Directly from the DaimlerChrysler Pacifica Design Studio

[clill]

Per Derek69SS

"Camaro: first-gen enthusiasts want "more retro", but they seem to forget that the first-gen was only 3 years of the 35 years the camaro was in production. There was some pretty cool styling in those other 32 years too. It appears GM might want to bring the Camaro name back for another 35 years, which is why they designed it to allow for styling changes to stay fresh. If they made it look like a '69, the first time they'd change something, it would just look like something that didn't fit the '69 styling. The design, as-is, can be changed dramatically without redesigning the whole car through a 7-8 year production run. The next style could build off this one, or go completely different, without something looking out-of-place in the evolution of the Camaro. It might not sell as well for the couple years a full retro would, but this appears to be a long-term design, not a "Jump on the retro fad while it lasts, then kill it again" design.

I know a lot of you have said something like "I'd buy one if it was a fully-retro '69 style", but they don't want you to buy one. They want you to buy several... one every few years when the new design makes you want a new one more than the one you already have."

Build me a 67-9 and I will buy it. Then progress to a 70 and I will buy it. Just because nobody has done such a repeat does not mean it wouldn't work. 35 years later those first Gens still look killer. Build a 69 and you don't have to compare it to anything and the design is timeless. Build their current concept and throw it in the pot with everything else that looks similar and outdated in a couple years.

[nvawgn]

i agree, if they build this bugger along with the new camaro it will awaken the sport of hot rodding again but not just now you have to look 20-30 years down the line when kids will want to build something cool and they only have 2-3k in their pockets and an imagination to work with.

[Hdesign]

I know that us car guys would love to relive the glory days of the big 3 duking it out again, with the same brutish RWD V8 musclecars but times have changed. There is a huge amount of exciting "performance" cars in the $20K-35K range from overseas that all the 20 and 30 somethings are buying. Why style and build a car to compete with only 2 other opponents? For the most part, kids buying cars now don't have a clue about American musclecar history and really don't care. They are the future of the market. Wouldn't it be a better idea to market to everyone looking for a performance car, import or domestic, rather than just musclecar enthusiast?

I think you can have a clear evolution of product styling while staying heritage conscious.

[Musclerodz]

I agree with Charley's philosophy. The Challenger has undeniable character that most of the new car do not have. So does the new Mustang to some degree. In thirty years, i can see someone going back to restore the "new" Challenger. The Camaro looks like another step in evolution and isn't what i would consider a trend setter. Someone mentioned the hood earlier like the new hoods on the SRT line. That already existed on the AAR Cuda and was used on "SICK FISH", so the trend is already there. I can just see the 3 levels of the new Challenger, base model 300 engine, mid level with a HEMI, and SRT with a detuned Viper V-10. That would get me fired up!

Mike