25 May 07
After making the Camaro podgier and stodgier until it had to be killed off, Chevrolet reckons it's learned its lesson. The new model will be a modern take on the late-60s first-generation car, the one that cemented the Camaro myth.
And General Motors chiefs are so confident they can once again justify that famous name they've let us loose in the concept of the convertible, which they reckon is the closest to a production car any GM prototype has ever been.
As you admire the car under the Californian sun, your initial reaction is that when in 2009 the first Camaro for seven years rolls off the line it'll be a big brawny bruiser of a car. It will dwarf Euro waifs such as the Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Audi TT, whose buyers GM hopes to attract.
The size may be an issue, but the looks certainly won't. They've been lifted directly from the first-generation model, so the headlamps are hooded and there's a purposeful inlet slot along the leading edge of the bonnet. The side-on stance is helped by 22" rims at the back, 21s at the front, while the body tapers in ahead of the rear wheels. The rounded rear lights - the only nod to the second-generation Camaro - also suit it well. The overall impression is modern yet retro. Or should that be retro yet modern? Whatever, it's well endowed with presence.
