Camaro Coupe

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Coupe

The automotive world, not to mention Chevrolet Camaro fans, were hit with a huge bombshell yesterday: the discontinuation of the Camaro at the end of the current sixth generation's life cycle. Blame slow sales. GM CEO Mary Barra has a very simple philosophy: if something doesn't sell, then it's not worth the continued investment. While most could accept that thinking regarding the Chevy Cruze, it's not so easy to take when it comes to an icon like the Camaro. But perhaps yesterday's report was a bit premature.

According to GM Authority, "new intel" indicates the seventh-generation Camaro has not been canceled but rather delayed. The latest reports indicate the current Camaro is safe until 2023, meaning there's still plenty of time for new variants, such as a new Z/28. Basically, GM seems to be re-thinking its overall Camaro strategy in light of dwindling sales.

Killing off the nameplate (again), would not be good in regards to brand image, especially since both Ford and Dodge have no intention of eliminating the Mustang and Challenger, respectively. Both are due for major changes in the relatively near future. The Mustang's next big update will be in 2021. A hybrid variant will likely debut then and exterior and interior styling will be all-new.

As for the Challenger, Dodge is purposely avoiding questions about the expected redesign. We even asked Dodge SRT design boss Mark Trostle at Detroit a few years ago when the Challenger and Charger will merge to the same RWD platform underpinning the Alfa Romeo Giulia, as has been widely rumored. He obviously refused to elaborate, only confirming both vehicles weren't going anywhere.

If Chevy were to drop the Camaro, not only would its performance image be seriously wounded, but it would only leave on sports car in its portfolio, the soon to be revealed C8 Corvette. Although it's less expensive than most of its direct rivals, it's not Camaro cheap. So we remain hopeful this latest report proves accurate. Hold your horses, Mustang fans. The decades-long battle may not be over yet.