Fewer vehicles with manual transmissions are on sale globally, having been overtaken by ever-more efficient automatics which have also become more affordable over the years.
However, that reportedly won’t stop the resurrected Chevrolet Camaro from offering buyers the change to “row their own”, with specialist publication GM Authority claiming the new model won’t be auto-only.
According to the outlet, insider sources have said the new Camaro will be available with an automatic transmission (of unknown gears) or a six-speed manual, the latter of which has been a hallmark of performance variants in previous generations.
The publication has recently reported that the reborn Camaro won’t be a traditional two-door coupe (or convertible) like every previous generation of the model, and will instead become a four-door – though not in what’s known as the traditional ‘three box’ sedan profile.
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Expected to adopt coupe-like design cues, the new Camaro is still expected to be the spiritual successor to the likes of the Chevrolet SS, which was a rebadged VF Holden Commodore sold in the US.
The new Camaro, regardless of what form it takes, will reportedly ride on an evolution of the platform which underpinned its predecessor, Alpha 2 – or potentially adopting the Alpha 2-2 moniker.
This means it’ll continue to be rear-wheel drive, and almost certainly be able to accommodate General Motors’ new sixth-generation small-block V8 engine, which debuted earlier this month in the Corvette Grand Sport.
The Alpha platform has supported inline-four, V6 and V8 engines, with the hottest models underpinned by it powered by supercharged 6.2-litre V8s.
Cross-town rival Ford has also recently refused to rule out a return to the segment, with CEO Jim Farley saying earlier this year “never say never”, before adding a caveat.
“The sedan market is very vibrant. It’s not that there isn’t a market there. It’s just we couldn’t find a way to compete and be profitable. Well, we may find a way to do that,” he told Automotive News at the Detroit motor show.
Ford is also understood to be planning to launch a sedan version of the Mustang coupe, which would bring it back into the petrol-powered passenger car segment.
A report by Automotive News in August last year claimed a Mustang-derived four-door sedan could launch as soon as early 2028, at least in the US.
A Mustang sedan was reportedly previewed to North American dealers last year, and prior to this Ford CEO Jim Farley told media outlets it could launch a four-door version of the pony car, as long as it has “all the performance and attitude of the original.”
Of course it’s worth noting that Dodge is already playing in both the coupe and sedan spaces with the Charger, available as an EV with a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine, mated to an all-wheel drive system.
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