GM may offer a Camaro hybrid, no more rear-wheel-drive projects

We’ve spoken of a Camaro Hybrid before, but at that time it was just a dream. Well word on the street now is that GM has been forced to make some changes to their Camaro onslaught in the wake of the new CAFE 35 regulations. Don’t worry, the Camaro will still offer a heart-pumping V8 version and will still be built on a rear-wheel-drive platform, with a hybrid model that may be in the works. Other cars planned for a rear-wheel-drive architecture like the Impala, LaCrosse and the replacement for the G8 due in the spring have all been dropped along with a new V8 engine that GM was working on for Cadillac.

“You can’t kill something that was never approved,” one GM official told The Car Connection, who demanded to remain anonymous but confirmed rear-wheel-drive projects are now dead. Only an ultimate-luxury Cadillac has the chance of still making it to production with rear-wheel-drive.

GM is now said to be working on a plan B for the Camaro, a car which...
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Bmw8ter - 2/4/2008 12:45:56 PM

+3 Boost

Something tells me that the G8 will only last a year or 2 like the GTO; here one minute and gone the next.

Bmw8ter - 2/4/2008 12:46:56 PM

+4 Boost

....because of the new regulations

EnnNorak - 2/4/2008 2:51:45 PM

+1 Boost

I can't believe they are dropping RWD projects -- my view is that all vehicles should only be offered in RWD and AWD or 4WD versions with smaller DOHC V8 engines if fuel efficiency must be improved. FWD cars are el cheapo crap cans.

For me this is a sign of financial weakness.

Htay7500 - 2/4/2008 5:34:13 PM

+2 Boost

thats the possible case, new emission regulations.

SHOWTIME - 2/4/2008 2:46:26 PM

+2 Boost

o well...they took too long with this and this is what they get for it.

dumpsty - 2/4/2008 3:33:48 PM

0 Boost

I agree. GM took what seems like a decade to "just" offer the Camaro later this year. But, it seems that GM will not let the Zeta platform go to waste. The GMC Denali XT concept shows that they intend to get some use out of this highly expensive architechure...and why not? With many people ditching truck-based SUVs for wagons and car-based SUVs (crossovers), it seems a good direction to go. It may be a posibility to see the existing Lambda vehicles placed on Zeta. This exercise shows that the platform dimensions can be adjusted to allow for a larger vehicle. Can the dimension be decrease to allow for a smaller offering?

Shredmo - 2/4/2008 3:29:22 PM

+2 Boost

I blame this on SUV drivers. Any enthusiast here that owns a hulking SUV better not bitch about the car based GM RWD V8's demise. If the American public embraced mini-vans or wagons that get reasonable mpg, GM might not be in this position.

bmwfan1513 - 2/4/2008 5:06:07 PM

0 Boost

I would buy the hybrid version. A great looking car with great fuel economy.

Boomslui - 2/5/2008 5:33:23 AM

+1 Boost

This is again a confirmation, that GM lacks focus, vision and technology. How in the world can you explain, that BMW/Mercedes can make efficient, high performance RWD cars and GM keeps on complaining that they are too heavy and too inefficient? Further fine to come to such an opinion, but does it take you lightyears to do so? Where is the entrepreneurship with guts and decisionmaking? I hoped mr.Lutz would bring a difference, but it is still about a committee designing a racehorse. And if they see Opel with diesels as their helping out as is suggested in another article: due to the strict management by GM Opel has lost connection with the european manufacturers, they are behind in style, technology and since years losing marketshare (from who did they inherit that?), now even being pestered in the same showroom with cheap Daewoo/Chevrolet cars.

tecnopolis - 2/5/2008 7:20:58 AM

+1 Boost

This is just like the Fiero story of years ago. GM finally got the car right, then dropped it.

TONYRICH - 2/9/2008 12:46:55 AM

+1 Boost

THEY CAN SITLL MAKE A HYBRID WITH THE V8 THEY CAN USE THE V8 THAT SHUTS CYLINDERS DOWN WITH THE 2 STAGE HYBRID JUST LIKE THEIR FULL SIZE SUVS.