Joeychgo
February 4th, 2008, 07:50 AM
Filed under: Coupes (http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/), Green (http://www.autoblog.com/category/green/), Cadillac (http://www.autoblog.com/category/cadillac/), Chevrolet (http://www.autoblog.com/category/chevrolet/), GM (http://www.autoblog.com/category/gm/), Pontiac (http://www.autoblog.com/category/pontiac/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/camaro_front_450-op.jpg (http://www.thecarconnection.com/blog/?p=759)
Buried at the end of an article from The Car Connection that discusses the future of General Motors' rear-wheel-drive expansion (or lack thereof) was an interesting canard. In an effort to lower the General's CAFE rating, GM has supposedly assembled a team to outfit the new Camaro with the automaker's dual-mode hybrid drivetrain. The rational behind outfitting a Camaro with a hybrid system might be sound from a fuel-economy standpoint, but offering a fuel-sipping pony car seems like the antithesis of what a muscle-bound coupe is all about.
The article goes on to say that our new CAFE standards have all but killed GM's planned RWD cars, and because the platform underpinning the Camaro was supposed to be utilized on these other vehicles, its costs can't be kept in check. That's likely going to cause the V8 Camaro's sticker to be higher than anticipated -- possibly encroaching on Corvette territory.
Both the Camaro and the Pontiac G8 will live on, but everything else is likely off the table. Rear-wheel-drive Chevys and Buicks are dead in the water, but Cadillac will soldier on with a RWD vehicle to compete in the ultra-luxury segment.
Gallery: Chevy Camaro Concept
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch097_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120118/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch089_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120117/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch090_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120116/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch094_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120115/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch095_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120114/)
Read | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/dual-mode-camaro-gm-rumored-to-be-developing-hybrid-pony-car/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1105598/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/dual-mode-camaro-gm-rumored-to-be-developing-hybrid-pony-car/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/dual-mode-camaro-gm-rumored-to-be-developing-hybrid-pony-car/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/camaro_front_450-op.jpg (http://www.thecarconnection.com/blog/?p=759)
Buried at the end of an article from The Car Connection that discusses the future of General Motors' rear-wheel-drive expansion (or lack thereof) was an interesting canard. In an effort to lower the General's CAFE rating, GM has supposedly assembled a team to outfit the new Camaro with the automaker's dual-mode hybrid drivetrain. The rational behind outfitting a Camaro with a hybrid system might be sound from a fuel-economy standpoint, but offering a fuel-sipping pony car seems like the antithesis of what a muscle-bound coupe is all about.
The article goes on to say that our new CAFE standards have all but killed GM's planned RWD cars, and because the platform underpinning the Camaro was supposed to be utilized on these other vehicles, its costs can't be kept in check. That's likely going to cause the V8 Camaro's sticker to be higher than anticipated -- possibly encroaching on Corvette territory.
Both the Camaro and the Pontiac G8 will live on, but everything else is likely off the table. Rear-wheel-drive Chevys and Buicks are dead in the water, but Cadillac will soldier on with a RWD vehicle to compete in the ultra-luxury segment.
Gallery: Chevy Camaro Concept
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch097_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120118/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch089_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120117/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch090_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120116/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch094_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120115/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/x06cc_ch095_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/chevy-camaro-concept/120114/)
Read | Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/dual-mode-camaro-gm-rumored-to-be-developing-hybrid-pony-car/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1105598/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/dual-mode-camaro-gm-rumored-to-be-developing-hybrid-pony-car/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/04/dual-mode-camaro-gm-rumored-to-be-developing-hybrid-pony-car/)