Chevrolet Camaro News

Chevrolet’s all-new Mustang-fighting muscle car has been revealed and promises to be the bow-tie brand’s most capable Camaro yet.Chevy claims that under the skin, the new car is a revolution. Outside however, the design is clearly more of an evolution, with the same retro muscle styling as before.At the front there’s the familiar letter-box grille and bluff nose, while the cabin is set rearwards with a fastback style rear end.The design of the new Camaro is slightly sharper than before with harder and more defined lines than the outgoing model to give a slightly more modern look. While it may appear similar to its predecessor, the new model is vastly different beneath the skin, boasting a new range of engines and a lightweight aluminium architecture.Gone is the Australian-developed Zeta platform shared with the Commodore, replaced by a new lightweight aluminium-intensive Alpha structure also used by the Cadillac ATS and CTS models.This platform makes the new Camaro 28 per cent stiffer than its predecessor while weighing around 90kg less.Bad news is with these new underpinnings the Camaro is even less likely to be sold in Australia this time around because the Alpha platform hasn’t yet been engineered for right-hand drive.While Holden has confirmed it will have a rear-wheel drive sports car in its showrooms post Commodore, at this stage Chevy has ruled out a right-hook Camaro.Currently it seems the next-gen Corvette may be the most likely option.Bad news is with these new underpinnings the Camaro is even less likely to be sold in Australia this time around.Engine options in the new Camaro include a V8, V6 and a turbocharged four-cylinder. The four-cylinder Camaro develops 205kW and 400Nm and can hit 100km/h in less than six seconds.Unsurprisingly, it’s also the most fuel efficient Camaro ever capable of using less than 7.8L/100km.The 3.6-litre V6 model develops 245kW/385Nm, though its fuel economy and performance figures are unconfirmed.The only V8 option for now is the Camaro SS, powered by the 6.2-litre LT1 V8 from the Corvette Stingray developing 340kW/616Nm.More hardcore performance models are due further in the Camaro’s life-cycle including a new hard core Z28 track special and supercharged 492kW ZL1.  Transmission options across all models include a six-speed manual and an eight-speed torque converter automatic with paddle shifters.The SS also boasts a rev-matching auto throttle blip on down shifts with the manual transmission as well as magnetic adjustable dampers, 20-inch alloys and Brembo brakes as standard.The Camaro’s interior has also been thoroughly updated with new higher quality materials and a unique dashboard design with an eight-inch central display supplemented by another eight-inch screen located in the instrument cluster.It also features its electronic park brake and selectable drive mode buttons located on a nice slither of aluminium mounted on the centre console.Further news on whether the steering wheel will be switched to the right-hand side is expected in the next few months.

