The Chevrolet Camaro is dead, long live the Camaro! That might be the sentiment of many fans after General Motors announced it would discontinue the muscle car after 2024. Still, did Chevy Camaros, like the sixth-gen model and track-ready ZL1 1LE, overstay their welcome?

Is Chevy Camaro being discontinued?

Chevrolet announced that it would discontinue the iconic Camaro muscle car after 2024. The sixth-generation coupes and convertibles will be the last gas-powered, rear-wheel drive (RWD) cars to wear the nameplate. 

According to Chevrolet Media, the model’s last units will roll off the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan in January 2024. The news arrives after years of speculation and rumors among fans that the sixth generation would be its last.

However, Chevrolet will release a Collector’s Edition to celebrate the car’s legacy before its discontinued. Moreover, the Chevy model’s departure from the market leaves the Ford Mustang as the only gas-powered, RWD, American muscle car on the market. Instead of discontinuation, the Mustang will begin its seventh generation (S650) for the 2024 model year.    

Are Camaros good cars?

As a versatile sports car, a late-model Chevrolet Camaro is an excellent choice for performance vehicle shoppers. With four engine options, available manual transmissions, and convertible trims, Chevy’s muscle car ticks many boxes. 

However, it’s been a long time since the Camaro outsold its closest competitor, the Mustang. Chevrolet had an impossible task outselling the Mustang during the first generation of pony cars, and they were late to the game by around four years. Fast-forward to today and the Chevy model routinely sold less than half as much as the Blue Oval’s bounty. For instance, General Motors sold 24,652 Camaros in 2022 compared to Ford’s 47,566 pony cars.

Still, while Chevrolet may have allowed the Camaro to overstay its welcome from a sales perspective, the nameplate has some pugilistic prospects in its recent lineup. For instance, the ZL1 and ZL1 1LE are some of the fastest track-day weapons the American auto industry has ever produced. In 2018, a 650-horsepower, sixth-gen Camaro ZL1 1LE lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:16.04, which put it ahead of a Porsche 911 Turbo S from the same period. 

What is the downside of the Camaro?

In addition to the lack of popularity compared to the Ford Mustang, the Camaro has the smallest trunk in the segment. Specifically, the coupe offers just 9.1 cubic feet of volume. That’s a little more than half of the Dodge Challenger’s cargo capacity. 

Moreover, the sixth-gen Chevy model’s entry-level, 275-horsepower four-cylinder powerplant is anemic compared to the Mustang’s 310-horsepower EcoBoost. Additionally, the chunky pillars and layout of the Chevy sports car mean compromised rear visibility, per Car and Driver. 

What will replace the Camaro after 2024?

Like the reassuring text in so many credits scenes in James Bond films, the Camaro will return. Specifically, Global Chevrolet’s vice president, Scott Bell, says, “while we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.”

What do you think? Does the Chevy model deserve its fate? Tell us in the comments below!