Is Chevy Camaro discontinued? Nine years after it first hit the market, the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro will eventually stop being produced. The Chevrolet vice president has vowed that this is not the end of the moniker. But the company admitted that a replacement is not currently in the works. This raises questions about whether the more recent model of the car could be an EV. We were also left to think about whether an icon had actually reached its conclusion. In January 2024, the last sixth-generation Camaros will roll off the production line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan.
There are a few reasons why the Chevrolet Camaro is being discontinued. But the famous muscle car’s steep sales downturn is one of them. Sales of the Camaro have drastically decreased over the past few years. It is understandable, given General Motors’ desire to remove any unnecessary weight from its lineup. Let us know more about the Chevrolet Camaro in this article.
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The Chevy Camaro isn’t dead
As we once knew it, the Chevrolet Camaro is no more. The long-running pony car’s sixth generation will end at the conclusion of the 2024 model year, the manufacturer has revealed. And it may cease to exist in its familiar form—a two-door coupe or convertible fueled by gas. However, contrary to rumors and as implied in Chevy’s press release, the Camaro nameplate will continue to be used. It is unclear in what capacity it will do so, but you can probably guess because it rhymes with “TV.”
Beginning with the 2016 model year, the Camaro entered its sixth generation. It is made using the famous Alpha platform, which many athletic Cadillac cars also share. The Camaro included an optional V-8, unlike the ATS-V. That meant that it had a small-block engine, an available manual transmission, and a top-notch chassis. Even the eight-speed automatic had superb calibration. And the more we pushed it, the more excellent it got. It won the 2016 Car of the Year award.
This most recent Camaro version is offered as a coupe and a soft-top convertible. It is famous for its extreme athleticism and poise. The sixth generation saw the introduction of magnetic ride control on the Camaro SS. It is the first widespread adoption of track-oriented 1LE upgrades across the whole lineup. At GM’s Milford Proving Ground in Michigan, it set the fastest time of any Camaro ever on the Milford Road Course. With its 650-horsepower ZL1 1LE, the ultimate street-legal track Camaro, it is a legendary muscle car.
The Camaro has proven Chevrolet’s capacity to triumph in the most difficult situations!
When will Chevy stop making the Camaro?
The Chevrolet Camaro will no longer be produced after the 2024 model year, according to General Motors. The majority of this final batch will be made in 2023. The manufacturing of the 2024 versions is expected to start as early as August 7, 2023. The Camaro as we know it will no longer exist once the last examples leave the Lansing Grand River Assembly facility in January 2024.
Chevrolet will provide a Collectors’ Edition package for the final run of its models. The specifics of what is included in the Collectors’ Edition package have not yet been made public as of April 2023. Chevrolet has, however, confirmed that this option will be offered on the RS and SS trims, as well as a “limited” number of ZL1 cars.
Of course, neither of these findings should surprise anyone. Back in 2021, Chevrolet indicated that the Camaro, including the last model, would be discontinued. Unfortunately, it appears from their initial reports that they are on pace. Therefore, 2023 might potentially have a rise in sales as a result of the approaching doom that is coming. But it will likely have no bearing on the Camaro’s outcome.
What is the cause of the Camaro’s cancellation?
The Chevrolet Camaro has long been the ideal car for many American male teenagers. Now, it is ending production. The sixth-generation Camaro, which was unveiled in 2016, has performed well on the racetrack. But sales have been declining recently.
There are several reasons why the Chevrolet Camaro is being retired. Only 2,792 Camaros had been sold in the second quarter of 2021 when the Camaro’s retirement was initially announced. Dodge sold 15,502 Challengers in that same quarter, and Ford was not far behind with 14,676 Mustangs sold. These numbers make it very evident that fans of modern muscle are traveling elsewhere to meet their cravings.
In its first full year of sales in 2016, the sixth generation sold a robust 72,705 copies during its nine-year lifespan. Sales, however, fell to just 24,652 vehicles in 2022. It never reached the levels of the fifth generation, which crossed the 80,000-unit threshold in five different years.
General Motors’ switch to EV transitions for passenger automobiles is also a crucial factor. GM plans to invest $35 billion in EV and AV technology through 2025. But it leaves little room for continuing to support the development of an ICE-powered muscle car with low sales. General Motors plans to develop ICE and EV vehicles simultaneously. But the former will probably only be used for commercial, SUV, and truck applications.