THE new boss of Holden has boldly claimed the company will be Australia's top-selling car brand by the year 2020 -- just three years after shutting its factories. Holden hasn't been number one for 11 years, has just posted a 20-year low, and currently sells a little more than half the number of cars as market leader Toyota.Despite this, Holden boss Gerry Dorizas has bravely set his targets high barely five weeks into the new job. It seems like a tall order when the claims are judged against Holden's current model line-up.But behind the scenes the company is searching every corner of the globe to bolster its showrooms once Holden doesn't have a car factory to protect beyond 2017. That means all bets are off and Holden executives are going through the entire General Motors catalogue to fill every possible niche to win back buyers who've defected to other brands.Some of the cars listed here may seem fanciful based on Holden's recent history. But make no mistake, anything is possible in Holden's new era.As with all car makers, Holden refuses to discuss its future model plans and these cars are by no means confirmed. But this list has been compiled with some inside knowledge and a review of how Holden has done business in happier times, such as the late 1990s and early 2000s when European and US models helped drive it to Number One.Here are the 10 cars that could power Holden to the top of the market over the next six years.1. CamaroYou read it here first: Holden executives told dealers in a secret meeting late last year it's hopeful of getting the next generation Chevrolet Camaro in local showrooms by 2018, just after the homegrown Commodore fades from view.Normally such hot news would be kept under wraps, but Holden was trying to give dealers a confidence boost after announcing the 2017 factory closure.A right-hand-drive version of the current Chevrolet Camaro was under development when it was axed in 2009, in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.Now that Ford has confirmed the Mustang is coming to Australia (due in late 2015) Holden is believed to be fighting hard for a right-hand-drive Chevrolet Camaro to meet its rival head-on.And the iconic Corvette? Former General Motors CEO, Dan Akerson, told Carsguide in January 2013 a right-hand-drive version was coming -- only to be corrected by his second-in-command Tim Lee less than 24 hours later.It's unlikely there will be a right-hand-drive version of this generation Corvette, but the head of General Motors global product development, Mark Reuss, a former Holden boss, told Carsguide in January 2014 he wants right-hand-drive versions of all Chevrolet vehicles in the future.2. Cascada convertibleIn the same top-secret meeting Holden dealers were told about the Camaro, they were also told the Opel Cascada convertible will be coming to Holden showrooms by year's end.The Cascada -- Spanish for rain or waterfall, unusual for a convertible given that they're about sunshine, except when they leak -- was supposed to be introduced as an Opel before General Motors pulled the German brand from sale locally last year, less than 12 months after it launched. All Holden needs to do is fit Holden badges, get cars to dealers and starting printing brochures.The Cascada is the spiritual successor to the Astra convertible, which Holden sold across two generations from 2001 to 2010.Holden is yet to decide whether the convertible will wear the Cascada badge or if Holden will use the Astra name for the convertible.Holden dealers have told Carsguide they would prefer the Astra badge because of its recognition, but Holden executives have been referring to the car by its Opel name in preliminary meetings.3. Astra hatchThe Holden Astra is going to return to showrooms, it's just a matter of when. At the moment, Holden doesn't want to dent sales of the locally-made Cruze but the Astra is on stand-by, ready to go.Holden dealers had to clear the unsold Astra stock once the Opel brand was withdrawn from Australia, so the network has already handled the new model.The three-door and five-door hatch versions of the Astra are likely starters, but the Astra sedan will probably be left behind, leaving the next generation Cruze sedan to fill the void.4. Cruze sedanHolden will import the next generation Cruze sedan once the locally-made model goes out of production. It will opt for the Cruze sedan (over the Astra sedan) because it will give Holden a strategic price step through the small-car range.The Cruze sedan will likely be the price-leader at close to $20,000 while the Astra hatch will likely be priced closer to fellow European, the Volkswagen Golf, at about $23,000.General Motors is yet to commit to a new version of the Cruze wagon.Although the current Holden Cruze wagon is well priced and regarded as a sound vehicle, it is selling in small numbers, with buyers favouring SUVs.5. Trax faceliftThe recently-released Holden Trax compact SUV is well-equipped and sharply priced but hasn't proved popular with buyers.It seems not everyone is a fan of its cutesy Dumbo Elephant looks. But a fix is a phone call away.The Trax's twin, the Opel Mokka, was due to go on sale locally until the brand was withdrawn late last year.The Mokka has a more European design inside and out even though it comes from the same South Korean factory as the Trax.Holden could simply fit Trax badges to the better-looking model on a “facelift” for a sales boost.6. BarinaAs one of the best-priced and roomiest cars in its class, the current-generation Barina is another Holden that deserves to be selling better.But it is heavy and thirsty compared to the class leaders. And while the attractively designed interior looks