Due to shifting tastes, new technologies, and fuel economy/emissions targets, many models are being canceled after this year. Some will be replaced by new ones and some will not return. The Chevy Malibu is a nameplate that’s being retired, which is not surprising considering the decline of the sedan in the US. Other models like the Maserati Quattroporte and Levante are going.
Even the humble and ubiquitous Audi A4 sedan is heading off into the sunset. The auto enthusiast is likely to mourn the following though: the Nissan GT-R, Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, the Ram 1500 TRX, and the faithful Chevy Camaro.
Of all these models, the fact that the Camaro is saying goodbye hits the hardest, because, well, it’s been an institution for so long. It also signals the end of an era and the end of the muscle car. We look at why we’ll miss this model the most, what it offered, what’s left of Chevy’s performance lineup, and remember the individual generations of the Cam.
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The Chevrolet Camaro Leaves A Pony-Sized Hole In 2025
For gearheads, the Nissan GT-R will be missed for its performance and what it represents. It was a Japanese missile that built up enough of a following to last for around 17 years. Ram’s 1500 TRX was notable for being allowed to have a 6.2-liter, supercharged Hellcat engine and to disregard any preoccupations for economy or emissions. It was huge, capable, silly, and the world was a better place for its existence. Really. But the Camaro is arguably even more significant than all the other models put out to pasture this year.
The Camaro is out of production, with the last models having rolled off the production line in January of this year. Although Chevrolet has said it isn’t the end of the road for the nameplate, it’s effectively been retired with no replacement. We’ll miss the Camaro, which was one of the last examples of the traditional muscle car, one of the last V8-powered American performance coupes, and the attractive, capable, more affordable sibling of the Corvette. It occupied a niche between the Dodge Challenger and the Ford Mustang.
By the sixth-gen, which ran from 2016-2024, the Camaro had left behind its retro-inspired looks and had become a sharp-looking coupe – sleeker than before but still recognizably a modern Camaro. There was a facelift in 2019 which didn’t do the model any favors, but in general, the last generation’s design is noticeably cohesive from the outside. One of the biggest triumphs of the sixth-gen Camaro’s design is the front end, which added an angry pair of headlights to an aggressive grille with a snarling mouth below.
Why The Camaro’s Absence Is Significant
Perhaps the biggest reason the Camaro will be missed is because it left the auto industry with just one true muscle car on sale – the Ford Mustang. Amazingly, up until 2023, the Camaro, like the Charger and Challenger – continued to offer the public a V8-powered muscle car option with an available manual transmission (more on that below).
Now that it’s gone, it signals the beginning of the end for American performance cars which is significant, as well as the disappearance of the muscle car as we know it. That, and the fading of a small part of American culture. That’s a lot for a pony car to represent, but the Camaro was significant – just like the Mustang.
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GM’s Small-Block V8 Among A Range Of Engine Options
Sixth-Gen Chevrolet Camaro Engines: Basic Specs
|
Ecotec |
LGX |
LT1 |
LT4 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Engine |
2.0-liter, turbocharged I4 |
3.6-liter, NA V6 |
6.2-liter, NA V8 |
6.2-liter, supercharged V8 |
|
Power |
275 hp |
335 hp |
455 hp |
650 hp |
|
Torque |
295 lb-ft |
284 lb-ft |
455 lb-ft |
650 hp |
|
Example Camaro Trim |
1LS |
1LT |
LT1, SS |
ZL1 |
One of the best bits about the Camaro was its naturally aspirated LT1 V8, a 6.2-liter mammoth with both strong torque and horsepower. There was an engine for a variety of different buyers, too, though, since the range ran from a small-but-capable 2.0-liter inline-four engine to a reliable 3.6-liter V6 and the V8, as well as the enormously-impressive supercharged LT4 for the flagship, track-focused ZL1 model.
Chevy’s LT1 and LT4 are both part of the Chevy small block engine family which has its own detailed history. Interestingly, unlike the Charger or Challenger which did offer all-wheel drive on various base models, this pony sent its power to the rear wheels.
Another feature was the available 6-speed manual transmission, which really made the Camaro a driver’s car; there were various auto transmissions offered for the plethora of trims, ranging from an auto-eight-speed on all trims to an auto-10-speed which wasn’t available on the base ‘LS’ trim. The ZL1 also had its own 10-speed auto as standard. With such a variety of trims and engine/transmission combos, there was a Camaro for many budgets or tastes, but the Camaro SS was the real deal.
