DETROIT AUTO SHOW- GM set to roll Camaro Convertible- Does anyone care?

001 just landed in Detroit, a day earlier than usual, in order to give you the best pre-show coverage of the initial Detroit auto show buzz.

In typical fashion, the local newspapers are just as oblivious as the Big Three about what is hot and what is not.

One of the top stories on today's Detroit News is that GM will be showing the new Camaro convertible and they are trying to really build the hype.

But the Spies ask the question...Does anyone REALLY care?

They're 4 years late bringing the REGULAR Camaro out and the whole Mustang thing is waning fast.

So why is ths the big story?

Because they are SO dependant on the big three's ads.

The REAL pre-show top story should be how Toyota is going to steal the show away from GM with the new FT-HS Hybrid sports car.

Sorry GM and Ford, the new FT-HS has just checkmated your sportscar strategy.

The Spies are ready to bring you the best show coverage and galleries...keep checking back often this weekend as news can break at any minute.

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EL34 - 1/6/2007 1:10:46 AM

+4 Boost

The Chevy Camaro convertible will be a great car, but it won't sell as well as the granny Camry.

flozel1 - 1/7/2007 2:52:54 PM

+1 Boost

WTF does this low-tech monstrosity have to do with the Camry???

Autoegr525 - 1/6/2007 2:40:04 AM

+3 Boost

BS...True the Camaro is late and they should be showing the production ready model at this show not another concept. But the Toyota FT-HS isn't going to make all other sports cars obsolete, it will just offer a good alternative.

I'm sure the Detriot papers are biased. But who puts up the money around here?

EL34 - 1/6/2007 12:03:47 PM

+2 Boost

I'll bet that Toyota FT-HS has a dragon-faced front end just like the Camry and LS460.

And I'll bet it will have an interior like the LS460's upgraded Accord look.

You know dark brown on the top, lighter brown on the bottom with the same push buttons and digital clock with some cheap wood veneer here and there and it will have the magical self-parking doodad for the little old lady that never learned how to park a car or didn't want to learn.

Autoegr525 - 1/6/2007 6:01:47 PM

+1 Boost

Personally I think the FT-HS looks like a UFO from the front and a rip off of the GTR from profile, but I left that out of my prior post cuz it would have hurt the credibility of what I really wanted to say by making me look biased, I'm not. Obviously design is merely a matter of taste.

neutral - 1/6/2007 3:41:49 AM

+2 Boost

Go GM. The domesitis are back on their way up. All you US brand haters just wait. We've gotten our asses handed to us, not necessarily by the Japanese, but by the Arabs (note the price of oil, etc). The dometics will swing into full time, high quality production as represented by the Fusion, the new Sebring, and a whole range of new GM vehicles (the Aura, G6, impala, etc).

AUDBMLEXMRC - 1/6/2007 5:31:51 AM

+3 Boost

i personnaly like this CAMARO. They've to produce it ASAP to be present on this market. Looks very attractive!

EL34 - 1/6/2007 12:11:38 PM

+1 Boost

I love the classic 60's color with racing stripes in that photo of the Camaro.

keyzi747 - 1/6/2007 5:39:18 AM

+3 Boost

I like the Camaro a lot, but I've always preferred it's Pontiac counterpart even more. The convertible is the coupe with the top chopped off. Very nice, but I'm very disappointed GM isn't showing a Pontiac version of this new platform.











i've

paul3230 - 1/6/2007 1:23:47 PM

+1 Boost

Okaaayy..comparing a camaro to a camry. Righhht. Al I can say is does Toyota have a sports car? The Supra right..oh wait, they cancelled it 9 years ago. My bad.

paul3230 - 1/6/2007 1:26:22 PM

+2 Boost

Sorry Will, the comment above wasn't for you, it was for EL34 :)

Occarnut - 1/6/2007 10:38:24 AM

+1 Boost

I cared initially, but I am tired of the chronic teasing by the Big 3 (Lincoln is by far the worst) just to create buzz, only to be folowed by the standard lines about "business cases" and "testing consumer reaction". Sell your GM and Ford stock now because once the Japanese and Koreans figure out how to design hot, V8 RWD cars at mid-segment pricing it is all over for the U.S. car makers..no spin there.

UPshift - 1/6/2007 12:37:01 PM

+1 Boost

The Camaro is too late, will be too expensive and is way too over-styled. It still looks to be a study hall sketch of a '69 Camaro. Chevy appears to be setting it up as their halo car which goes against the Camaro "affordable muscle" tenet that has held true for so many years.

A shame, becuase the world needs more affordable, compact RWD coupes. I would love to see a successful GM F-body-type platform with Chevy, Pontiac and Buick variants.

Is Steve Saleen still rumored to be prepping a new Camaro?

paul3230 - 1/6/2007 1:25:18 PM

+1 Boost

I think the camaro (V6) will be priced in the low 20's...I think that's pretty affordable.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/6/2007 5:18:25 PM

+2 Boost

Too expensive?

Overstyled?

It's a damn Mustang competitor. It's going to be in the low-$20,000 range, like paul said.

Looks are subjective, but I think they executed it beautifully.

SilverAero - 1/6/2007 7:07:35 PM

+1 Boost

This thing will sell, most camero owners i have met are all ready budgeting it in.

2JZSoarer - 1/6/2007 11:08:13 PM

+2 Boost

I'm sick of retro cars!!Can't they come up with new orginals designs!!!

ellives - 1/12/2007 9:36:18 PM

+1 Boost

Let's face it - hybrid's are a farce that demonstrate Toyota can market ice cubes to an eskimo -- nothing else.