What will take over from the Camaro?
The Camaro, as we know it, will soon be gone. But Chevrolet says that “this is not the end of the Camaro’s story.” This encourages more speculation about what will happen to this ideal car.
According to rumored insider disclosures from GM, the Camaro will no longer exist. Instead, an EV with the moniker attached would take its place. The Camaro nameplate may be used as a sub-brand for many electric vehicles (EVs) sold under the Chevrolet brand. If this is the case, many electric sedans and SUVs would be given Camaro badges in an odd, manufactured attempt. This is to revive the glory days of the past while offering little in common with the supposed source material.
This type of behavior is common with the Ford Mach-E. The rising sales indicate that, financially, Chevrolet may enjoy this decision. Ford has, however, maintained the conventional, ICE-powered Mustang on the market while being ready to slap the stallion logo onto the Mach-E. There are currently no firm plans for the Mustang’s discontinuance. But when the Dodge Challenger and Charger go away at the end of this year, they will effectively be the only remaining examples of modern muscle.
In terms of motorsports, several NASCAR fans started wondering what would take the position of the Camaro on the racetrack. Chevrolet said that they would keep using the Camaro nameplate in many racing competitions. This includes NASCAR, NHRA, IMSA, and even Australia’s Supercars Championship. The vast majority of these racers, though, are clearly just body shells intended to resemble production vehicles with no real factory influence. Chevrolet intends to maintain this ruse as long as it can. But if it is sustained, homologation rules for these series may make this impossible.
Some people believe that a gas-powered Camaro is likely someday. It’s because of General Motors’ investment of about $1 billion into the development of new ICE engines. Out of that, $854 million is allocated for the sixth generation of their small-block V8. To put it simply, this is quite unlikely.
It isn’t easy to imagine Chevrolet investing millions in creating any sort of seventh generation. It’s because the Camaro is currently ranked as the least popular muscle car in the nation. Also, the downward spiraling sales reflect that. Once more, muscle vehicles are losing market share. Thus, Chevrolet is only trying to make the decision that they believe is best in the circumstances.
GM probably won’t risk tying up its resources on anything that resembles the current Camaro. Currently, the new batch of ICE engines will be used in commercial applications as well as on truck and SUV platforms.
Any Camaro replacement is likely to be electric
Stephanie Brinley is an assistant director with S&P Global Mobility. According to her, if GM brings back the Camaro, it will likely be electric. Another internal combustion engine car would be quite unlikely, she said. By 2035, GM has stated that it will only sell electric passenger cars globally.
According to Brinley, all future muscle cars may be battery-powered. It’s due to the effort to sell more electric automobiles. But certain gas-powered muscle vehicles might survive if there is still a mixed combustion and battery fleet available for purchase in 2030 or 2040.
More gas-powered muscle cars on their way out
The timing of GM’s move coincides with the beginning of the phase-out of conventional gas-powered muscle cars. It’s because of strict government fuel economy rules. It concerns climate change and an escalating movement toward electric vehicles.
By the end of this year, Stellantis will stop producing gas-powered versions. It includes Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300 big sedans. However, the business intends to release a battery-powered Charger performance car in 2024.
Conclusion
“We are ready to say goodbye to the current-generation Camaro. But it is hard to express our gratitude to every Camaro customer, Camaro assembly line employee, and race fan.” This was said by Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet. “Even though we won’t be naming a replacement right now, rest assured that Camaro’s story is not over,” he added.
For Chevrolet, the Camaro nameplate will live on in the world of motorsports as a kind of ghost model. Chevy states that it will keep racing the nameplate in the Supercars Championship, NHRA, SRO, IMSA, and SRO.
Chevrolet highlights the continuous existence of the Camaro nameplate. But we can feel how painful this announcement may seem. We honestly don’t know if that emotion simply sums up Camaro’s ongoing motorsport career or if it also predicts the path of his next production.
However, some manufacturers (notably Chevrolet) have given specific nameplates extended hiatuses. Also, they have even announced final, exclusive models before reintroducing those models. So don’t dig the famous, ferocious Camaro’s grave just yet as we say goodbye.
