The 2008 Camaro Concept Vehicle

The all new pimped out, totally redesigned Chevrolet Camaro won't go on sale until the first quarter of 2009. It will use a rear-wheel-drive chassis being developed in Australia for use by GM's Holden brand headquartered there. A V-6 and a V-8 engine will be offered. The car will use a modern independent rear suspension instead of the bumpy-riding, tricky-handling solid-axle design of the original. The new car is meant to be a "modern interpretation of the 1969 model, considered by many to be the best design of the car's first generation," said Ed Welburn, GM's global vice president of design.

While industry experts applaud the decision as evidence the automaker is listening to its consumers, General Motors still faces the challenge of getting products on the market faster than its competition. The Camaro will hit the market three years after its unveiling in Detroit. The Dodge Challenger, another retro-style muscle car, also was introduced at the Detroit show and is due in showrooms in 2008. Challenger uses a chassis already in production, shortening development time.