that doubles as a great daily driver. Who failed the Chevy Camaro? Was it GM with a lack of advertising and a poor final design? Was it us, as Americans, who knew the car was at Chevy dealers but chose the Mustang or Challenger instead?
GM stopped production of the Pontiac Fiero when only 16,000 were produced. (When the Fiero finally got everything right...)
Sticker price.... (1977)... $4775
I lived in Norwood, Ohio in the early 80s about two blocks from the GM assembly plant that was producing the Camaro. The big problem for GM in Norwood was getting enough UAW members to show up for work in order to run the assembly line.
Automatic transmission was an ‘upgrade’ option, as well as A/C. I got the AT but not the A/C.
I couldn’t afford one.
I just wanted a 2008 with the four taillights and a V-8
The two biggest customers for the Camaro:
1. Nurses, and
2. Women named Donna.
I had a fiero. Nice zippy little car.
Was a pain to get in and out, but once you had the process down, it wasn’t bad. Once inside it was surprisingly roomy.
My first new car - 69 Mach 1 Mustang. Price $3200. Those were the good old days.
Rednecks in Georgia...................
The Ford Mustang wins AGAIN!.........................
I’ve owned Firebird, Camaro, Charger and now finally MUSTANG!.................
Too expensive to buy. I last bought a car in 2006. A new one anyway. A Honda CRV, 5K down, and financed about 23K. Now, a new car is in the 60K+ range. Higher for a “better” car. At the time I bought my last new car, I purchased a home for 180K. I couldn’t keep up with the rising costs of things. Though I was making $6K a month, one illness and I had to sell it and bought a Manufactured in a park for $18k cash and settled in to a life of no work, and treatments.
The economic system is failing, and we are all being chased into the streets or a section 8 apt. Only the rich will have nice things. My daughter was paying $1250 a month for rent two years ago. She is now paying $3000 a month. But she has one more bathroom and the kitchen is nicer. My other daughter lives in the ghetto apartments in Tacoma WA, 3rd floor because her first floor apt was shot up while she and her hubby slept. Rent? $2700 a month...two bdrm one bath laundry in the common area.
Seems sustainable to me, she is a case worker for DSHS with a degree in accounting n social work, he drives for Amazon.
Chevy and Ford have similar issues in this market segment. Devotees. Ford guys. Chevy guys.
Chevy’s guys are divided between Corvette guys and Camaro guys.
Ford has no such dilemma. Ford guys have the Mustang.
Yes, there is a very limited market for the GT Supercar; its price is astronomical and out of reach but, for the very few.
The Chevy Corvette on the other hand is attainable for those who are on a Camaro budget but, really want a Corvette.
They can stretch their budget or, delay a purchase while saving more money and get the Vette instead of settling for the Camaro. A great many buyers opt for the latter.
So, my opinion is the Chevy Camaro is a victim of the Chevy Corvette. The Mustang has no such brand competition.
I like the looks of the current models, but my view on buying cars has always been they are a tool for transportation first, a fashion statement a distant second. A coupe that can comfortably make a road trip with just two people doesn’t meet my needs. Give it 3-1/2 more years for the kids to finish college and that might change.
It’s not a bad looking car. I can’t speak to the available options. There was a time in the early 90s when the Mustang came in a 4 cylinder. It looked great, but was underwhelming performance wise. The last iteration of the Camaro just appears too cramped inside to actually enjoy as a daily driver.
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