GM Bringing Chevy Camaro Production Back to the U.S.

Chevrolet rolled out some big changes to the fourth-generation Chevy Camaro when it debuted in 1993, and one of the biggest was to its birthplace. After 25 years of American production, Camaro manufacturing moved to Sainte-Thérèse, in the Canadian province of Quebec, and remained there for the rest of the car’s life cycle. Then, even when the all-new fifth-generation Camaro was reborn in its current configuration, it continued to be made north of the border, at the General’s award-winning facility in Oshawa, Ontario.

But now, the Camaro’s Canadian construction is coming to an end, as GM recently announced that the car’s next generation will be built at its Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Mich. According to the automaker, the business case for the move is based on the lower capital investment required to build the Camaro in Lansing, as well as increased production efficiencies that will result from assembling the iconic sports car at the same facility responsible for the Cadillac ATS and Cadillac CTS—since all three vehicles leverage high-performance, rear-wheel-drive platforms.

Chevy has yet to announce specific timing details, but most observers believe the next fully redesigned Camaro will show up at dealerships late in 2015, which means Lansing Grand River would have to start building the cars quite a few months before that.

It’s also worth pointing out that, despite the hubbub about the fate of Oshawa, GM also had recently invested $185 million in the plant to build the 2013 Cadillac XTS and the all-new 2014 Chevy Impala. Further, the General has given the current Impala an extended lease on life for fleet and rental customers, so that car will remain on the Oshawa line until June of 2014.

Perhaps more importantly, GM also reaffirmed it would “continue to meet the production targets agreed to with the Canadian and Ontario governments during the 2009 restructuring.”

Checking in with the 2013 Chevy Camaro

The 2013 Chevy Camaro remains in good hands at Oshawa, where team members are now implementing a wide range of upgrades for the new model year. Among them:

• A new color-touch audio system is standard on LT, SS and ZL1 models and features the Chevy MyLink connectivity and infotainment setup; drivers soon will be able to add GPS navigation functionality to the system, too.
• All Camaros configured with the six-speed manual transmission gain standard hill-start assist as well as the same aggressive shift-knob design that launched on the range-topping ZL1.
• For drivers who prefer automatic transmissions, 1LT and 1SS Camaros will provide standard remote start.
• The Camaro SS gains variable-effort electric power steering, with manually transmissioned variants offering a dual-mode exhaust system.
• Designers have fine-tuned the looks of the 2013 Camaro with touches like a frameless rearview mirror, fresh wheel designs, Mojave leather cabin accents and a new exterior color—Blue Ray Metallic

Leveraging a lineup that also includes the fastest, most powerful member ever—the Camaro ZL1, in both coupe and convertible formats—the 2013 Chevy Camaro is on sale now with an MSRP that starts at $23,345.