Spy photos: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro test mule spotted

Maybe I'm just getting old but I'd like to see Chevy build the car above. The idea of a plain jane white 4 door Chevy that's a high performance Camaro under the skin is way cooler then a flashy Camaro image car.

When did I miss the news of a Lumina SS coming out??!! I had not heard anything about that until I saw this "mule"

Maybe Ed meant the Impala but got really excited at the idea that it was a Camaro test mule. :o)
 
firstwagon, you're not getting old. I'm 26 and really like that car above too! That would make for an awesome Impala SS compared to the current (weak sauce) FWD offering.

isnt that somewhat like the pontiac g8?

It's a Holden VE Commodore SS down under, mates.

Is it me or is this car REALLY narrow?

Wish I had this Chevy in my driveway right now instead of my 2001 slow as dirt Chevy Malibu. Personally though this could be a camaro mule as the fake rear doors and the odd looking for a commodore exhausts suggests. it could be a vehicle that is testing something completely different. However Chevy should use the commodore platform for the new impala SS It would have much more muscle than the current SS and be much better in the looks department but of course people will cry foul for GM resorting to "badge engineering" but then again GM has been doing that for at least a couple decades now so people should get used to it

I think thats a holden, probably not a Camaro at all but a Chevy version of the G8 Pontiac coming out in spring.

Agreed, why would they go to the trouble of making a Chevrolet grill for a test mule? Wouldn't they normall just black that part out...unless this is the new Rwd Impala SS that is being worked on...

I'm with you, Miata...my money's on the Impala, not the Camaro. Check out the taillights, which are the same units as on the G8, or the proportions which all look familiar. If it is the Camaro, then Chevy's really stupid b/c they could've used a G8 body & attracted a whole lot less attention. But why camoflage that anyway? They've admitted they're producing it & it's already shown up in a movie, for Christ's sake. Why spend the cash to hide it? Nope, I don't think that's a Camaro at all.
 
Maybe it's a Caprice!

Well, like they've said before, I did a little research and found the Lumina to be a middle-east Holden-made Chevy. It would be nice as an Impala, but I heard they're actually using the Holden Caprice as the base for the Caprice/Impala RWD since they want it to be bigger (as in the last RWD C/I Cars)
 
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/jsp/campaigns/statesman_caprice/statesmanCapriceFrame.jsp

This is no Camaro mule. This is Chevy's future version of its Pontiac G8 brother. Possibly the next Impala or some revival of a classic. That is definitly no Camaro test mule. It could be as they will all (Impala, G8 and Camaro) share the same platform and engine selections, including the 6.0 V8, but it is a test mule for the next Chevy. Why else would GM bother to place chevy logos on a pontiac G8 sedan? It's like the Cobalt/G5.

ms3hothatch: Then why are there no handles on the rear "doors"?

GTO test mule with "suicide" rear doors ala the ext. cab silverado.
just a thought.
 
I think it's too small for the next Impala. It looks more than a foot too short.

If you scale it and compare to photos of the Pontiac G8, middle east-only Chevrolet Lumina or Australian Commodore SS (all the same car), the rear "doors" here are shorter than those cars' real rear doors, indicating a shorter wheelbase.
 
It's a mule hacked from the existing Lumina version, making the shared taillights and Chevy badges a convenient distraction for speculators like us. Those "doors" might be reverse-hinged access portals, but I think they are just filler panels. I seriously doubt we're looking at anything close to the final body.
 
I think the original guess is correct and the Australian Holden Monaro and the US-bound Chevrolet Camaro will share this shortened, two-door platform. I doubt we'll see the GTO again.
 
But doesn't there just HAVE to be a Firebird if there's a Camaro?

I throw my opinion out now. At first I was really thinking this was going to be the new Impala, since Pontiac is getting the G8 which looks almost identical except for having 4 full doors. So what else could it be? Well I haven't heard any rumors of it and its probably under everyones radar but seeing as how the Monte Carlo is like a shortened 2 door of the Impala why couldn't this new car be it?
 
Maybe they wanna finally seperate it in looks from the Impala and keep the Impala bigger since its going to be based off of another Holden platform that is a little larger and then they can just make this Monte Carlo 2 door with 2 suicide doors. That way they fill in the gap between the new Impala and the new Malibu. Just my thoughts on that.

Decent looking body style, but not Camaro test mule in my opinion, maybe Impala SS. I'm with bradjk, I think Pontiac GTO body with suicide doors.

