2007 Detroit Auto Show: Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept

This concept wasn’t supposed to be seen until tonight but with the mysteries of the Internet we bring you the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept today. Here is what we planned to run tonight including plenty of images below.

Last year Chevrolet wowed everyone with its look at the next generation of the Camaro. The concept car was such a success that GM pushed through plans for production; we’ll see the real thing on the streets in early 2009. This year, Chevy follows-up with the Camaro Convertible Concept, whose production counterpart will be released later in 2009.

It still seems like a long time to wait, but if you want to start saving money and clearing garage space, the advance warning is welcome. The concept shown here and in the photos below is painted in Hugger Orange with large black stripes, a color scheme not shown on the coupe concept. A V-8 engine powering the 22-inch rear-wheels — the fronts are 21 inches — should be a popular choice, but expect a V-6 standard when the production model comes around … in two years.

Comments

Looks good but the engine bay is to neat and tidy for my taste, at least its not covered by a chunk of plastic like alotta other (new)V6 n V8 powered vehicles ive seen.

It looks cool

I'm pretty impressed with it and someone noted on another blog that the color scheme almost mirrors what Dodge did with the Challenger concept at last year's Detroit show.

The exterior is certainly retro. I think anyone who still wears acid wash jeans and listens to Bon Jovi will be very happy with it.

There's something wrong with listening Bon Jovi?

Will it attract chicks? I am thinking ...yes.

Only chicks that listen to Bon Jovi according to kc ;)

Are those gauges inset, like a bowl?

yes they are concave

I wonder if the classic metal GM seat belts will see production. Those things used to get hot in the summer.

MH,
you should be in the focus group.

Very nice! I'll take one please!

Does anybody have any idea how long the Camaro will be built, or will they keep building until popularity for them starts to wind down?

Why would they want to be retro again?

See, Chrysler is having a hard time redesigning the PT, why? Because they don't know what should they do.

So if Mustang goes retro, Camaro goes retro, and Challenger goes retro, when they need to be redesigned, what is gonna happen? Just like the PT.

Hey GM, where's the Firebird concept?

"when they need to be redesigned, what is gonna happen?"

Two words: EL CAMINO. That's what I'm waiting for.

I wasn't so hot on the original concept last year, but this... I'd be more than happy to buy a convertible. Good going, GM. :-)

Theres no law stating that the car companies have to keep doing the retro thing, when the time comes for the cars to be redesigned, they can either make it more modern, or take cues from a design from other years.

To all you "Retro" haters: Sometimes designers need to take a step back and say...okay...what worked. The late 60's were very popular designs in the Mustang, Camaro, & other muscle cars. Why wouldn't they want to tap back into their hay day? Especially since, those "boomers" who they were popular with back in the day now have a lot more disposable income. In pressing ahead with more "modern" designs, we have the distinct possibility that they'd go to a design that absolutly nobody liked. Look at the early 80's mustangs...those weren't cars! Look at the Impala...new, modern design with absolutly no throwback to the impalas of old. Other than being a cop car / fleet vehicle, I don't see a whole lot of passion about it's looks.

Geez Louise, that's gorgeous. I'll take one of these and a Challenger, too.

Like the car but Chevy needs to drop the gold bow-tie. It's beyond lame and rarely goes with the design of the car.

So, that means the cars in 2007 will look like the 1960's cars. Okay, then 2047's car will look like 2007's, which also looks like the 1960's. 2087's cars will be "retro" again to look like the 2047's which just like the 2007's and 1960's.

Move on to new designs, please.
True, the boomers has more disposable income, but in the long run, who has more disposable income? The college grads or the boomers?

I wish to know how many college grads like the retro looks...

