Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Sports/GTs
Autoblog reader snags aborted Camaro concept shots on NAIAS TV broadcast
You've gotta love TiVo. The magic time-shifting set-top boxes have changed the way we watch television, allowing the auto-obsessed to catch Formula One without having to stay up to the wee hours of the AM or for auction buffs not to miss the going rate when the hammer drops at Barrett-Jackson just as the wife's 'Honey-Do' list beckons unexpectedly.
Or, in the case of Autoblog reader Jeff C., it allows you to snag screenshots of the Chevrolet Camaro that General Motors' CEO Rick Wagoner nixed in the eleventh-hour, pushing designers to create the concept that eventually premiered at the NAIAS earlier this month. The shots come courtesy of Detroit's own WDIV Channel 4's coverage of the show.
The studio shot glimpses reveal a couple of different design ideas that were done away with, including a significantly shorter real deck with a fastback roofline (as on the clay model after the jump).
So, did GM make the right call? Follow the jump to check out more shots,
then leave your comments and let 'em know what you think. We don't know about you, but we smell a poll coming on...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Non-Bizarro Adam 9:19AM (1/20/2006)
Well, I for one agree with The Rick, for perhaps the first time in a long time. The front of the concept on the left in the bottom picture looks even more Mustang-y and the overall appearance is much less aggressive (one of the things that I like about the one they showed is how angry it looks). And the red clay model's tail end looks too Euro for a classic American nameplate. The only things I'd change is add the tail lights from the second sketch (as a nod to the 4th gens) and the blacked out grill from the top picture. Other than that, I say good job, GM.
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Stan Swinney 9:43AM (1/20/2006)
A little late to join the retro bandwagon, I say.
How about something complety new and fresh?
The new Mustang appealed to me for about a week. Now it just looks like another old Mustang.
I just bought an IS350. That orange clay Camaro model looks alot like my IS, so I think Lexus has already beat you to punch on that design as well.
A Camaro was my first car. I would love to see them come back. I would also love to see an beautiful and new design, like the Solstice.
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jeffhenderson 9:49AM (1/20/2006)
Personal preference would be for the original concept, which has fewer hard (new age Cadillac) edges and a rear deck reminiscent of the late 60s Camaro. I also like the front-end setup on the aborted concept, in particular the headlights and grill being again more retro than the replacement concept. To me the replacement concept seems to have bowed to anti-retro pressure, which I view as a shame. Time, and auto-buyer dollars, will tell, but I'm keeping my place in line for a new Mustang Cobra or a Dodge Challenger after seeing the Camaro concept.
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Car-la 10:13AM (1/20/2006)
I really like the muscular stance of the Camaro concept, which is not obvious in the clay model above, so I think GM made the right decision to change the concept to its final looks.
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Rick M 10:39AM (1/20/2006)
That clay model is gawd-awful. There is no way in hell that Maximum Bob would have green-lighted that warmed-over 70's design!! If that was the alternative, then there is no question whatsoever that Rick Wags did the right thing. And let's not forget that the Camaro Concept is an unqualified smashing success. Finally, Wags does something right!!
Only question is whether GM will still be around to sell it once they actually build a production version!!
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Chris H. 11:20AM (1/20/2006)
While I agree the 11th hour change was the right decision (the original concept was kinda dull), I think the final result was no improvement at all. It looks squashed and unresolved and not all that attractive. Just busier and cartoon-like. The interior, on the other hand, is a solid home run. The 69 Camaro was no great shakes as a design, even when new. Far better to have done a concept based on an evolution of the 1970 Camaro, as the sketches and clay hint at.
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Jeff Crew 10:45PM (1/20/2006)
Thanks for posting the story guys! I really enjoyed the fact you put a poll in along with it. It makes being a car nut even more enjoyable when you actually participate in the industry.
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Dave Thompson 3:59AM (1/21/2006)
I'm going to have to vote for the TV version over what they actually rolled-out. The newer version looks too Pontiac-y. What I mean by that is that it has just too much adornment and unnecessary angles (especially note the notch along the driver's door) than the much cleaner original design. Just because the metal stamping tool has the ability to add creases everywhere doesn't mean you should. I also like the roofline better in the original -- you can never go wrong with a fastback roofline. I imagine the newer version has a ton of cargo space, but I'd trade that for a classic look.
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Sean G. 11:32AM (1/21/2006)
For those of you that liked the original design I suggest getting an original '69. The whole reason the changed it was because it looked too much like the early Camaros. Bob Lutz had the change it so that they did copy the Mustang and simply rebuild the '69 with modern technology. I have always thought of the Camaro as the muscle car with attitude. The is what the design they rolled out says.
