What It Iscars worth waiting forThe Chevrolet Camaro is poised to return to battle the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Charger after a brief hiatus. We expect the Camaro to continue as a two-door sports car, although it's possible that Chevy will also offer a four-door version, like Dodge does with the Charger. Regardless, the 2+2 seating arrangement should continue, with the back seats once again best suited to kids or brief trips for adults. We also think the seventh-generation Camaro will adopt a fastback design, with a sloping roofline that incorporates a hatchback and recalls the third- and fourth-gen Camaros. Why It MattersThe original Chevy Camaro debuted for the 1967 model year as a natural rival to the hugely popular Mustang. While the nameplate went into hibernation between 2003 and 2009, the Camaro's fifth generation made a triumphant return for the 2010 model year, and the sixth-gen car followed six years later. Despite all of its accolades, including multiple 10Best awards, sales eventually began to slide, and it withered on the vine until GM ultimately axed the Camaro after the 2024 model year. This introduced a gaping hole in Chevy's performance arsenal, leaving the Corvette as the bowtie brand's most affordable sports car, albeit with a $72,000-plus starting price. The Camaro's revival will bring a more attainable performance machine to Chevrolet showrooms, and it will also demonstrate GM's commitment to internal-combustion power.PlatformThe 2028 Camaro will ride on an updated version of the Alpha platform, which underpinned the previous Camaro as well as the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans. This reworked Alpha 2 platform will also spawn a new CT5 and a new Buick sedan. Previous reports suggested that the Camaro could use the VSS-R platform found beneath the second-gen Cadillac CT6 sold in China, but we think GM is instead overhauling the Alpha architecture that has already proven itself in the CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5-V Blackwing, both 10Best-winning sports sedans.The Alpha 2 platform is set up for front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles, and we expect the new Camaro will stick to its RWD roots. Still, we think there's a chance Chevy offers all-wheel drive, since it's available on the current CT4 and CT5. Having an AWD option on the next Camaro would also likely help boost sales in areas with cold-weather climates. Plus, an all-wheel-drive Camaro would better compete with the Charger, giving it a leg up on the Mustang too.2028 Chevrolet Camaro renderPowertrainThe new Camaro will pack internal-combustion engines under the hood, and we expect the base powertrain to be a turbocharged inline-four to maintain an affordable entry price and rival the four-cylinder Mustang. The Camaro will likely use a version of the turbocharged 2.7-liter four currently found in the CT4, since it's already compatible with the Alpha platform. In the CT4-V, it produces 325 horsepower and 380 pound-feet, but in the Chevy Silverado and Colorado trucks, it delivers up to 430 pound-feet.Thankfully, the Camaro will also feature an optional V-8. We expect it to borrow the new LS6 6.7-liter small-block engine that debuts in the 2027 Corvette Stingray and Grand Sport. The LS6 produces 535 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque in the Vette, which would be a healthy increase over the last Camaro SS. High-performance variants are surely in the pipeline, and given the Camaro's history of adopting the Corvette's powertrains, we think the Vette's optional 5.5-liter V-8 could power a future ZL1 or Z/28.In terms of transmissions, a 10-speed automatic seems likely, but we're praying that Chevy also offers a six-speed manual as it did in the last Camaro and currently does in both the CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5-V Blackwing.The new 6.7-liter V-8 from the Corvette could find its way under the Camaro's hood.There's a small chance Chevy offers a V-6 engine between the four-cylinder and V-8, as it did on the last generation, but we think there's a strong likelihood that Chevy skips this middle ground to reduce complexity. We don't expect to see an electric Camaro, given the struggles of the Dodge Charger Daytona, which has seen its sales fall even lower after the arrival of its gas-powered alternative.CompetitionThe Camaro will go head to head with its longtime rival, the Ford Mustang, and the latest Dodge Charger. Shoppers might also consider sports cars like the 400-hp Nissan Z and the 473-hp BMW M2.What Might Go WrongThe Chevy faithful will have big expectations, and GM will need to execute the Camaro perfectly if it wants to be competitive in the shrinking sports-car segment. Not offering a manual transmission or a V-8 would surely turn off many enthusiasts, and keeping the base price affordable will be crucial. Plus, a Camaro needs to look cool, and a botched design could prove to be an immediate turnoff for muscle-car shoppers.Estimated Arrival and PriceThe Camaro will be built alongside its Cadillac and Buick platform-mates at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Michigan, with production set to begin in late 2027. It will likely go on sale for the 2028 model year.We think Chevy will try to keep the base price fairly attainable, to help distinguish the Camaro from Chevy's other sports car, the Corvette. We expect that a four-cylinder Camaro will start around $40,000, while a V-8 model will likely start over $50,000.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.