No matter how many haters there are out there for retro vehicles, there will always be as many or more people that love retro vehicles, i for one am glad Chrysler, Ford, and GM are bringing back popular designs from days gone by. There are to many cookie cutter cars out there right now, once at school i was lookin at cars in the parkin lot and was amazed at how almost all the hondas, mitsubishis, toyotas, and even fords and chevrolets looked alike. The new Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro look nothing like anything else out there (other then the old cars their designed after). It really is amazing how people hate change, I for one want somthing thats different. You people can have your cookie-cutter or blandly styled vehicles.

j,
College grads generally love the retro looks. Old stuff is just plain cool, and only the best designs are resurrected. Young people never got a chance to get bored with these things the first time; it all seems new and different to them. People under 30 are the primary demographic for the New Beetle, the MINI Cooper, the PT Cruiser, the HHR, the FJ Cruiser and probably the Mustang as well. If it's affordable and attractive young people will like it.

Leave it to GM to make a drop-dead gorgeous exterior and then put one of the most hideous interiors ever in the same car.

The deep-dish gauges are nearly unreadable. The speedo in in 25-mph increments. What?!? How in the world will you know if you're going 55 or 67 mph? When you get a ticket, I guess. The audio and HVAC controls are hard to read and the auxiliary gauges are way down on the console, causing you to look down while driving which is always a safe thing to do.

I have owned a '69 Camaro, '75 Firebird and '78 Trans Am, not to mention an assortment of imports including a Supra, Celica GT and my current car is a 3000GT. (No, not all at once, I'm not rich, just old enough to have gone through that many cars!) My point is, I love "muscle cars", "sporty cars", "pony cars" or whatever you want to call them, so I'm not posting this as a hater. I look at the exterior of the new Camaro and say "I want that car" then look at the interior and say "I want to puke".

Which brings us to another reason GM need to resurrect the Firebird along with the Camaro. Pontiac always did a better job with interiors than Chevrolet did.

One more thing. If they're going to make a convertible and a coupe, and if the convertible is going to be a ragtop (as opposed to a retractable hardtop), then please make a t-top option for the coupe.

I love this car but like jimbostp, the gauges and radio n HVAC controls are my complains, tho i do like the simplicity of the interior.

this is a CONCEPT not a PRODUCTION ready car...BIG difference! The buttons are not that important right now...geez

From what i understand, GM is gonna build the production car exactly (only not thrown togeather like the original concept) like the concept. if im right, wheres the BIG difference?

Mr. Dude, I believe your thinking of the Challenger. There's no way that awful interior is going into production.

and lets all note that there isn't a radio (just buttons) in there as well..DUH!

Nice lines in general. I like the snub nose and the rear fender treatment, especially the transition to the rear end. I think the grille/nose and tail lights could have been done better though.

Overall, it's nice but not as good as the Mustang or the Challenger.

I am a college grad who loves some of the recent "retro" styling in the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger in response to J. I'm under 30 and as Lil Tom said, I never got the chance to be bored with the design. If you've seen anything on the Speed network (Barrett-Jackson Auction) at all you know to afford one of these restored originals is simply out of reach to most. I think J is just a little scared Ford's Way Forward would be to offer a Model T retro production.

All I have to say is, get rid of that crap that's around the exhaust. It looks like two cheep-o import car exhausts some doofus bought from Pep Boys and stuck them on there. Also makes the car look plastic.

I hope the exhaust is true dual, not that single crap that was stuck on the 2nd to 4th gens.

Other than that, the car is slick.

wow thats all i can really i love it and yes i will try to get my hands on one of these babys

IT'S NOT BAD, BUT IT'S STILL NOT QUITE THERE.

THE GRILL HAS THAT CHEAP PLASTIC LOOK. I'D PREFER TO SEE A RECESSED BLACK WIRE MESH INSTEAD. I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS POSTER, THE BOW TIE NEEDS TO GO, OR MAKE IT MUCH SMALLER AND CHROME, AND THAT GOES FOR THE FRONT AND BACK ENDS TOO.

THE INTERIOR SHOULD BE ALL BLACK WITH A FEW LIGHT (REAL) WOOD GRAIN AND CHROME TOUCHES. ALSO, GET RID OF ALL THE EXCESSIVE, UGLY PLASTIC MOLDINGS.

