Droptop Camaro Stalled; 4-cyl. Model Could Be Revived

There was No Convertible, High-performance model or 4-cyl. version on hand for the all-new '10 Chevrolet Camaro's official media rollout recently, but that doesn't mean they are off the table.

The convertible Camaro has been confirmed for production by General Motors Corp., but its debut has been complicated by issues surrounding a key supplier.

“The top supplier filed for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy) protection,” says Gene Stefanyshyn, Camaro vehicle line executive. “The convertible is about a year off, maybe a little longer.”

Officials won't say whether the Camaro's drop-top will be soft or hard, but chief designer Ed Welburn suggests the retractable hardtop may have run its course, at least for GM vehicles.

On hold due to financial constraints is a Z28 high-performance version of the sport coupe that would get a 556-hp V-8.

At the other end of the spectrum, a 4-cyl. version also is not in the cards “at this time,” Stefanyshyn says, thanks to the base V-6's 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km) highway rating.

But with a 35-mpg (6.7 L/100 km) U.S. fuel economy standard set for 2020, the GM engineer isn't exactly ruling out a four banger for the future.

“With gas at $4, we gave it a thought, but when it was at $1.70 a gallon we didn't look as hard,” he says. “But to get to 35 mpg we may have to focus on it more.”

Consumer Shift May Push GM's 4-Cyl. Engines Into Unlikely Places
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