2010 Chevy Camaro
How it all started...

2006 Camaro Concept

The return of the Camaro name has been anticipated by enthusiasts since fourth generation production ended in 2002. On January 6, 2006, the first official word regarding a fifth generation Camaro from General Motors came at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, where the 2006 Camaro Concept was released.  AutoWeek editors unanimously awarded the Camaro Concept "Best In Show." The concept is based on the new GM Zeta platform and was designed by South Korean-born Sangyup Lee. Road & Track offered an exclusive first look at the car which had photos as well as a short video on the day the concept was released.

The 2007 Camaro Convertible Concept was announced January 6, 2007 at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. Early speculation by many automotive publications proved to be true when early embargo was broken on January 4, 2007.

At a glance it would seem that the only difference between the coupe and convertible concepts would be the roof and Hugger Orange pearl tri-coat paint job with a pair of dark gray racing stripes, but this is not the case.^[17] Besides the obvious convertible top, there are subtle changes to the exterior as well. Every surface was changed from the door-cut back. The rear fenderlines drop off from the horizontal surface to the vertical surface a couple of inches farther out than on the coupe to keep proportions good and the rear spoiler was reshaped. The 21 in (53 cm) front and 22 in (56 cm) rear wheels were also redesigned and a thin orange line was applied to the outer edge, a nod to redwalls available circa 1969.

There are many interior changes that were incorporated into the new concept. The retro houndstooth-pattern seats of the coupe were replaced with modern leather and orange stitching. The metal finishes, accent panel finishes, and seats are all different colors. The rear seats are 6 in (15 cm) closer together to make room for the tonneau cover. The clarity of the circular gauges in square frames were improved by making the faces white with black chrome numbers and a red anodized needle. The deep-dish three-spoke steering wheel and four-pack gauge cluster carry over from the coupe concept. Chrome seat-belt buckles are designed to look like the iconic belts buckles in late 1960s GM cars. This reworked interior of the Camaro Convertible Concept is now a very close representation of what will be seen in the production version of the Camaro

On August 10, 2006, then-GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced that GM would build an all-new version of the Chevrolet Camaro based on the award-winning concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in January 2006. The all-new Camaro was originally scheduled to begin production at the end of 2008 and to go on sale in the first quarter of 2009 for the 2009 model year, but General Motors stated in March 2008 that production would be delayed until February 2009 with the Camaro going on sale in the spring of 2009 for the 2010 model year.

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. Bob Lutz's post on the GM FastLane Blog for August 10, 2006 thanked everyone in the blogosphere who commented and offered feedback on the Camaro.

Following the development of the Zeta architecture and because of its position as the GM global center of RWD development, GM Holden led the final design, engineering, and development of the Camaro. However, the new Camaro will be produced at the Oshawa Car Assembly manufacturing plant in Canada. 2,750 jobs would have been lost at the Oshawa manufacturing plant which had been originally scheduled to be closed in 2008; some of these jobs were saved due to the new Camaro's production. This new product program and conversion of the Oshawa plant to a state of the art flexible manufacturing facility represented a $740,000,000 investment.

On July 21, 2008, GM officially unveiled the production 2010 Camaro. It was made available as a coupe in five different trim levels; the LS, 1LT, 2LT, 1SS, and 2SS. The LS and LT trim levels will be powered by the 3.6 L (3,564 cc/217 cu in) GM LLT V6 producing 304 hp (227 kW) at 6400 rpm and 273 ft·lbf (370 N·m) at 5200 rpm. The SS with manual transmission is powered by the 6.2 L (6,162 cc/376 cu in) GM LS3 V8 producing 426 hp (318 kW) at 5900 rpm and 420 ft·lbf (570 N·m) at 4600 rpm while the SS with automatic transmission is powered by a new variant of the LS3 called the GM L99 which produces 400 hp (300 kW) at 5900 rpm and 410 ft·lbf (560 N·m) at 4300 rpm. This new L99 V8, not to be confused with the earlier LT-series L99, uses Active Fuel Management which enables the engine to run on only four cylinders during light-load driving conditions, such as highway cruising, to improve fuel economy.

Other features include a fully independent four-wheel suspension system, variable-rate power steering, four-wheel disc brake systems standard on all models (four-piston Brembo calipers on SS models), a StabiliTrak electronic stability/traction control system, Competitive/Sport modes for the stability system offered on SS models, launch control on SS models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, and 6 standard air bags that include head curtain side-impact air bags and front seat-mounted thorax side air bags. An RS appearance package is available on LT and SS trim levels which include HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, and RS-specific taillamps and wheels. Due to a lack of visibility, back-up sensors were installed on later models of the Camaro. These 4 sensors were placed on the back bumper of the car and are clearly visible.

Chevrolet started taking pre-orders for the 2010 Camaro on October 13, 2008, however sales to rentals and orders made after the pre-order period, have been processed before many of the pre-orders. The LS starts at $22,245 while the SS starts at $30,245.  By the end of 2008, General Motors confirmed more than 10,000 advanced orders and that all pre-orders would be completed by October 2009. Camaro sales began in April 2009. On January 17, 2009, the first production fifth-generation Camaro was auctioned at the 2009 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. The winning bidder paid $350,000 with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association.

By late June 2009, Chevrolet dealers were reporting that Camaro sales were exceeding availability, with prices running about $5000 above the MSRP. It was suggested that this may be influenced by the prominent presence of the vehicle in the Transformers movie sequel that was released worldwide through the month.Production of the Camaro Convertible is planned to begin in the first quarter of 2011 in Oshawa, Ontario, where the coupe is currently assembled.

Transformers Special Edition

On July 22, 2009, GM announced a Transformers Special Edition appearance package for the 2010 Camaro at the 2009 Comic-Con. The $995 appearance package can be applied to LT and SS Camaros with or without the optional RS package. The package includes an Autobot shield on the driver and passenger side panels, Autobot shield on each of the four wheel's center cap, Autobot shield embroidered on interior center console, Transformers logo on driver and passenger doors' sill plates, Transformers logo embedded into the hood rally stripes, and a high-gloss black center rally stripe package.