Chevrolet says a next-gen Camaro is still possible. What could it look like?
News recently broke that executives at General Motors did not green-light the development of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro pony car, citing a disbelief that the vehicle would have any legitimate market appeal, according to Car & Driver. Despite this setback, the team behind the next-gen Camaro proposal isn't finished yet, and a new Camaro could arrive eventually–it might just be a while.
That being said, if the beloved Chevy Camaro is going to make a comeback, it'll have to pull out all the stops to compete with the likes of the Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger, and recognize new competition like the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z.
Using generative text-to-image artificial intelligence, we take an imagined look at what a revived Chevrolet Camaro could look like, incorporating current GM design cues and imagining what currently existing powertrains and platforms it could optimize. These images are for speculation purposes only and in no way depict any actual General Motors products.It's not entirely impossible that a next-gen Camaro could get an all-new powertrain of its own, but it's also not very likely. Thankfully, GM's current arsenal of parts and powertrains isn't devoid of thrilling performance, and there are some seriously intriguing options that would both spice up the Camaro's performance and enhance its efficiency.
Firstly, the basic Camaro could swap out the old 275-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for the larger, turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, which produces a stout 325 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque when found beneath the hood of a Cadillac CT4-V. Paired with a standard 10-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive, and perhaps even an optional all-wheel drive system, this could make an excellent base model package.
Replacing the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 in the previous Camaro SS with a turbocharged six-cylinder seems like sacrilege for an iconic nameplate like the Camaro, but if Dodge can do so with the Charger, it seems fitting that Chevrolet could do the same in an attempt to differentiate itself from the Ford Mustang GT and modernize its mechanics.
In place of the previous, 455-horsepower V8 could see the 472-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 found in the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. This would also allow for the possibility of an optional 6-speed manual transmission, since it can be opted for in the Caddy, and would require relatively minimal reengineering.
Of course, how could you sell a model like the Camaro without an available V8? The ZL1 package could be revived using the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 found in the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which produces 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque. Paired with either a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, this would be the old-school muscle car on steroids that the ZL1 always was.Unfortunately, now that we live in the seemingly-dystopian world of 2025, it wouldn't surprise me at all if converting the entire Camaro model lineup into a line of crossovers resulted in a green light from GM's top executive decision-makers. This could make use of a variety of powertrains, ranging from supercharged V8s to dual-motor all-electric power.
This could make all-wheel drive a standard feature across the Camaro lineup. Imagine a Camaro-sized crossover based on GM's Alpha platform, pairing a 668-horsepower supercharged V8 with a rapid-shifting 10-speed automatic and the traction of four-wheel drive. Perhaps an all-electric SS package could make use of the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS's 615-horsepower all-electric powertrain.
If you're a die-hard Camaro enthusiast, I do apologize for the mere suggestion of turning the beloved pony car into a crossover in search of enhanced sales. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that not enough people were buying the Camaro as it was, and turning the model into a crossover might actually change that.It's always unfortunate to see a vehicle that's coveted by so many people fade away into irrelevance because corporate executives just don't believe it's still worth building. There are certainly ways to make the Camaro a more marketable product, but each and every one of them comes with the risk of huge financial losses. Hopefully, the team behind the next-generation Camaro can come up with something feasible soon.
Do you want to see the Camaro return with new engines and updated looks, or would you rather leave the pony car to rest as an icon of the past? Would you be at all interested in a Camaro crossover, or would you consider such a thing blasphemous? Let us know how you feel in the comments–we love to hear from you!
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