It was a dark day in 2001 when General Motors announced that the Chevy Camaro would cease to exist after the 2002 model year. There were various reasons for the nameplate being sent into retirement, not the least of which was severely sagging sales. For a few years, Chevy and Pontiac enthusiasts watched in agony as the rival Ford Mustang continued to be produced and sell well and was completely reinvigorated for the 2005 model year with a retro-inspired body style change and all-new platform.
Although the Camaro was in retirement, a core group inside GM was not willing to let it die. A new Camaro concept car was unveiled in 2006, its design heavily influenced by the first-generation Camaro. Response was excited, to say the least, but some inside GM were