The ZL1: A Super Chevy Camaro
The sharpest end of the stick was the ZL1, which is the Camaro’s equivalent of the Corvette ZR1. You would realize it was more special at first glance – the lower air dam and revised bumper, wider fenders, bespoke 20-inch wheels, a custom hood, special badging, and more. A 6-speed manual transmission was on the table, and it was more than a simple cosmetic upgrade since the LT4 engine was now under the hood, as well as an upgrade too much of its other mechanicals to make it even more capable.
This includes upgraded Brembo brakes, upgraded Magnetic Ride adaptive suspension, an electronic limited-slip differential, and some other components or upgrades not on your average SS. Edmunds suggests the 2023 Camaro ZL1 had a starting MSRP of $69,995. 0-60 mph was possible in 3.5 seconds. It will be missed.
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The Camaro Left A Parting Gift: Collector’s Editions
A Collector’s Edition was offered for the final model year, which consisted mostly of aesthetic upgrades, but it was a fitting tribute to the Cam. You’ll notice a black theme going on (see the image of the ZL1 version above). Upgrades and features included Black Panther Metallic paint, which is a nod to the car’s initial Panther code name. The ZL1 got its own ‘Panther Black Matte’ paint. Other touches include Satin Black stripes, 20-inch Satin Black or polished forged wheels, a front splitter from the 1LE pack, and in the case of coupes, the ZL1’s spoiler.
The ZL1 Collector’s Edition was produced in just 350 examples, which received a few different features, like a serialized steering wheel badge which represents its place of manufacture and production number, as well as a free Canfield Sport 45mm watch from Shinola with the same serial number as the steering wheel. Prices ranged from $4,995-$5,995 for the standard Camaro trims but went up to $14,995 for the ZL1 – these prices were on top of the base model MSRP, representing a significant jump in price.
A Brief Look At The Camaro’s History
In all, the Camaro has been going since 1966, when the first generation began with the new F Body platform, which it shared with the Pontiac Firebird until the end of the fourth generation Camaro model. The first generation, built over the 1967-1969 model years, was the original iconic pony car, which also introduced the Z/28 model to the public.
Next, the second generation Camaro ran from 1970-1981, during which various styling changes occurred. The Cam now looks vastly different from the first generation. Starting in the 70s, the fuel crisis and emissions regulations strangled the Camaro, as it did just about every other model on the market.
The third-gen (1982-1992) Camaro introduced fuel injection and a four-cylinder engine to the range; the infamous Iron Duke. By the time of the fourth-gen (1992-2002) Chevy pony car, the recipe had remained the same as it had ever been – a two-door coupe (or convertible) body style, rear-wheel drive, and six-or-eight-cylinder engines. A challenging market made GM pull the plug on the fourth-gen Camaro after 2002. However, spoiler alert: it wasn’t the end of the road for the Camaro.
Luckily for us, the powers that be saw fit to resurrect the model once again, and for the 2010 model year, the fifth-gen Camaro appeared in showrooms with a retro style and was based on GM’s Zeta platform shared with Australian GM brand Holden. An LS3 V8 engine was offered along with an optional six-speed manual transmission for the SS trim. A V6 was available on the lower trims. After the 2015 model year, the next – and final Camaro – would stretch its legs for the first time.
Now, as things stand, the Corvette is the lone wolf in the Chevy performance lineup, with the fresh new C8 Corvette ZR1 model that was recently added which turns up the heat on the already-impressive Z06. A Corvette Zora that could take the 1,064-horsepower ZR1 to new levels with the addition of the E-Ray’s hybrid hardware could also be in the works.
So far, though, the Camaro is looking to have hung up its badge and gun for the foreseeable future. Seeing as Chevrolet has been on the record to say the nameplate may return, we put our money on an electrified Camaro of some sort. Time will tell.
Above all, a simple name can carry with it a heritage and public fondness, and the Camaro was good enough to last for almost six decades. The end of the Camaro is a sign of the times, of change, and of the move to a new era, where electricity will replace the fossil-fuelled icons we used to take for granted.