LASTLY, THE TRUNK HAS STRANGE CURVED LINES WHERE IT OPENS. MAYBE THE TRUNK IT TOO SHORT. THE FIRST GENERATION CAMARO DIDN'T HAVE THOSE STRANGE CURVED LINES, SO FIX THAT AND IT WILL LOOK BETTER.

I would like this car, (start driving in November of '08, so 5/6 month wait for car sucks!) but I do have a few issues with it. 1st, the Chevy symbol on both ends doesn't blend at all, and I hate that it that the grill looks like its smiling at me.
I hope that this is HARD-TOP CONVERTIBLE and automatic transmission as well as manual, but the gearshift look similiar on both transmissions

The bow tie is dead. I think they should use the old font chrome "Chevrolet" lettering somewhere in a recessed black grille. If you're going to go retro make the lettering look old too. Kinda like Toyota did with the FJ. They used the old "Toyota" on there instead of the symbol.

would you people realise that this is a CONCEPT vehicle not a PRODUCTION vehicle...there will be a bit of difference between one you can purchase and one that is at the auto shows...so enough with the interior needs to be a different color or you don't like a CHEVY emblem!!!

May I remind you people, that a big chunk of this car's development was done in Australia. Chevrolet commissioned Holden to help them, just as Pontiac's G8 is chiefly their work. Although Pontiac should listen to them more Compared to its Australian cousin, the GTO is not at all efficient in styling. America called it bland because it wasn't crawling with flutes, vents and tinsel. But aren't a pair of champion boxers meant to strip off all their jewellery before stepping into the ring?

Having driven the car that will be the base for the Pontiac G8, it would be well worth a look when they get around to releasing it. Local journalists are comparing it to current BMW 5-Series models for ride and handling.

My name is meggan I like cars.

Meggan

For all you disbelievers out there in the ressurection of muscle, please consider the following. I don't know about everyone else but I absolutely love the interior of this delectible/extravigent camaro. May I remind you that this car stock (400 bhp LS2) will beat any japenese car ever made, whether it be 0-60, 1/8,1/4,1/2 mile or any distance you please, but the point is that GM tried hard and it shows. Trust me, this car will turn your head if you see it on the streets and don't be angry when it leaves your bmw or porsche in the dust. Great job chev.

Speedometer:25, 50, 75, 100, 125? GM needs to redo that speedo. LOL.

KC: FYI Bon Jovi is currently selling out concerts and torn jeans are back in.

Derek: Although I for one can't wait for the 2009 Camaro, it will NOT beat ANY Japanese car ever made. Particularly Evos, Infiniti, NSX. Especially by the time it comes out most of these cars will hit 60 in the 4's and some will be pushing well over 400hp.

how much the camaro 2007 & how many kind of the camaro
thanks

TO JACK LETS HIT THE STRIP WHEN THE CAR COMES INTO PRODUCTION. TO GM THE CAR IS AWSOME, I LOVE THE OLD 69 CAMEREO AND WOULD HAVE LOVED TO GOT MY HANDS ON ONE. WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS RIGHT. GREAT JOB WITH THE DESIGN. FEW DWIKS AND IT WILL BE PERFECT. HOPEFULLY THE PRICE STAYS AFFORDABLE AND COMPETITIVE WITH THE MUSTANG>

you know, Bon Jovi is always good, i dont care what decade your from....and this is one heck of a Steel Horse im reading about. As far as everyone complaining about the pictures, remember it is still a concept. now for everyone thats complaining about the complainers....."remember its still a concept" that means their complaints are read and considered. thats how the car goes into production. a concept is released....people talk about what they like and dislike....things change....and its all due to sites such as this one.....

But as long as the body style dont change too much, beleive me im in line for the first one to hit the floor my friends

tHis Car is WonDerFul SeIi!
SeEn nuThing Lyke ThiS beforE!
FeRSt SeeN iT iN tRanSformErs MuVie And Its Soo MuCH bEtTer HeRE!
i'D lyKe tO puRchASe OnE of ThOSe~~!!!