The Chevrolet Camaro sports coupe concept from 2006 made its Australian debut at the 2007 Melbourne Motor Show last Friday.

Confirmed for production and sale in North America in the first quarter of 2009, significant elements of Camaro’s engineering and design work is being done at GM’s centre of rear wheel drive expertise at Fishermans Bend, Melbourne.

GM global design executive Tony Stolfo said Camaro was a prime example of GM’s ability to successfully work across continents on global projects.

He said Camaro’s Australian debut was also a great opportunity to gauge the Australian motoring public’s appetite for the iconic American sports legend.

“Chevrolet Camaro’s engineering and design work is happening right here, right now, at Fishermans Bend,” Mr Stolfo said.

“We are very excited about helping style the look and developing the thrilling drive performance that are hallmarks of this iconic nameplate."

“We also want to see whether Australian buyers would want a Chevrolet Camaro in local dealerships. This motor show is an excellent opportunity to put that appetite to the test.”

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 across North America. A production convertible model will be added later that year.

“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, an executive who believes the 1969 Camaro was a great car.

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: “We intend to make the all-new Camaro relevant to younger buyers while retaining its appeal to current fans."

“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.”

Mr Welburn said the overall proportions, long bonnet and powerful guards forms say, ‘This is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive performance vehicle’.

The prominent front grille and bonnet bulge hint at the power of the Corvette-inspired V-8 engine. Large wheels and tyres, exposed high-performance brakes and prominent guard shapes signal that the Camaro Concept has the handling and braking to go with the powertrain.

The cockpit of the Camaro nestles between sharply defined forms, a design element inspired by fighter planes and the new Corvette.

The same purposeful design is reflected in the interior of the Camaro Concept. The gauges and splash of orange trim hint at classic first-generation Camaros, but the overall design and execution reflect the no-nonsense functionality that drivers expect from a high-performance Chevrolet sports car.

The Camaro Concept features the latest generation of GM’s legendary small-block V-8. The 6.0-litre LS2 engine features an aluminium block and heads for light weight, and Active Fuel Management™, which shuts off four cylinders to save fuel when the engine is lightly loaded.

This concept version of the LS2 is rated at 298 kW.

The Camaro Concept’s six-speed manual transmission provides a wide spread of ratios for aggressive acceleration off the line, confident passing and merging and efficient highway cruising.

Modern sports cars are about more than just straight-line speed, so the Camaro Concept features a sophisticated rear-wheel drive chassis. Its independent front and rear suspension features progressive-rate springs and gas-pressurised dampers. Four-wheel vented disc brakes with 14-inch rotors provide confident stopping under all conditions.

Enhancing both the performance and appearance of the Camaro Concept are unique five-spoke cast alloy wheels, 21 inches in the front and 22 inches in the rear.

SPECIFICATIONS – CHEVROLET CAMARO CONCEPT