[IOMZL1]

A few things that could account for lower 6th gen sales:

Everyone that wanted a Camaro for 10-15 years had to wait for the 5th gen and most likely bought one if their financial situation allowed. Now those would-be buyers already have a Camaro and may not be willing / able to trade up every few years.

Without the lapse in production you'd have a more averaged stream of turnover and higher average sales for repeat Camaro customers, now everyone is more aligned in their purchase phase. (there may be an uptick later in the 6th gen cycle or for the 7th gen if this theory holds water).

I really like the look of the 6th gen having finally seen it in person but it is similar enough to the 5th gen that it those who would have gravitated toward a newer / different design already sort of have that in the 5th gen. Also those who aren't concerned only with performance might see the smaller size as a negative.

Personally, the 6th gen seems hands down a better car than the 5th, especially considering performance. The 1LE / ZL1 are going to be in another league when compared to their 5th gen versions. The only question is will the Z/28 have some new high performance NA engine, that would be the only thing keeping it from dethroning the 5th gen Z/28 as the "high water mark" track Camaro IMO (no doubt it will be faster, but for my $$ you'd need an LS7 equivalent or better). I do think team Camaro will deliver on that.