good in brochures, the plastics are hard to the touch and feel cheap once you're behind the wheel.The next Barina will likely continue to come from South Korea (rather than sourcing the European Opel Corsa) because it will enable Holden to keep prices low.Better quality plastics will improve the interior's appeal, while a more efficient engine and a lighter body will improve fuel economy, giving the next Barina a better chance in the cut-throat light-car class.7. Captiva SUVAn all-new Captiva SUV can't come soon enough. Most cars have a model cycle of five-to-six years. The Captiva is entering its ninth year on sale and a new-from-the-ground-up model is still about two years away.The current Captiva is selling well because it is the cheapest ticket into a seven-seat full-size SUV. But the new model will have to step up to newer competition, especially if it loses its current $10,000 price advantage.The other key to the Captiva's success is the two-model strategy: a slightly smaller five-seater and a slightly bigger seven-seater.Holden would like to continue with two models given the SUV market is still booming, but General Motors is likely to consolidate to one model globally.The Captiva is critical to Holden's 2020 Number One target: it accounts for almost one-third of sales and is currently the biggest selling model behind the Commodore and the Cruze.8. Next CommodoreHolden has scrapped plans to share the next generation, front-wheel-drive Commodore with a Chinese Buick.Now that the Commodore (or whatever Holden chooses to call its next large sedan) is no longer going to be built locally, Holden has the luxury of choosing between the Buick, Chevrolet or Opel versions of the same car.Expect four-cylinder and V6 power for the front-drive sedan, but there will no longer be a Commodore V8, wagon or ute.The Camaro is expected to fill the V8 void, while Commodore wagon customers will either downsize to a Cruze or step up to a Captiva SUV. Commodore ute buyers will have to learn to love the Colorado.9. Colorado uteThe Holden Colorado is travelling ok but it's still not selling as well as the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. That means there is still plenty of sales potential.The Colorado is being held back at the moment because it doesn't drive as well as its peers and the cabin isn't as user-friendly or as upmarket as the newer competition.It also doesn't look like a tough truck. Making it drive better will take some chassis tuning, but making it look tougher is not as hard as it sounds.General Motors in North America redesigned the nose for the Chevrolet version of the 2015 Colorado, to make it look like a full-size pick-up. And guess what? The parts clip straight on to the Holden Colorado. Simples.10. Tahoe/SilveradoHolden has been trying to get right-hand-drive versions of General Motors' full-size SUVs and pick-ups from the US for more than a decade. Since, in fact, the Chevrolet Suburban was discontinued after being sold here between 1998 and 2001.Back then, when the Australian dollar was weaker than it is today, the “Holden” Suburban sold for between $64,000 and $87,000.At today's exchange rates, the prices for the Tahoe SUV and Silverado pick-up would likely be between $50,000 and $75,000 -- smack bang in the middle of Toyota Prado and Toyota LandCruiser territory, which last year accounted for more than 10 per cent of Toyota's sales.General Motors is yet to confirm right-hand-drive versions of its full-size pick-ups and SUVs -- but former Holden boss Mark Reuss, now the head of GM's global product development, told Carsguide in January this year he wants right-hand-drive versions of all future models.If they became available, Holden would grab them with both hands.What about HSV?Holden's performance-car division will continue to build the Clubsport sedan and wagon, Maloo ute, Grange limousine and GTS super-sedan until the very end of Commodore production in October 2017.Carsguide understands it may even stockpile enough cars to run into 2018 because once these homegrown heroes go, there will be no more.In the meantime, HSV is looking to broaden its model range. Don't be surprised to see the high performance Opel Astra OPC hot hatch and Opel Insignia OPC sedan and wagon appear in Holden showrooms wearing HSV badges.HSV has sold Opel's high performance Astra before and the Astra hatch and Insignia were sold here last year as Opels before the brand was withdrawn from sale.That means they've been approved for Australian Design Rules and there is already parts availability. All that's missing are the HSV badges.Friends in high placesHolden boss Gerry Dorizas believes Holden will get more support now than ever before from its overseas head-quarters.Former Holden boss Mike Devereux is in charge of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, and the man who saved Holden from extinction during the GFC, Mark Reuss, is now in charge of General Motors' global product development.The new president of General Motors, reporting directly to CEO Mary Barra, is New Zealander Dan Ammann, who grew up around Holdens.Will Zafira make it?Opel was poised to introduce the latest Zafira people mover in Australia before the brand was withdrawn suddenly late last year.Holden is understood to be evaluating whether the Zafira can be priced competitively against the other seven-seater family wagons before introducing it locally.Holden sold the Zafira in Australia between 2001 and 2006 but was dropped from the line-up as buyers began to favour seven-seat SUVs.Today, the people-mover category represents just 0.9 per cent of the new-vehicle market.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

