Chevrolet Camaro Concept 2009

So there are a lot of recognizable elements in the Concept Camaro designlifted directly from the '67-'69 Camaro . But the whole car is much sharper edged than the original; the designhas facets much like Cadillac's current sedans. That results in a carthat looks more aggressive than any factory '69 Camaro . "The overallproportions, long hood, and powerful fender forms say this is afront-engined, rear-wheel-drive performance vehicle," says Tom Peters,GM's design director, rear-wheel-drive performance cars.

"Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Camaro for all theright reasons," says Ed Welburn, GM's vice president, global design,stating the incredibly obvious. " Camaro s were beautiful to look at andoffered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet theywere practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach ofmany new-car buyers." And if Chevy was going to reignite that loveaffair, it needed to come up with a car that honored the Camaro's heritage, made practical sense for most buyers, and had a look thatwould be attractive to potential buyers who were born in the '80s and'90s. The first thing the company did right was look to the first-gen Camaro for inspiration. "The fact that the Camaro has been out ofproduction for a number of years made it particularly important that the Camaro Concept honor the Camaro heritage in the right way," says BobBoniface, director of GM's Warren Advanced Design Studio.