Maybe no Gen 6 Convertible?

[HDRDTD]

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/ca...ut-the-camaro/

[Xorshaik]

Sooo.... The info seems to indicate that the Cadillac alpha platform convertible is cancelled, but the only place that alpha platform is connected to Camaro is in the reader responses. Anything more solid connecting alpha to Camaro?

I think, but could be wrong, but gen 5 Camaro hasn't been out so long that it'd even be at the point yet where gen 6 was under development. And until the gen 6 Camaro coupe was started in development I wouldn't expect to hear about a Camaro convertible until a year after.

Honestly, I don't find a lot of surprise in hearing about convertible programs being cancelled in the current economic conditions.

[OrangeVert]

Bought our 2011 Camaro SS convertible becasue I knew something (bad economy, gov't regs, increased production costs, you name it) could happen, and there may be a short window of opportunity. If so, the opportunity to buy a new Camaro SS convertible may go away again - just as it did in 1970. Those who don't know history are doomed to be the uninformed "victims" of its repetition. :-)

[Xorshaik]

Okay, sticking to generalizations and public knowledge, here's my take. The article aludes to inadequate sales volume to justify tooling. If Camaro volume had been involved, production volume would justify tooling dollars. I don't think there's any reason to jump to conclusions about the future of the Camaro program based on news about the Alpha platform.

With that said, this topic seems to have the risk of turning political. In my opinion, the economy has seen the worst and is a little better, but there is plenty of potential for it to rebound and that will be realized when government policies change. That will happen well ahead of the beginning of the next generation Camaros development cycle. Hopefully by them (this part is less certain) the governmental loan interest in GM will have been paid off.

ETA: I think I have to make one admission here. I find that my objectivity on this subject is being influenced by the fact that I want the Camaro convertible to continue to be in production, and because it's what I want I may be trying to find a justification for a conclusion I've already reached in my mind before I really have enough info to make an informed judgement. Just thought I'd point that out.

[OrangeVert]

Xorshaik, thanks for sharing your interesting view. It makes sense that the Camaro volume may not have been involved in the decision, I agree it's probably way too far out for us to have any idea about what will happen.

I can only imagine the huge amount of resources and logistics that go into tooling for production of a particular model - the physical machinery, communicating and contracting with suppliers, worker training, union considerations, marketing, robot design and programming, budgeting, following government regualtions, financial considerations for all of the above - the list goes on and on. The factory tour in Oshawa last June blew my mind! Many, many hard working people.

[pincoin]

Looks like, get one while you can. The convertibles were never a high percentage of total production.