Filed under: Time Warp, Trends, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet
Camaro still on track, V6s to make up two-thirds of sales
Click above for high-res gallery of the Camaro in many colors
The 2010 Chevy Camaro is a foregone conclusion. It's definitely coming on schedule and it will give GM's value division a credible competitor to the current generation Mustang and new Dodge Challenger. But, just because the Camaro of old is best remembered for its fire-breathing V8 engine options doesn't mean that a significant portion of sales won't be comprised of the somewhat less-hot V6 model. Rising gas prices will make sure of that point, and GM's execs know this fact just as well as we do. Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of sales and marketing, is quoted on Inside Line as saying, "Everyone thinks we'll be positioning the Camaro as a burn-ass hot rod. But that's only about 30 percent of the business. The other two-thirds will come from 27-mpg V6 sales, with a significant female share."
This truth, in fact, mimics past Camaro and Mustang sales. Sure, a large portion of the past pony car segment was made up of the go-fast models, but the largest percentage of sales has always been of lesser performing and therefore less expensive models. As we've reported in the past, a four-cylinder model is also being considered, though that option is not yet ready for prime time, according to LaNeve. Not surprisingly, he also suggests that it's not just the Camaro that is likely to get smaller, more fuel efficient engine options. For our part, we'd gladly welcome GM's fine turbocharged, direct-inject Ecotec engine as an option in more models.
Gallery: 2009 Chevy Camaro - colors
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Michael 3:35PM (6/03/2008)
Give it the turbocharged engine from the Solstice GXP and I'll be first in line.
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Torrent 4:08PM (6/03/2008)
isn't that a 4 banger?
Dude 4:11PM (6/03/2008)
"isn't that a 4 banger?"
Yes, a 260hp "4 banger" that makes an 80's IROC look like a Yaris.
Torrent 4:39PM (6/03/2008)
Imagine Lutz saying:
"Yes we have the 4 cylinder used in the Chevy Cobalt and HHR, that one Saturn, the Pontiac and the All American Muscle car called the Chevrolet Camaro that was first built in 1967 to rival the infamous Ford Mustang and has also been an American Icon for over 40 years and is declared to be an Economical Grand Tourer and full blooded American muscle car. Yeah, we're pretty innovative."
Aprime 5:08PM (6/03/2008)
The purpose of turbo 4-cylinders is providing fuel economy while having available fuel economy for 'those times'.
With what's expected to be a 4000lbs gorilla, the fuel economy benefit is destroyed, as the turbo will constantly have to kick in to provide the required amount of power to make the thing move at decent speeds.
My understanding.
Snutz 5:18PM (6/03/2008)
Considering the Mustang's base engine is a 4.0 liter V6 with only 210 hp, I think that a 260 hp four banger would be an excellent choice. The base Mustang only gets 17/26 mpg with a manual, and I don't see how the Camaro could be worse than that with the turbo 4.
Jared 3:36PM (6/03/2008)
Sales will be well below projections. With gas at $4/gallon, people are looking for better mileage than that.
Some aging boomers looking for a weekend toy that they only drive on nice days will still buy the V8. But that's not the bulk of the market.
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Shipey 3:43PM (6/03/2008)
I disagree. When you're moving from your 16mpg SUV, a hot looking coupe in the 30mpg range starts looking pretty good. Especially true for those of us in the 6'+ height range who just can't get comfortable in a true econobox.
Jared 4:03PM (6/03/2008)
Shipey:
It may well appeal to you. But go to a car lot and see what is selling now. At the Honda store they're selling the Civics and Fits. At the Toyota store, they're selling the new Corolla, Prius, and Yaris.
With the economy in the dumps, fuel skyrocketing, and consumer confidence at record lows, people are buying the most fuel efficient cars they can.
Will some enthusiasts go for the Camaro? Sure. But enthusiasts are not the core of the market.
Matt 4:23PM (6/03/2008)
Jared:
I believe he said " Especially true for those of us in the 6'+ height range", which would disclude every car you've listed except for the Prius.
I'm 6'4, and will not fit in a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris, barely squeeze into a Civic, and would rather die than *try* to fit into a Corolla ever again.
Shipey 4:27PM (6/03/2008)
I get what you're saying... enthusiasts definitely aren't the lion's share of the market. However there's three factors here I'm basing my opinion on:
1. The core buyers of this car won't be enthusiasts either. They'll be the style conscious ex-SUV consumers who wants a decently sized, sporty car that still gets decent mileage.
