The Chevrolet Camaro died its most recent death at the end of 2023, when the final example of the two-door sports car rolled off the production line in Lansing, Michigan.
Since then, the future of the nameplate has been in question, extending to Chevrolet’s racing efforts given the Camaro was – and still remains – its chosen competitor in NASCAR and the Supercars Championship.
Speaking to The Detroit News, General Motors President Mark Reuss has left the door open for the Camaro’s return, with a handful of caveats.
“I think that formula of beauty – and a little bit of functionality and fun – all of that is important [for the Camaro],” Reuss said.
“If we were getting back into Camaro, that piece of it is really important. That segment is declining – I think they [Ford] sold more [Mustang] Mach-Es than they did Mustangs.
“I think that would be a great formula, and we have the ability to do that.”
Reuss’ reference to the Mustang and Mustang Mach-E is a reminder of the impact of a nameplate. When the Mustang Mach-E was launched as an electric SUV, fans of the traditional two-door Mustang criticised Ford for using its ‘sacred’ badge on something electric, four-door and high-riding.
However, in the US at least, the sales split is relatively close between the two. According to Good Car, Bad Car, Ford sold 19,309 ‘traditional’ Mustangs last year, compared to 19,258 Mustang Mach-Es.
Even prior to the last sixth-gen Camaro exiting production, reports circulated that the nameplate would be revived as a sub-brand, spawning a pair of electric crossovers, both with three- and five-door options.
It’s likely that if this is the case, they’d ride on the General Motors Ultium platform, which the car giant has said would be made available for coupes – though whether said two-doors will be high-riding crossovers is yet to be seen.
However, earlier this year, specialist publication GM Authority reported Chevrolet sources had said the new Camaro would need to be “affordable and attainable”, potentially ruling out an EV – especially now with US incentives for battery-powered vehicles being repealed.
Unfortunately we’re no closer to knowing what the future holds for the future of the Camaro nameplate in Australia. It was only briefly officially sold here by HSV from 2018 until 2020, however it was pulled from sale well before making its Supercars debut with the arrival of Gen 3 regulations in 2023.
Chevrolet is now in its third year of running a car it doesn’t sell locally, and the end of production for the Camaro globally at the end of 2023 – plus the ongoing support for the Ford Mustang and upcoming launch of the Toyota Supra in the local championship – leaves a question mark over its racing future.
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