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greg gurr 10:33PM (1/21/2006)
I appreciate all of them except the red clay model. some do look more firebird than camero but they look great!
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Ron Trentham 2:30AM (1/22/2006)
Camaros, much like mustangs have a history which incorporate an identity,to become their legacy. to add a 87 Monte Carlo face and a C5 or SRT deck seems uncreative. I've moved a lot of Z-28s and SS's to appreciate and respect them. If they return to production,I hope the tailights aren't from a Lumina.
My first was a 68 SS, but like reader #3, gotta say that Challenger is sweet, cause it looks like a E-ride,
and Cuda' is on my mind. But with muscle and performance seeming to abound, GM felt they had to take it away for us to appreciate "Our Camaro". By the way, what did the 02 F body evolve into? Ron Trentham
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Mr. B 1:56PM (1/22/2006)
As the former owner of a couple of Camaros I for one happen to be hugely disappointed in the new concept from GM Styling. The studio chief responsible for it said he's "not into retro", but it's obviously a warmed over '69 design. I believe it's possible, with a little more sincere effort, to create a design that pays homage to all four previous generations of Camaro by incorporating some subtle design cues into the new car from all of them, without favoring any one of them in particular. Then, screw the "retro" stuff and develop a really fresh futuristic design while still maintaining the Legacy of Camaro Attitude. The fact that The Rick of Duke favors the '69 should be irrelevant; keep him at the helm of the ship and let the designers do their own thing. Rich was the big thrust behind the SSR, remember? And they can't give those things away. Keep the executive hands out of the pie and let the designers do what they know to be right, without all the political pressures.
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Mr. B 1:57PM (1/22/2006)
As the former owner of a couple of Camaros I for one happen to be hugely disappointed in the new concept from GM Styling. The studio chief responsible for it said he's "not into retro", but it's obviously a warmed over '69 design. I believe it's possible, with a little more sincere effort, to create a design that pays homage to all four previous generations of Camaro by incorporating some subtle design cues into the new car from all of them, without favoring any one of them in particular. Then, screw the "retro" stuff and develop a really fresh futuristic design while still maintaining the Legacy of Camaro Attitude. The fact that The Rick of Duke favors the '69 should be irrelevant; keep him at the helm of the ship and let the designers do their own thing. Rich was the big thrust behind the SSR, remember? And they can't give those things away. Keep the executive hands out of the pie and let the designers do what they know to be right, without all the political pressures.
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Jay S 5:46PM (1/22/2006)
I like the idea of a new Camaro, but why the 69? It was just a third time warmed-over facelift on the '67, with a front and rear that didn't match, and an even uglier sibling in the Firebird. The 70 1/2 and 82 were works of art and would make a better source of inspiration, though the clay shown here is a bit too dowdy. What about the 4th Gen 1996?
The less said about that one, the better. If Cafaro hadn't followed with the brilliant C5 Corvette, he'd be designing trucks. Hey, he is designing trucks, isn't he!
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John Jackson 8:39PM (1/22/2006)
Gm must be afraid of having a real winner. This car reminds me so much of the 1968 Camero. I see '68 styling everywhere, and I like many others I'm sure have been wondering for many years when we'd see something to let us reminisce of the good ole days
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Steve S 12:42AM (1/23/2006)
As a former owner of a 68 z/28, I must allude to the fact that I am slanted toward the retro version, however, i must admit there are things about the concept version that I personally don't care for. #1..I have never liked the no function "gill" indentations ahead of the rear wheels, #2..the back end seems to me to be too rounded out and #3..I feel the front of the car needs to be opened up more without all the sheet metal between the grill area and the lower valance. These are only my opinions made from observations of a couple of photos that have been released. I will be able to make a more informed opinion after attending the Chicago Auto Show next month.
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John Harris 12:59PM (1/23/2006)
personally I think that both General Motors and Ford should be ashamed of themselves for calling themselves American Automakers, when they are always trying to find a way to lay-off employees here in the good old U.S.ofA. Look at the new Camero, where do you think that GM is considering, or should I say going to make it, the same place that they are making the GTO, Australia. Personally I think that you would have to be a real IDIOT to buy one of these cars with the economy being in the shape that it is right now here in the UNITED STATES. Instead of trying to help this Country, what are they doing, helping some other country with their economy.All I a saying is before I buy another auto made bu General Motors or Ford they will have to show the public that they care what happpens in and to this country, and I hope more True Americans realize what I am saying and talking about before they go out and ourchase that new General Motors or Ford vehicle thnking that they just bought a vehicle made right here in the U.S.A. and they are possibly helping the economy, or keeping another American working! Thank You.
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