What is surprising to at least GM is that 2 out of 3 Chevy Camaros that drive off dealer lots do so with a V8 under the hood. GM had originally hoped that most of the Camaros sold would be the V6 model so that it would boost the automaker's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). But according to Edmunds, approximately two-thirds of the 47,233 Camaros sold from April 2009 to October 2009 have been SS models.
The Camaro SS is powered by a 420-hp 6.2L V8 and is the most expensive Camaro in the lineup with a starting price of $31,595. In contrast the lowest priced V6 Camaro starts at $23,530. According to Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman, the V6 Camaros cost almost as much to build as the V8 models.
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Comments (11)
This news doesn't surprise me. Not a lot of Eco people would be looking at this car.
It also doesn't surprise me that the V6 costs the
roughly the same to produce since it is mostly an engine swap in most cases.
Posted by Andrew | November 18, 2009 11:11 AM
Posted on November 18, 2009 11:11
I'd imagine in 3-5 years you could pickup an SS for a pretty good price used. That an a couple thousand in performance parts and it'd have one hell of a street rocket.
Posted by Brian | November 18, 2009 12:09 PM
Posted on November 18, 2009 12:09
I take the closeness in cost to mean they are cleaning up on profit margin on the V8 instead of the idea they may be losing money on the V6.
Posted by Teldar | November 18, 2009 1:58 PM
Posted on November 18, 2009 13:58
Why should this be a surprise, Lutz isn't an idiot but his response seems so. So much pent up demand for a SS Chevy model that is long remembered shouldn't surprise anyone and that at 32k for something only Corvette could conjure up at 15k more, gee go figure.
Posted by harryo | November 18, 2009 6:05 PM
Posted on November 18, 2009 18:05
Who buys a V6 muscle car anyway?
Posted by muscleoverrice | November 19, 2009 7:26 AM
Posted on November 19, 2009 07:26
"It also doesn't surprise me that the V6 costs the roughly the same to produce since it is mostly an engine swap in most cases. " - Andrew
No, the reason they cost the same to build is because GM has been building simple OHV engines since the 50's and has it down to a science of building them on the cheap (costs and assembly), while the 3.6L V-6 has DOHC (vs 1 cam in block), 24 valves (vs 16 valves), direct injection (vs port fuel injection) and will cost more to assemble due to it having more parts and being more complex.
Posted by Noya | November 19, 2009 8:53 AM
Posted on November 19, 2009 08:53
Women usually buy the V6's. I guess they aren't attracted to this generation Camaro.
Posted by Peter | November 19, 2009 10:02 AM
Posted on November 19, 2009 10:02
"What is surprising to at least GM is that" They didn't price the SS high enough.
Posted by bob | November 19, 2009 10:13 AM
Posted on November 19, 2009 10:13
"What is surprising to at least GM is that" they appear to have not priced the SS high enough. How could they have missed this?
Posted by bob | November 19, 2009 10:13 AM
Posted on November 19, 2009 10:13
This is so0oo true!! Every dealership around where i live has only v8 models for sale....the funny thing is they have to sell ...
bahahahahahah
Posted by SilverLamboZ | November 23, 2009 6:31 AM
Posted on November 23, 2009 06:31
wonder if lutz would post the cost vs retail for all their cars?
Posted by corey | November 23, 2009 7:09 AM
Posted on November 23, 2009 07:09