2009 Camaro production plans officially announced this morning! Full text inside.
 

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Dear sports car fans: General Motors heard you loud and clear.

GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced today that GM will build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro sport coupe based on the award-winning concept that stole the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show and has ignited the passion of car enthusiasts around the world ever since – even spurring consumers to start petition drives and send in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits.

“The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the Camaro Concept continues to remind me of the uniquely iconic place our products can have in customers’ hearts,” Wagoner said. “Camaro is much more than a car; it symbolizes America’s spirit and its love affair with the automobile.”

The all-new Camaro will begin with early production versions at the end of 2008 and will go on sale in the first quarter of 2009. “The new Camaro will be almost identical to the concept, a thoroughly modern interpretation of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the best design of the car’s first generation,” said Ed Welburn, GM’s global vice president of design, who owns a 1969 Camaro SS. The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe will feature an independent rear suspension, and will be offered in a variety of models with the choice of manual and automatic transmissions and V-6 and V-8 engines.

Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper said the new Camaro will appeal to both men and women, and unite customers with fond memories of previous Camaros with those who first experienced a Camaro when the concept was unveiled in January.

“We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans,” said Peper. “The beauty of the best Camaros is that they have always been beautiful to look at with performance that rivals expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new-car buyers.”

In fact, the Camaro Concept design team embodies the universal appeal that Chevy envisions for the car: The core team reporting to the lead designer ranges in age from 27-35 and came from all over the world, yet they all had similar experiences growing up with a love for the Camaro and American performance cars. Their concept redefines the Camaro for both existing and new generations of fans in a contemporary way with responsive performance and modern technology.

Peper said Camaro will complement Chevy’s already-popular portfolio of performance vehicles led by Corvette and including its broad SS lineup.

Rest of photos from Press Event for local Camaro fans! - http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96

:)

I have the info. printed and seale inside a sleeve for the scrapbook. :D :o

What a GREAT day! :D

Woohoo!! I've got this window open and keep reading the text over and over again. :p

wow the news we all been waiting for! My favorite part is that the actual Camaro will "look almost identical" to the concept, thats music to my years!

Hi yall. Just got the email from this site with the big news! Congrats to all that have been waiting. Look out Mustang and Challenger! :mad:

Awesomeness! Now I can't wait to see the production model!

If the first ones come out in the first quarter of '09, when will the next year's model come out? Fall of 2010?

I wonder when we can order them???

Bill:cool:

You hear that??? They want to market to the younger buyers!!! That is the best news we all could have heard. WHY??? Price, my friend. That means they WILL be making the Camaro within all of our reach. Oh, hell yeah!. AND>>> It will have the IRS!!! Um, and someone was saying it wouldn't be done because it was going to hike up the cost. This is the way you sell cars. You improve them, finding ways of offering up the most current technology all while keeping the cost down. Oh, my gosh...it's like an early Christmas! I LOVE IT!!!

I love the news and all, but, are they kidding on the release date!!!
I hate waiting and especially over 2 yrs before I can get one to drive out in.
Don't get me wrong, I love the news and have already shed a tear of joy , but I have this complex of life is unpredictable and there is no telling what the future of our economy us going to be like in 09 . I also note that the challenger and the cobra will be out at least a year before this .
I think and just thoughts ,but if the camaro is to really take off and be our kind of camaro , then the date should be more 08 than 09 .
Also were is this going to be built? I have an05 gto and its made in australia and the car sales suck and the parts are outragous in price. If they build it here in the detroit area , they should send it off with a slogan like this

(clear throat) finally an all american muscle car for the ages, that america can be proud of , You've wanted it now here it is , the all new 09 camaro . let those cobra's get stomped and those challenger's go back in to outer space.

Just my 2 cents worth!!

does anyone know if there is a video out of this press release??

Nice slogan, are you in advertising?

I have to agree with everything you said... 09 seems so far away, but when you stop and think about it, 09 is only 28 months down the road (A drop in the bucket), but like you stated, a lot can happen in 2.25 years.

I planed on waiting a year after the Camaros launch and buy mine in mid to late 08. Now it looks like I will be ordering the first production released...

Excellent news. But 2009? Geez, that's a long time to wait. The latest Holden Commodore (with the new Zeta platform) has just been launched in Australia. As the Camaro will be using this as a basis, why so long a wait? :confused:

Ah well, it'll be worth it.

better to wait and get a proven/tested product.
hopefully the result of the wait will be a car that honestly looks like a LOT of thought was put into all the big and small details (as it should be for a car of this level of significance).