A flashy video released by General Motors shows the current Chevrolet Camaro put through its paces – and ends with the clear implication the next model will develop even more power than the 505hp (377kW) of the current model Camaro Z/28.
The final few seconds of the video reveals the camouflaged sixth-generation Camaro appearing through the haze of tyre smoke billowing from a fifth-gen Camaro, accompanied by the over-dubbed sound of the new model's engine firing up. It's arguably a sign that Chevrolet and its parent company don't want Ford's new Mustang galloping away into the distance, snatching a lot of sales because buyers are left in limbo waiting for the new Camaro.
The new car promises to be significantly lighter than the current Camaro, which has sold well and has been a serious rival to the previous Mustang. But the fifth-gen Camaro is outgunned by the new Mustang, which brings more of everything to the market. That's why GM will make every post a winning post for the Camaro.
No longer will sporty coupe and convertible range be built on the Zeta platform that was basically a shortened version of the same architecture developed by Holden for the VE/VF Commodore. Instead, with the introduction of the sixth-generation series, the Camaro will ride on GM's Alpha platform, which is currently exclusive to the Cadillac ATS – a rear-wheel drive luxury car that ostensibly competes with BMW's 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class.
As we reported two months ago, Camaro is shaping up to be the best prospect for an imported successor to the Commodore SS in the post-manufacturing era in Australia after 2017. GM is yet to confirm it will be built in right-hand drive, but as soon as they do it will remove all doubt about the Camaro coming to Australia – which is why GM is not saying anything, we suspect. That in itself, if correct, says something about the importance of Australia as a performance-oriented market in the GM world.
Camaro has to be right-hand drive, it might be argued, because Mustang is – and Mustang is bound to be a very successful 'global' design if it can sell in markets everywhere around the world. It's probably too late already for GM to reel in the pony car for its first full year on sale in Australia however.