Anticipation has certainly run high as muscle car fans eagerly await the return of the Camaro. Chevrolet has given us the first official pictures of the forthcoming Camaro, and based on initial impressions the production car holds true to the concept car many have lusted over for the past few years.
Of course had it not been for the success of the Mustang and its retro inspired sheet metal, perhaps the Camaro might never have been brought back. Dodge quickly hopped on the retro train, first in introducing their thoroughly modern Hemi engine, and then by bringing the Challenger to market.
For the muscle car fan, heck for the car enthusiast in general, the availability of such cars at a price most can afford should bring a smile to your face. Horsepower, handling and style are all hallmarks of the Mustang, Challenger and Camaro. But all three share a common thread in that they elicit an emotion inside brought on by the cars they draw inspiration from, all cars of the past.
Retro design has been with us for almost 10 years now. Volkswagen really started the whole retro revolution with their New Beetle. Ford followed suit shortly thereafter with the Thunderbird. BMW revived a whole brand in bringing us the Mini Cooper, a car that virtually created a new segment with the premium small car concept.
But is Retro past its prime, and should car makers be looking to catch the wave of the next hot thing.
Let’s face it, when the Mustang hit dealers lots it created a lot of excitement and buzz because of the car it so closely resembled, and yet today few of us even give the Mustang a second glance when we see it on the road. Retro is cool, but retro certainly has a shelf life. Both Dodge and Chevy brought products to market based on the success of the Mustang, but where do they go from here? The Mustang has always been a strong selling car for Ford. When previous generation Camaros and Firebirds were still for sale, Ford easily outsold those models with the Mustang, a fact that led to the eventual death of both offerings from General Motors.
Will the Challenger and Camaro both be one hit wonders, or do they have the staying power to truly become successful model lines for Dodge and GM? Time will ultimately be the judge and juror, but if retro is past its prime, what happens to the replacements for the Challenger and Camaro after their shelf lives expire?
So I guess it boils down to this, which (if any) of the three would you choose to drive, and do you think retro is past its prime and a new design language be instituted for future models?
In asking the question I also want to answer from my perspective. I love the look of the Challenger, but the fact that no manual transmission is available on the SRT-8, I would probably go with the Camaro SS with the 6-Speed manual. In terms of the whole retro design, I do have to say that I feel as though it certainly has a “been there done that” feel to it.
Of course it is my opinion, we want to know what you think…
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