Friday, January 05, 2007

Chevrolet to unleash Camaro convertible

What to do for an encore after the concept Camaro sports coupe at last year's auto show circuit had folks sending blank checks to reserve one?

Simple. Bring out the convertible.

It will be front and center at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

Chevrolet said the Camaro convertible will go on sale shortly after the coupe arrives in the 2009 calendar year, though Bob Lutz, vice chairman of GM, has promised a few coupes will appear late in 2008.

"Corvette is a wonderful car to attract people, but Camaro will be more affordable for the masses and give Chevy a chance to sell a lot of them," said Joe Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends, an automotive consulting firm.

The concept coupe and convertible are powered by a V-8, but Chevy is expected to offer V-6s as well to keep the price down. Ford does that with its rival Mustang.

"I expect the V-6 will start in the low $20,000 range, but the exact price? Whether V-6 or V-8, coupe or convertible, you can be sure it won't be very far from whatever the Mustang is priced at the time," Phillippi said.

Mustang starts at around $20,000 for the V-6.

Lutz, the man who spearheaded the revival of the Camaro since GM dropped it after the 2002 model year, estimates Chevy could sell 100,000 a year.

Camaro will be the final member of a trio of new cars on which Chevy is banking heavily. First up is the redesigned 2008 Malibu due out this fall. It's built off the same platform as the Saturn Aura sedan that bowed for 2007. Malibu will be followed by a redesigned Impala and then Camaro.

"We're finally seeing the Lutz influence at GM and the cars he has bragged about for so long," Phillippi said. "We've asked, `Where's the beef?' and haven't seen it, but now we do and it's a huge step up for GM.

"The Chevy brand is on the ascendancy, but Malibu has to lead the renaissance because Camaro isn't out until 2009."

He added that Malibu could sell 200,000 units annually, and with Aura, fill one plant to capacity with production of 300,000 units. Along with 100,000 Camaros, "That's what creates profits, and at the end of the day that's what it's all about," Phillippi said.

Chevy general manager Ed Peper said the Camaro will feature a traditional softtop rather than a retractable metal hardtop to hold down the cost and retain trunk space that would be sacrificed in storing a hardtop.

The convertible concept is done in orange pearl with twin gunmetal gray sport stripes, a Camaro finish from 1969.

Features include push-button ignition, hood scoop, spoiler and huge radials: 21 inches in front and 22 inches in back.

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