2. Like you said, enthusiasts will still be interested.
3. Transformers 2 is going to open around the time the car launches, sure to make it the hot ticket for summer '10.
Jared 4:39PM (6/03/2008)
Matt:
Average height of men in the USA is between 5' 9" and 5' 10". I'm 5' 9". I fit into the current Civic and Corolla just fine. A friend of mine is 6' 1". He drives a 2007 Civic.
Ninety percent of car buyers will fit into the Civic, Corolla, and Fit, etc. That is what is flying off the lots. Look at the Autoblog story above -- the best selling car in the US in May was the Civic, followed by the Corolla.
Jared 4:45PM (6/03/2008)
Shipey:
The thing is that I think the psychology of buyers has changed dramatically in the last 6 months. Clearly many (most?) people who bought SUVs did so for the style -- they would have done better with a minivan, but wouldn't be caught dead driving one.
So many buyers these days are looking solely at mpg, to the point that they are making some decisions that don't make a lot of economic sense. Style is a lot less important to them than it used to be.
CarbonBlack 6:08PM (6/03/2008)
Matt
I am 6'5 and fit into the civic/fit/yaris/corolla reasonably well, perhaps it isn't a matter of height, but a matter of weight/flexibility
The Luigiian 6:37PM (6/03/2008)
"It may well appeal to you. But go to a car lot and see what is selling now. At the Honda store they're selling the Civics and Fits. At the Toyota store, they're selling the new Corolla, Prius, and Yaris."
Jared...
You are comparing a 6 cyl muscle car to Toyota vehicles. Here's the problem with your logic.
You seem to basically be saying only econoboxes are selling, because people driving SUVs want the most fuel efficient vehicle they can buy.
This isn't necessarily true. People still want luxurious, sporty vehicles, and will still buy them if they can manage decent fuel economy.
The reason people aren't buying Camrys and Accords as much as smaller vehicles is because those are boring family cars. If you don't need a Camry's family-hauling capabilities, there's no reason to shell out up to $6G's more when the Corolla and (top-selling) Civic are cooler, more youthful and stylish vehicles. You can even buy a coupe version of the Civic, and I see a lot of these.
Compared to a Camry coupe or an Accord coupe, a 29 or 30 mpg highway Camaro or Mustang is a fantastic choice if you don't need the backseats and versatility. Beautiful cars, better fuel economy than a fullsize SUV and very fun to drive.
Toyota doesn't sell many sporty cars because it doesn't make any. Honda's only (realistically) sporty car is the Civic Si. Of course people are buying the Si and other Civic models, it's the only reasonably cool, reasonably fuel-efficient car on the Honda lineup.
The Camaro will sell more than a few V6 copies to people looking for fuel efficiency. When people look out on the lots and have a choice between a boring 31-mpg econobox and a badass 21 mpg musclecar that's 7 mpg better than their current vehicle, a good deal will choose the latter, fuel-efficiency be damned.
rypt 6:46PM (6/03/2008)
I'm 6'1", and have no problem fitting into my dad's Corolla hatch ('04), or my mum's Yaris ('05) or even my own MR2 spyder ('00) (but then again I live in UK and am not fat).
rypt 6:46PM (6/03/2008)
I'm 6'1", and have no problem fitting into my dad's Corolla hatch ('04), or my mum's Yaris ('05) or even my own MR2 spyder ('00) (but then again I live in UK and am not fat).
Jared 9:26AM (6/04/2008)
Luigian: "The reason people aren't buying Camrys and Accords as much as smaller vehicles is because those are boring family cars."
Sorry, but the numbers do not support your assertion. The top four selling cars in May were Civic, Corolla, Camry, and Accord, in that order. If you had simply read the following article on Autoblog, you would have realized that:
"the Ford F-150 full-size pickup (42,973) has fallen for the first time to fifth place behind the Honda Accord (43,728), Toyota Camry (51,291), Corolla (52,826) and your new best-selling vehicle in the U.S., the Honda Civic (53,299). "
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/03/by-the-numbers-may-2008-f-150-falls-edition/
David(Postal) 3:37PM (6/03/2008)
I saw on another site that the Camaro V6 could be putting out 300 HP which is pretty crazy considering thats the same power as a V8 Stang
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martin 3:37PM (6/03/2008)
why not offer a turbo v6, decent mileage and performance
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