Major announcement, ...Camaro reveal 7/21/08

[KevinK]

Monday, July 21st, 4pm  (This is BEFORE the dealer announcement..., ...see below)

A LIVE major annoucement on July 21st at 4pm

http://www.chevrolet.com/camaro/



Also, please note the following regarding the 7/22 dealer present (from J.Fitzpatrick)...

Please note the following regarding the 7/22 dealer presentations....

The Camaro Marketing Team realizes there is a lot of excitement and anticipation regarding the upcoming 2010 Camaro reveal. We understand the desire to get as much information about the new Camaro as possible; however, the IDL (Inter-Distance Learning) Broadcast is a private GM to Dealer training activity. Only GM and Dealership employees are authorized to view the telecast. Please do NOT visit a dealership and ask to view the broadcast.
If you worry that you miss something, don't; you find out very soon that there will be plenty of information available on Monday, July 21, on the new 2010 Camaro.
Thnanks
John Fitzpatrick
Marketing Manager - Camaro

[KevinK]

...to add to the above...

 To the Many Friends of Camaro:

We know it seems to many of you this day would never arrive, but on Monday, July 21, 2008, at 4:00 PM, EDT, Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s General Manager, and Ed Welburn, GM’s Director of Design, will unveil the details of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. This unveil will be the first step in answering the many questions (or should we say confirming the many rumors) surrounding the new Camaro.

Due to many factors, we are not able to extend an invitation to the entire Camaro community to join us in person for the dual, simultaneous unveilings that will take place in Warren, MI, and Los Angeles, CA.

We understand many of you may be disappointed not being able to see the car “in the flesh” that day (and therefore give you a reason to meet us at Indy in September); therefore, we are arranging a live webcast of the Warren unveiling on the GM Next website.

On Monday, July 21, just before 4:00 PM, EDT, go to http://camaro.gmnext.com and click on the "Camaro webcast" link at the top of the page (the Camaro link goes live July 17) to tune in the unveiling. If you cannot watch the webcast live, no worries, an archive of the broadcast will be available on GMNext.com and Chevy.com/Camaro.

Speaking of Chevy.com/Camaro, the next evolution of the site will also debut late Monday afternoon. The next evolution will include images of the production model, exclusive production animation, and a downloadable PDF file containing specifications on the 2010 Camaro. After the webcast, come on over and see the changes for yourself.

If all your questions are not answered during the reveal, a web-chat on the 2010 Camaro will take place the next day (Tuesday, July 22) at GMNext.com. The chat will start at 9:30 AM, EDT, and will feature experts from Chevrolet Marketing, Design and Engineering.

Since Camaro’s production announcement in August 2006, many people throughout GM have been passionately developing a car worthy of its heritage that features beautiful styling, segment-leading performance, excellent fuel economy and advanced technology. Quite honestly, we can't wait to show you all the work on Monday.

Sincerely,


Team Camaro
(Cheryl Pilcher; John Fitzpatrick & Scott Settlemire)

[lcmc]

I think GM missed the boat. The new Camaro is a great looking car however they should have made it more retro like Ford did with the Mustang. You have to look twice when you see a Mustang coming down the road to tell if it's old or new. That won't be the case with the Camaro. Sure it will sell and I'll probably buy one but they won't sell as well as the Mustang....... JMO

[ChopChop]

There is allot of news articles around today in Australia, that GM are considering doing some retooling and put out a Right hand drive version, they say they would only need to sell 4000 to make it worth there while.. I hope we get them Down under...

Sounds like Chev is keen to push into Asia as well with them..

[CanCam68]

Truly an international car, eh?  Engineered in Australia, designed in the USA, and built in Canada.

I think if they can keep both the price down and the weight as well... the car will sell.  As part of the design team, I would have hated to have made final the final decision of... Yep... that's what she's gonna look like.  You can't please everyone, and I think they did a superb job of the front.  The side looks a little... chunky, and the rear still needs something ... more?  See what I mean? Ya can't please everybody!  Overall, it looks as good as the Stang, and will prob handle better as they did in the past. IMHO

CC68

[KurtS]

I think if they can keep both the price down and the weight as well...

So much for the weight. It's about 3900 with the SS. Ouch.....

[67L48]

I think GM missed the boat.

I agree, but for a different reason.  First of all, Ford launched it's low price point Mustang half way through the 1964 model year.  Took GM 3 years to respond with the Camaro.  Oops.  How many Mustangs sold in 1964, 65, and 66?

Then, Ford comes up with the old school styling and tests the market with the retro Thunderbird in 2002.  Chevy responds by ... oh, wait, they didn't respond.  The success of the Thunderbird could be debated, but it was a great marketing research project which paved the way for the 2005 launch of the retro-styled Mustang ... which was brilliant.  Chevy responds by doing nothing.  Heck, even Dodge was able to respond with a retro-reminiscent Charger in 2006.  About a year later, rumors begin about a relaunch of the Camaro brand, and eventually concepts are released from GM.

