American icon with an Aussie soul
Chevrolet debuted a stunning Camaro concept at Detroit this week. So what? If this new American icon reaches production, the chances are it'll have a slice of Aussie soul...An American icon is set to rise from the ashes, but this time around it will have an Australian soul.
Confused? Don’t be. You see, cloaked within this ultra-tough Chevrolet Camaro concept unveiled this week at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit is the Zeta platform that Holden developed for its VE Commodore (due on sale here in the third quarter of this year).
The Camaro won’t be the only recipient of the Zeta architecture, as GM is also contemplating basing other US-targeted rear-drive vehicles on the highly flexible Aussie-developed platform.
Getting back to the Camaro concept, it was the standout star at Detroit and points to a modern-day musclecar that will lock horns with the hot-selling Ford Mustang from 2008/09.
Although the Camaro was axed three years ago due to falling demand, Chevrolet has clearly realised there is a genuine niche for an affordable coupe that combines high performance and macho styling. And it would be hard to conjure up a car that’s more butch than this chiselled, menacing silver bullet.
It unashamedly pays tribute to its 1960-70s ancestors -- rather than the watered-down iterations that appeared subsequently -- yet there’s enough about its surface language to denote it as a thoroughly contemporary design.
The massive five-spoke alloys are shod with 275/30R21 hoops at the front and 305/30R22 rear, which means the Camaro’s footprint is bigger than…well, Bigfoot.
The Camaro concept also sticks to the traditional musclecar formula that has a potent V8 sending drive to the rear wheels. The bent-eight in this case is a 6.0-litre LS2 unit with 298kW, but, in a concession to soaring fuel prices, it’s equipped with Active Fuel Management, yet another moniker for fuel-saving cylinder-deactivation technology.
CarPoint’s verdict? Looks absolutely sensational! And it’s further proof that even fuel crises and draconian anti-speed legislation aren’t enough to kill off the good ol’ musclecar.
All that’s left to say is: hurry up and build the damn thing, GM… And, please, Holden, can you offer a few examples for sale here?
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