You don't get much idea of the storyline from the teaser footage -- despite it being a long-ish 2.5 minutes -- but there's enough of a taste to let you know what's in store when the film is released in June.The action kicks off with Optimus Prime in a very sorry semi-truck state being hauled to a barn, where a probe into the vehicle's materials, and some jolts of power, reawaken the transformer mode. At that stage, he looks in severe need of a wash and wax as well.However, a bit of barn-busting action when the men in sunglasses turn up to take him proves he's been restored to ...erm, prime condition.Other cars appear in the trailer, including the black and orange Chevrolet Camaro SS (Bumblebee) transforming in a museum and later out and about but in four-wheeled form. And there are also some fuzzy cameos from a green Corvette Stingray we think will be the autobot Crosshairs, what looks to be an Audi R8, and another SS -- concept matt black with orange trim that seems to be a later incarnation of Bumblebee. This fourth in the Transformers franchise stars Mark Wahlberg as struggling inventor -- and autobot reviver -- Cade Yeager, and the continuing voice of Peter Cullen, the original and still only tones for Optimus Prime from the 1980s TV series through all four movies.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincottWatch the car bot action of the new trailer on our desktop site. 

Paramount pictures is using the 2014 Super Bowl to give us our first taste of the upcoming film Transformers: Age of Extinction.The upcoming fourth instalment of the Transformers franchise brings a new cast led by Mark Wahlberg, and new Tranformers too in the form of Dinobots.The General Motors tie up continues too with the sometimes-Camaro Bumblebee, but the only products visible in this clip are a Chevrolet version of the Holden Malibu and a Chevrolet Sonic (Holden Barina).We also know that Autobot head-honcho Optimus Prime will transform (he, he) from a Peterbilt to a Western Star for the film, which arrives in cinemas mid-year. Watch the desktop version of the Transformers: Age of Extinction Super Bowl teaser here. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn

Michael Bay, director of the upcoming Transformers 4 movie, has thrown up another wild card, this time revealing a striking new Chevrolet Camaro concept to be used as the vehicle mode for the Autobot Bumblebee. It was previously thought that Bumblebee in this fourth instalment of the Transformers movie franchise would use a classic 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS but it now looks like he’ll be sticking with more modern metal. A partially covered modern, fifth-generation Camaro had been spotted on one of the movie sets, so today’s announcement doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Furthermore, Bumblebee was originally a 1977 Camaro in the first film before changing into the fifth-gen model, albeit a concept version as well. What is surprising is the unique styling treatment applied to this Camaro concept, which is based on the latest 2014 model. Could the styling be a preview of the next-generation, Alpha-based Camaro? Possibly, or perhaps it was designed that way simply for the movie. Sadly, this looks like the last Transformers 4 vehicle reveal from Bay. On his personal blog, the director said that this Camaro concept was the “final jewel” in the Transformers 4 crown. The new movie is set to premiere nationwide on June 27, 2014. It will take place roughly four years after the events of 2011's Transformers 3 - Dark of the Moon, though none of the previous human characters are expected to return. The lead character, Flynn Vincent, will be played by Mark Wahlberg. In addition to the Camaros, other vehicles announced for the movie include a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, a Corvette Stingray and Sonic RS rally car from Chevrolet, a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, a Pagani Huayra, a military truck from Oshkosh Defense, as well as Freightliner Argosy and Western Star trucks from Daimler Trucks North America. www.motorauthority.com