So, now we may finally see a launch of the Camaro in 2010?  How many Mustangs have been sold from 2005 to 20010?!  The Camaro design is already old, too.  They publicized the hell out of the concept -- there's a myriad toys, posters, shirts, etc. with the 2006 concept on it.  It's a 4+ year-old design that they'll be launching in an era where most vehicle designs only last 5-7 years.  Just bizarre marketing and product development.  I don't understand it at all.

Ford takes a niche brand with strong retro ties (Thunderbird) and tests the retro-style market in 2002.  Probably waits a good year to see the market response.  Two years later, Ford launches a completely redesigned Mustang with strong retro styling, taking the low price point sports car market by storm.  Dodge learns from the Thunderbird (and Mustang) trial and launches its Charger in 2006 and then it's supercar retro Challenger in 2008.  Not bad.  Both Ford and Dodge seem to be in the 1-3 year product development timeframe. GM "launches" a concept Camaro in 2006 and plans a commercial launch of that vehicle four years later in 2010?!  WTF?  So, assuming that it took GM at least 1 year (probably 2) to produce the Camaro concept, GM is somewhere in the 5-6 year development timeframe.  The first time around, it took GM 3 years to respond to an innovative, but probably obvious, product introduction by Ford.  The second time around, it will have taken GM 5 years to respond to the same innovative, but probably obvious, product introduction by Ford ... and Ford isn't exactly the model for automotive innovation these days!  Wow.  All I can say is, "Wow."

And one final note, aside from the styling, a car's color is the most visible marking.  Ford introduced at least one retro color -- the light green color.  I'm not a Ford guy or a Mustang guy, so I don't know the color names.  However, the light green is a taboo for modern-day for sports cars, but Ford launched it to support the retro market ... and it's done well.  Great, so for the retro Camaro color, what do we have?  Hugger Orange (synonomous with 69 Camaro performance)?  Nope.  OK, Daytona Yellow?  Nope.  Butternut Yellow?  Nope.  Anything at all that looks like what you'd find in a 1967-1969 showroom?  Only if you count the primaries.

Ford also built on the foundation by offering GT500 models, with retro-styled stripes and accents.  It's yet to be seen if GM goes down that road.  Something tells me that they haven't even considered an SS/RS model with hidden headlights.

In five years, this is going to be in HBR and studied in Business Schools all over the place on product marketing research and product development cycles.

[tom]

All of that AND the price of gas at the pump. Anyone else remember the 60's muscle car era that ended with the early 70's when the price of gas went from 30 odd cents to a buck a gallon? Seems a little late on multiple fronts.

Tom

[rich69rs]

With the financial difficulties that GM is having, one has to ask why would Chevy even consider going forward with the Camaro launch?  With GM stock in the tank and $4 gas, it is hard to understand the motivation. 

The new Camaro (at least the performance versions) will not be a 'green, environmental friendly, hybrid, econo box'  - which is what the "Big 3" now seem to be scrambling to put into production.  As much as I, like everyone else, want to see a new Camaro in 2010, it is very hard to understand their logic for going forward.  As one of the previous posts implied, about 3-5 years too late.  

[lakeholme]

I know the technology isn't quite there yet, but I've said all along, if they couldn't get it out before 2009, they should make it electric or at least hybrid...

[Sauron327]

 Ahh, But the tech. is there and without enfuriating a huge political and economic stradegy debate(too late), The people controlling the economic plight possess the tech. to enable the production of high perf.,fuel efficient vehicles we desire. Audi's diesel high horsepower, high torque, fuel efficient street version motor( 500hp,738 ft. lbs torque, 23 mpg.) Race version R-10 runs on partial biofuel(118 hp per litre) and was most fuel efficient at Le Mans. And finished first. High performance, economic and eco-friendly cars can be produced for the mass public. But are not for nothing short of greed.

[roper]

I was sure hoping for a 2009 model, since I have a 69. I was gonna buy one. now they are gonna be 2010 models they wont have as much appeal to me.I may still buy one but my intrest is fading fast. Just tired of waiting to be quite honest.

[no69x-44]

I was sure hoping for a 2009 model, since I have a 69. I was gonna buy one. now they are gonna be 2010 models they wont have as much appeal to me.I may still buy one but my intrest is fading fast. Just tired of waiting to be quite honest.

2010 model year?  I'll believe it when I see it ...  This song is getting old.

[67rscoupe]

why not? the challenger looks good though.

[zegret]

This is crazy, how long do we have to wait for this thing?  By the time they get it out, it will have lost its' luster.  Too bad.