Chevelle. Now, that's a name we last heard a while ago. Well, make that officially, as the model has been dead for almost five decades.
The last one rolled off the line back in 1977. It was part of the third generation, came in three body styles, including a coupe, a station wagon, and a sedan, and shared its nuts and bolts with multiple GM products from that era, from the El Camino and Monte Carlo to the Pontiac Grand Prix, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Buick Regal.
It featured a vast engine family comprising multiple small-block V8s. The base versions came with a straight-six, and that doesn't make them that appealing, but the top flavors are used to pack a big-block V8. The three- and four-speed manual transmissions were joined by a three-speed automatic, and the last-gen Chevelle was indeed a big boy, as it measured about as much as a modern-day BMW 7 Series from bumper to bumper.
When it comes to performance low-slung models, Chevy's future is uncertain unless we're talking about the Corvette, as it comes in three flavors, the Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray, with the more extreme ZR1 set to join the family next year. The sixth-gen Camaro is going away after the 2024 model year, and it is unknown in what form it will return. One thing is certain: the nameplate isn't going away for good, and that's a smart move, considering that they've been making Camaros since after the mid-1960s.
The most logical move would be to launch a new muscle car bearing this moniker, featuring internal combustion power to rival the likes of the new-gen Ford Mustang and Dodge's upcoming Charger muscle car. Partial electrification would give it an important power boost, and launching a battery-electric alternative would make it future-proof.
Another scenario speaks about Camaro becoming a sub-brand of its own, which could include additional vehicles, maybe even a crossover. And it is this one that has the most chances of giving birth to a high-performance sedan, similar to the one rendered by Q Cars and shared on YouTube recently.
It is clear that it builds on the current Camaro, as the front and rear-end designs were only slightly modified. However, it has a slightly longer wheelbase and four instead of two doors, so it would be a challenger (pun intended) to the outgoing Dodge Charger.
We'd absolutely support such a project, as we think the car world needs more low-slung models and fewer crossovers, especially if they feature a great V8 engine under the hood, but we wouldn't get our hopes up, as much as we'd like to see it on the road. Could such a vehicle convince you to kick that crossover out of bed for it?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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