The annual Tokyo Toy Show is always full of fun weirdness. We've already seen Toyota roll out the Camatte sports car concept it hopes will attract a new generation of buyers yet to learn of the advantages of car ownership. We now have more news coming out of the Tokyo Toy Show, this time about a self-transforming Chevrolet Camaro robot. As reported by Gizmag, the tiny Camaro robot was developed by Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy and is controlled using a smartphone. Presumably for licensing reasons, Takara Tomy hasn’t called its transforming Camaro robot a “Transformer” but we still think it’s cool. Now if only the company made a bright yellow example that more closely resembled the Autobot Bumblebee. www.motorauthority.com  

Armchair racers all around the globe, this is the moment you have all been waiting for; Gran Turismo 6 will be released on November 28, 2013.The date suggests a formal announcement is likely to be made during June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), though Sony may have a surprise or two up its sleeve.The release date was leaked by Italian electronics retailer Multiplayer.com, which has since pulled down the page containing information on the game, though not before CNET could jot it all down.Along with the date, which may only reflect the European launch, the page also included this cover art, which, if real, confirms that Gran Turismo 6 has been designed for Sony’s existing PlayStation 3 console and not the next-generation PlayStation 4 due out at the end of this year.Not much else is known about the game, though we know that a pair of unique muscle cars will be among the lineup of cars offered.The cars, a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 40 custom as well as a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, were handpicked for a virtual appearance in the latest instalment at previous SEMA shows by the game's creator, Kazunori Yamauchi.The original Gran Turismo was first launched in 1997 and has since sold more than 65 million copies of its various versions. The game is recognized for its realistic graphics and physics and the upcoming sixth instalment should be the best version yet.www.motorauthority.com 

The dream of millions of Hot Wheels fans of all ages will come to life when the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition arrives at Chevrolet dealerships (overseas) early next year. This is the first time a full-size production Hot Wheels car has been offered for sale by any manufacturer. Blister packaging and orange race track not included. "Millions of us grew up playing with Hot Wheels," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. "Offering a special production model of the Camaro Hot Wheels is an opportunity to bring those memories to life, for kids of all ages." The Camaro Hot Wheels Edition debuted at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Monday. A special run of the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition will be produced in the first quarter of 2013 and like the collectable toys on which it is based when they're gone, they're gone. "It's been nearly 20 years since I started designing cars for Hot Wheels and I have yet to drive one home," said Felix Holst, vice president of creative for the Mattel Wheels Division. "Personally, I can't wait to open the doors and see the Hot Wheels Camaro sitting in the garage." The appearance of the Camaro Hot Wheels Edition echoes the cues that Hot Wheels enthusiasts recognise, including a vibrant, graphics-accented metallic paint scheme. The result is instantly recognisable as a Hot Wheels. The Camaro Hot Wheels Edition is available in V8 coupe with manual or automatic transmission, blending exterior cues of the high-performance Camaro ZL1 with a Kinetic Blue exterior colour and unique graphics. The Camaro Hot Wheels Edition features a 6.2L V8 coupled with a manual transmission that churns out 318kW and 569Nm of torque, or an automatic which develops 298kW and 556Nm of torque. The latter features fuel-saving Active Fuel Management.  

The annual Quote Challenge rally in Europe is a technicolour dream. The supercars taking part are covered with vinyl wraps featuring bright artwork – and vie to be the loudest in both looks and sound as they cross the start line. This year’s cross-Europe rally is taking the supercars from Velden am Wothersee in Austria to the French capital of Paris, raising funds for children’s charities. However that is all the drivers know as they set off. The route of the rally is kept secret and revealed to the car owners on a day-by-day basis. But with the range of top-end sports and muscle cars – including Porsches, a Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, a McLaren MP4-12C, Chevrolet Camaro and Ford GT40 – roaring around in their spectacular livery, they shouldn’t be hard to locate. Check out some of the bright decoration in our gallery, above. Also, check out the great photos and video from our friends at You Were Flashed: www.facebook.com/YouWereFlashed