Chevrolet’s Camaro is on the way out, and the Corvette C8 may have killed it off with its mid-engine generation upgrade and mass production rates.
There was a time when the Chevrolet Camaro was a king of muscle cars. But the last few years have seen the Camaro on a steady decline. While the Corvette C8 has gone from strength to strength. Chevrolet may well have killed the Camaro with the new Corvette that burst onto the scene in 2020. A big change for the Corvette while the Camaro stayed the same as it had in 2016 certainly didn’t help GM’s muscle car.
Chevrolet recently unveiled a special farewell edition of the Camaro. That it features no performance changes over the standard Camaro shows how little enthusiasm there is within GM for its outgoing muscle car. Yet all the while, the C8 Corvette continues go gain plenty of attention.
Chevrolet Gave The Corvette A Bold Generation Upgrade
One reason why the Corvette has killed the Camaro is the big upgrade that it had back in 2020. Chevrolet took a remarkable turn in the Corvette’s development. Turning it into a mid-engine sports car, the very first since the Corvette’s introduction in 1953. It is also GM’s first mid-engine sports car since the Pontiac Fiero of the 1980s. Not only that, but a new 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine with 490 hp became one of the most powerful cars in Corvettes history. It also offers the most power of any entry Corvette, another big plus point for the C8.
The Camaro however last had an upgrade back in 2016. This was the introduction of the sixth generation, but since then it has had practically no upgrades. Hence, why the Camaro has looked aging compared to other muscle cars like the 2024 Ford Mustang. This lack of upgrades compared to the C8 Corvette meant many started to get a feeling the Chevrolet had no feeling of importance anymore regarding the Camaro. That feeling has only grown as the end of the Camaro’s lifespan has come up. That though wasn’t the only reason the Corvette killed off the Camaro.
Mass Produced Corvettes End The Camaro’s Hopes
Something else that has hindered the hopes of the Camaro is the fact the Corvette is mass-produced. With the Camaro not produced at quite the same rate, it has allowed the Corvette to really eat into the market that the Camaro currently fills. Rival manufacturers like Ford also produce high performance cars such as the Ford GT, Ford were clever. Each year, the GT was available in a limited production run. Meaning it wouldn’t eat into the market of its own muscle car, the Mustang.
With the Ford GT now gone and a new Mustang coming in 2024, there will be no competition from within for the 2024 Mustang. Meanwhile, over at Chevrolet, the opposite has happened. The Camaro is on the way out, with its own market taken up by the Corvette C8. This is only hindered further with the Z06 C8 coming in too, even if the C8 Z06 has had dealer markup issues. The last two years have seen the Camaro bottom of the muscle car sales ranks. This while Ford and Dodge have both been way ahead with the Mustang and the Challenger.
How Chevrolet Are Saying Farewell To The Camaro
While the Dodge Challenger is bidding farewell in dramatic fashion, the same is not true of the Camaro. Chevrolet recently announced a “final edition” of the Camaro, a Collector’s Edition. This will be available with the RS, SS and a few numbers of the ZL1 too. While that sounds great, the performance will be no different to the 2023 models. Compare this to the staggering 1,025 hp from Dodge’s Challenger Demon 170. The 2024 Mustang is also getting a big power upgrade, compared to the outgoing Mustang generation. The Collector’s Edition Camaro just does not compete.
Chevrolet has recently stated that it is “not the end of the story” for the Camaro. But what form the Camaro will take in the future is unclear. Chevrolet has said very little about the Camaro’s future, further showing how much the company has given up on its former muscle car legend.
The Corvette C8 Killed Off A Chevrolet Legend
There is no denying just how good the Corvette C8 is. A mighty V8 engine, and even more power with the Z06, shows how strong the car is. A mid-engine layout was a gamble, but it has been nothing short of a stunning revolution for the Corvette. Meanwhile, the Camaro has slipped further and further back within the Chevrolet range. Its reputation is at an all-time low, and the legendary muscle car is set to leave Chevrolet’s lineup on a whimper. Not with a bang, as many would have hoped. It is an ignominious end for one of Chevrolets most popular cars.
Source: Chevrolet
