Ask all Chevrolet fans what model is on their mind these days, and chances are they'll tell you about the next-generation Camaro and maybe the upcoming Corvette ZR1. After all, petrolheads still care about performance models that don't have a lot of ground clearance and a tailgate (ahem, crossovers).
But while the future is bright when it comes to the C8 Corvette generation, as the most extreme version yet will join the Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray, sitting at the top of the family in terms of performance and pricing, the Camaro is on its dying bed. And no one knows exactly whether it will make a comeback as a brand-new muscle car.
General Motors said that they won't give up on the nameplate, yet it is still unknown in what form it will return to the car world. The most logical move would be to launch an entirely new muscle car that would take on the likes of the latest generation Ford Mustang, which is offered only with internal combustion engines, and the upcoming Dodge Charger that's supposedly due at the end of 2024, likely with BEV powertrains.
Giving the Camaro traditional engines powered by dead dinosaurs and at least one battery-electric option would give the bowtie brand a significant advantage over Ford and Dodge in the muscle car class. Chevy certainly has the tools to make it happen, yet only a handful of people who are directly involved in its development can reveal if that's the case or not. And we definitely hope to see a brand-new Camaro muscle car, regardless of what lies under the hood and beneath the skin.
Nonetheless, given that crossovers bring in a lot of money these days, especially those featuring zero-emission powertrains, one scenario speaks about the successor to the sixth-gen Camaro being turned into a high-rider, and if given battery-electric power, then it would inevitably take a swing at the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which doesn't have anything to do with the real Mustang. This idea stands behind several renderings that have turned the Chevrolet Camaro into an SUV-like machine.
The crossover body style was on the mind of Rcars on YouTube, which turned the muscle car into a high-riding machine right before the Winter Holidays. The model looks instantly recognizable as a Camaro, and given its styling ties to the current generation, we think it would sell in great numbers, especially if it retains the V8 firepower of the ZL1. Either that, or if it becomes a sporty electric crossover – or, why not, both.
Purists would argue that it wouldn't do justice to the moniker, and we agree, but where would you stand if given the opportunity to purchase a Camaro crossover?
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
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News