Chevrolet Camaro testing on Australian roads

By George Skentzos | January 04th, 2008

Update: Higher quality image has been sourced via LeftLane.

Following the release of this official image by Chevrolet’s General Manager Ed Peper, General Motors has taken the wraps off the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro test mule, citing that the camouflage interfered with aerodynamics and cooling.

All pre-production Camaros will now be driven undisguised here on Australian roads while testing is underway – a major boost for our reputation as car-makers and what sounds like a resounding confirmation that the Camaro will one day be sold here in Australia.

If you happen to snap the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro out and about, CarAdvice would love to see your spy shots – and don’t be afraid to ask to look inside or even under the hood!

Bubba Ganush

Love that car!
Casey

Was it RHD? Did any one get close enough to see
http://navelcontemplation.blogspot.com Supercujo

Autoblog has some interior shots of the Camaro and my god is it ugly. I know it is a preproduction version and the plastics aren’t final versions, but the style and layout is set in stone. It looks bad, real bad.

The Camaro may look good on the outside, but if you are too scared to get inside and drive it, what is the point of having one.

Also caught in the same spy photos was a whole heap of Holdens (Statesman, SS and Maloo) doing cold weather testing somewhere in the northern hemisphere. Are Holden doing testing for VEII and more models exported to the US?
http://www.caradvice.com.au George

There are some spy shots of the interior which we can’t show due to copyright reasons, but no unfortunately it was LHD.
Chopstar87

Now this shows you that GM are following Fords ideas by going retro. as Ford has big success with retro style of the Ford Mustang…..
http://navelcontemplation.blogspot.com Supercujo

Chopstar, lets just hope they don’t follow Ford’s lead and produce a new special edition Camaro every week.
Lcat

Supercujo – if it is the same shots I saw at AutoExpress I agree with u on the interior – dreadful.
Duck

Holden did a great job of designing the new Camaro!
http://www.caradvice.com.au George

Duck, the Camaro was designed by Chevrolet. Testing and fine tuning is being carried out here parallel to testing in the US.
Duck

George,
I heard that Chevvy let holden to design the car!
Captain Mainwaring

Camaro might not be a complete commercial failure, but it will be a non-event, especially if they persist with that horrendous interior. Mustang is already on the wane, regurgitated Thunderbird (even though it looked great) didn’t even last 3 years. Dodge Challenger isn’t even different enough from the original one to appear modern.
Sorry, there are only so many 70 year old rednecks who will want to buy these things. The world has moved on.
Spitfire

Hood. The last time I checked we had not yet become the 51st state. In Oz it has always been and one hopes will remain, bonnet. Lift your game Car Advice.
http://www.caradvice.com.au George

Lift our game because I called it a hood rather than a bonnet? You’re joking right?
Wheelnut

If GM are Copying Ford by going “retro” Than Ford are copying Mini [Cooper] who copied Chrysler [PT Cruiser] who copied VW [Bug]….

The design of the Camaro was a joint effort between the boys at Holdens design studio in Port Melbourne and the boys from Chevs design studio in California.. because not only does it share the same platform as the 2010 Monaro but the Camaro and Monaro have virtually the same silouhette from the roofline to the shoulder line.. which includes that “coke bottle” curve in the rear 1/4 window
[It's called coke bottle because the buddy bottle inspired the design of the classic 67 camaro]

I expect the Monaro will be sold only as a Holden whilst the Camaro will more likely be exclusive to HSV
Duck

Get over it Spitfire, Car Advice made one mistake…..WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bavarian Missile

I love the new Camaro………and its HOOD!
Bavarian Missile

A wealth of knowledge you are Wheelnut!!!!!!
Wheelnut

Yous Say Hood; He says Bonnet why not meet half way and call it a hinged engine area tonneau.
Andrew M

or we could put some fancy Porsche language into it and call it the boot. or is it trunk? ha ha ha ha ha ha
greg

I have a feeling the GM-Daewoo Camaro shares the same platform and designs from a Daewoo sudio, makes sense after funding the koreans more money for increased cheap labor…
golfschwein

Greg, are you having a little joke on us? I hope soooooooooooooooo…..
Skybreak

It seems safe to assume we will get the Camero onsale here.

