Now that we have crossed into 2024, it's time to face the sad truth – while the Chevy Camaro, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger are still listed on the automaker's online portals starting from $30,900, $35,325 and $32,800, respectively; they're not in production anymore.
Instead, both carmakers will rely on vestigial sales of excess stock until they have depleted all dealer lots. That could happen later than expected if we remember that Stellantis North America sold a couple of Dodge Vipers last year, even though the V10-powered supercar ended production back in 2017. But the unwelcome reality is that the American pony and muscle car landscape will look completely different this year.
More precisely, the S650 seventh-generation Ford Mustang will keep the banner up alone with EcoBoost and Coyote V8 models – and it will even begin to fish for bigger prey to fry, like the upcoming 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 with help from the limited-edition Ford Mustang GTD supercar. As for Dodge, they're going to give the Charger another lease of a two-door fastback lifestyle along with EV powertrain options – and perhaps even access to the Hurricane family of 3.0-liter inline-six turbo mills.
Unfortunately, Chevrolet is missing the party because its sixth-generation Camaro is no more – and there's also no planned successor, even though the company promised this is not the end of the road for the iconic nameplate. As such, maybe it's time for the imaginative realm of digital car content creators to take over – and come up with a solution to the Chevy predicament.
A lot of creatives – fueled by the rumor mill – have seen fit to bring back the Impala nameplate or the Chevelle moniker to try and make up for the disappearance of the Camaro. For example, the good folks over at the JOVCARS channel on YouTube have a pretty well-established CGI opinion about the looks of an unofficial Chevelle revival.
According to the host and their resident pixel master, if it ever comes out after approval from the corner office head honchos, the "2025 Chevelle wouldn't be an exact copy of the famous cars that came before it in the 1960s and 1970s. Instead, you can expect a modern take on the story that stays true to the original while adding modern style elements." Naturally, they also have a design project to support the unofficial theory – and indeed, it looks ready to fight the S650 Mustang on equal footing, complete with elements that remind us of Chevelle's legacy but also make it worthy of the 21st century.
As for powertrain options, the host believes the most appropriate course of action would be to threaten the Mustang's supremacy with a hybrid powertrain – the Corvette E-Ray's 6.2-liter LT2 V8 and electric motor assembly would probably work like a charm, even detuned from the combined 655 rating of the C8 Corvette. So, what do you think?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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