Camaro convertible coming in Q1 2011, but no Camaro sedan or Regal GNX

General Motors recently had a Q and A session over at FastLane blog, and there were some interesting tidbits.

Specifically, CEO Fritz Henderson was asked if GM would build a credible contender to the BMW 3 series, like what GM had previously in the G8. Henderson responded, "[We] do not see a [four door] Camaro in our future. We will continue to look for performance opportunities across our lineup, including in sedans."

The good news concerns the convertible version of the Camaro, of which one participant said "Been patiently waiting for Camaro Convertible. Best guesses are 2012 model in 1st quarter of 2011. With surging popularity of this model is there any chance of GM considering a push for earlier release?" To which Henderson replies, "Good guess and no."

And surprisingly one person asked about a possible GNX version of the new back from the dead Buick Regal, to which Henderson responded "Think you will like what you see in the future Regal alternatives, but do not look for GNX." Bummer.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro news galore

With the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro set to hit the streets soon, there have been numerous news items surfacing regarding the new pony car, some good and some not so good. We decided to include all of them in one convenient post for your general consumption.

First up is the reveal of the order guide. GM officially started taking orders for the Camaro on October 13th of last year, but not all of the available options were finalized at the time. Some 40 pages long, the guide reveals every standard feature and available option for the Camaro.

After you're done chewing on the order guide for a while, you can head over to Chevy's website and use the Camaro configurator.

Next in Camaro news is word that the V6 model is rated at a miserly 29mpg highway. The direct injected 3.6L is also rated at an official 304 horsepower and is standard in the LS and LT models. City mileage is 18mpg, and both figures come from a six speed automatic equipped model (17mpg with a stick). V8 models are rated at 16mpg city and 25 highway (24 with the stick). For those interested (i.e. everyone), the SS has run an unofficial 4.7 second 0-60 time.

And finally, the bad news. The crew at the freshly-minted Detroit Bureau is reporting that while the Chevrolet Camaro has started rolling off off production lines, there are some serious hitches with future model plans that could result in a substantial delay – or outright cancellation – of two hotly-anticipated models.

According to Paul Eisenstein (veteran auto journalist and founder of TheCarConnection), the Camaro convertible and Z28 are both in jeopardy. As the story goes, budget crunches for both General Motors and its suppliers could grenade products that were seen as foregone conclusions.

For those waiting on a 'vert or a Z, you might want to plan on ponying up for a RS or SS and taking a look to the aftermarket for some upgrades.