The dual exhaust tip spacing is consistent with the Camaro. I would imagine at this early stage of development they want to test the particular suspension tuning for the Camaro on the appropriate wheelbase (both of which are different than the G8 and other Zeta, or whatever they call it now, vehicles). Obviously they don't want to bang up a production-based prototype body, and they also wouldn't want to show one this early when changes could still be made. It is therefore likely that this could be a suspension/drivetrain prototype that just needed a body that was mostly the right size to make it street legal and drivable. The Monte Carlo is officially being killed off, but I must say a GTO with two full and two half suicide doors sounds rather good to me. That would be practical and still sportier than a sedan.
 
Of course the best non-committal possibility is that this is just a test mule to play with all the different variations and configurations for all upcoming Zeta vehicles.

this doesn't even look like the old camaro it dosnt look very cool and i hope it has a good engine

Carcrazy, that isn't the new Camaro body. Go check out the page on the new Camaro. You have a LOT to catch up on. This is just a test mule for the mechanical components, using an existing GM body modified to just fit the new architecture.

The RX-8 didn't do so hot despite it's rear-hinged doors. I have similar aspirations for the Mini Clubman. I see no reason for Chevy to offer the same idea. Besides, there's no advantage for suicide doors on a sedan platform.
 
I'm baffled about those rear doors. I can't agree that this is a pure test mule because the fit'n'finish are too good. The lack of camo argues against this being a production prototype, though. The front clip looks like a finished product, yet the doors just don't fit. I'd say the body is intended purely to generate interest.
It's a publicity stunt.

Hey, if you guys haven't notice the Pontiac G8 design, then well I don't know. It is th new Chevy Impala SS.

I agree with estreka.

Is this where they're hiding the Fusion SVT???? Look WAAAY too much alike

I doubt that's the next Impala. It would have four full doors for sure.

The vehicle is not a Holden (technically) it's a Mid-Eastern Chevrolet Lumina SS. Pretty much the same as what will be our Pontiac G8.
 
So the Chevy bowtie wasn't made just for this Camaro mule. They just cut up a Lumina SS to test Camaro components.

my moneys on Monte carlo

I still highly doubt its the Monte. GM has stated that they are killing it off, which is the industry trend with large FWD coupes. It really serves no purpose. For people who want a larger sporty coupe, Chevy will soon have the Camaro. Makes sense to me.

Looks way better than the cartoony Camaro. By the time the actual car comes out the hype will be zilch. SO maybe GM is steering its efforts towards a more conventional rear drive car like a Monte or an Impala instead of wasting even more effort on a re-hashed 60's throwback?
 
2010 isn't exactly right around the corner either...

your right this is the imapla the new one this cant be the test mule for the camaro.

For everyone saying this is the Impala just because it doesn't look like the Camaro, be advised that mechanical test mules often only use whatever body is available at the time to fit over the chassis, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the body of the actual car that is having its mechanicals tested.

If Chevy and Pontiac can make a comeback why can`t Oldsmobile with the rebirth of the 442

Because Oldsmobile doesn't exist anymore....

To all you that are wondering about the mule there are more than one running around some with the chevy emblem and some with the holden emblems witch are right hand drive. The back doors are just filler panels and they have a v8 with the 6 speed manual trans and rwd. trust me I know they have the camaro drivetrain and suspention with 20inch low pro tires I drove one. They are not as fast as the dodge but getting close.

REMEBERED WHEN OPEL RACED GERMAN DTM.THEY USED THE ASTRA FRONT END. IT LOOKED FAR MORE STRIKING THAN OTHER 2 BRANDS COMPETING. I WANTED ONE IN PRODUCTION ROAD VERSION. ALL I COULD BUY WAS A 2.0L 4CYL FWD OPEL ASTRA COUPE. THAT WAS 5 YEARS AGO. I DREAMED OF THAT CAR ON A US V8 RWD PLATFORM THEN TO MATCH M,RS,AMG,SVT PERFORMANCE. HERE IT IS IN LIGHTER COUPE FORM. THE TIME IS NOW. PLEASE DO IT GM. AD SPORTSEATS AND GTO STYLE MIRRORS. HOW COULD ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING DESIGNS IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY WITH A CHEV V8 ENGINE IN RWD BE IMPRACTICAL.

The new camaro is great. That is the USA sticking to tradition and keeping the flame burning. It makes me feel at home.have you seen it in red. This car thow, is the chev lumina ss(holden) coupe. The runner up for the pontiac gto and holden monaro coupe. it will be available as the pontiac g8 coupe in the states, the monaro down under and the lumina ss in other parts of the world. maybe even an opel badge in germany. And ofcourse gm will test their new groceries from usa and down under on this new baby.maybe the germans will also assist. Make it very responsive on the steering,lighter, great suspension and lay it down on nice rubbers. bump up the breaks. add sport seats and gto style mirrors. add dvd and bose sound.