How Did They Make the New Camaro?

Reaching to the Past

When Ford debuted the redesigned Mustang in 1994 it echoed the first-generation 1964 Mustang. It prompted General Motors and Chrysler's Dodge division to eye their own first-generation Camaros and Challengers, respectively, as inspiration to bring back the muscle car era. Blood was drawn in 2005 with a more muscular and sexy Mustang hitting the market. Chevrolet didn't wait and conceived the 2006 Camaro Concept and later the Camaro Convertible Concept. The fifth-generation models won approval and the car went into production in March 2009 for the 2010 model year. Only one Camaro stood out as the perfect car for the 2010 model to pay homage. Bob Boniface, director of the Warren Advance Design Studio for Chevrolet, saw the 1969 model as the best of the first-generation Camaros that combined a beefier look with the best elements of the 1967-68 models.

21st Century Muscle Car

The challenge was that Camaro had been out of production since 2002 after the fourth-generation 1993-2002 models overstayed their welcome. Boniface and his team didn't just want a retro look but a muscle car that generated the same excitement as the 1967-69 models. That meant they wanted bulging fenders and hood, a prominent grille, wide rims and the Corvette's V-8 as inspiration for power. General Motors tested public reaction to the concept car with a public showing. The response was positive as automotive journalists, particularly those who came of age during the first generation of Camaros, had the opportunity to sit behind the wheel. It also helped that Ford had a new generation of Mustangs on the market and Dodge was exhibiting its Challenger concept car. The automakers created a buzz over the new generation of muscle cars.

Baby Boomer Enticements

Recognizing that Detroit has a history of delivering pretty packages with little substance, GM stylists and engineers kept the hood long and the deck lid short, retaining the '60s look. The Camaro's wide, low stance is enhanced with 21-inch wheels in the front and 22-inch wheels in the rear to give it a slightly rakish look. Further elements from the Corvette found their way into the new Camaro with cockpit-like styling. Three trim levels, the LS, LT and Super Sport, are available.

The SS options garner the most attention as a popular high-performance package among baby boomers. The SS version is equipped with a 422-horsepower, lightweight aluminum block 6.2-liter V-8 with a manual transmission. The automatic version generates slightly less power at 400 horsepower. By establishing what some enthusiasts might say is an uber version of the 1969 Camaro, which performed exceptionally well in straight-line speed contests but poor in handling, Chevrolet engineers chose to equip the fifth-generation Camaro with vented disc brakes on all four wheels and independent front and rear suspension, allowing sharp cornering for the driver less of a challenge and more of a thrill. By engineering the 2009 Camaro as a muscle car, Chevrolet is counting on aging baby boomers to finally buy the car they couldn't afford in their youth.

Resources

• More on the Fifth-Generation Camaro