So how will it be badged/marketed?
As a Holden, HSV or Chevy?
mohamad

This is the mustang FORD have to release.
greg

I knew I would get a bite, so many sharks swimming around. Jaws eat your heart out..
mohamad

Sorry forgot to put the link. this car is alot better looking then the current stang. And is in the same styling class as the camaro. http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg93/MOHAMAD_S15/untitledf.jpg
golfschwein

Always up for a chuckle. Now, it’s Friday night, and there’s no Bailey’s left, but I STILL can’t be fagged looking up where I thunked I saw Bob Lutz say it ain’t coming here. Why would it? As a stand-alone HSV? Imagine the business case for that, right hand drive and all. So, no. As a Chevrolet marketed through Holdedn dealers? Nup. At an imagined 100 large each, they’ll sit around longer than a Kiwi back packer.

Forget it, folks. We MIGHT get a Monaro, it seems. If we’re good kiddy winks.
golfschwein

Hoobonneau, Wheelnut?
No Name

2010 is along way away, i guess it depends on whether you lot are still buying cars with big engines under the HOODS..oops!
Elitist

This car will sell well with the baby boomer bunch and any weekend warrior accountant .
Australia needs more one off muscle-cars like camaro, corvette and mustangs.
Not cars that share their range with taxi’s. I think this car will be welcomed.
Wheelnut

As we are also expected to get the Monaro in 2010 It’s most likely the Camaro will be sold Exclusively as an HSV as they have the experience in extracting more power from the Chev V8s to turn a basic car into a performance car

Whilst teh Monaro will be sold as a Holden
Bubba Ganush

So will the 2010 monaro possibly have the same body shape as the comaro or the platform the only thing in commmon?

will the monaro be a rebadged entry level comaro? if it is then its lost my vote due to the fact the monaro name would lose its originality.
golfschwein

Wheelnut, I haven’t read anywhere in the professional press that the Camaro’s a goer here. Could it be that some of the boys from the more focused websites like LS1 be getting carried away with rumour?

Is it going to be built in RHD? Does HSV do the crash testing? The ADR compliance? Like I say, I can’t see a business case stacking up for it, just like Ford couldn’t see a business case for the Fairlane or Holden a new Crewman.

I’m not trying to be unkind to the car – it looks fantastic, after all – but they’d sell half a dozen.
golfschwein

Silly me…It’s being developed in Australia, no doubt Holden will be doing the crash testing. Doh! But with RHD? Who knows?
Wheelnut

If it came down to us getting one or the other; be it Camaro or Monaro..

My money would be on Holden opting for the Monaro purely due to the Heritage the Monaro name has in Australia as compared to the Camaro

However; there is the possibility of importing the Camaro as an HSV “Exclusive”
golfschwein

Is RHD in the Camaro program?
Wheelnut

A Coupel of years ago GM initiated plan where the majority of their cars will be designed in such away that the car will be able to be built in LHD or RHD.. an example of this is the VE Commodore.

Thereofre I’d say even though the Camaro has been designed primarily for the US; there is a possibility of it being RHD as well.

I’d Prefer the Monaro first.. then the Camaro and then the Cadillac – when hell freezes over
http://www.importjap.com ImportJap

I gotta say, I love that!
Rick

Hey Spitfire check out an early 70′s Holden owner’s manual and you should find they called them hoods.
Business Freak

The comment that the CHEVROLET camaro will be re-badged as a HSV is STUPID! Not only would HSV be staring a massive lawsuit in the face, but that comment is in the same calibre as saying that the new Mustang GT will come to Australia under the FPV label…

They are two different brands, under the same patriarch, yet still, they are two different brands. HSV blows compared to the anything that is high-end chev.

The only reason why we might not get the new Camaro here in Australia, is due to an attempt by K-Rudd’s economists to protect the local industry. Why bother buying the new clubby, which will depreciate in value by roughly 5 grand a year, when you can have that car that turned into a robot a few years ago.

I personally have fallen in love with the updated Camaro, and I have the financial liquidity to purchase one when/if they are sold in Aus. My only concern is that they look taller than they are wide, unlike the traditional supercar look; low and wide

meh, my $0.02