Eckler Industries

An all-new Chevrolet Camaro is due out next year as a 2016 model, and it is expected to ditch its aging Zeta platform for a newer, lighter one that underpins the Cadillac CTS and ATS. Just don't expect the exterior to change all that much. Below is the current 2014 model.

A new report in Edmunds says the 2016 Camaro will hardly sport the radical redesign that its chief competitor the 2015 Ford Mustang received. Instead, will sport an exterior design that is "evolutionary, not revolutionary," according to an industry source who has seen the new Camaro.

In the wake of the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum, Fastlane has taken the time to reflect on the iconic cars damaged in the destruction. The latest article spotlights the 1 millionth and 1.5 millionth Corvettes.

The 1-millionth Corvette is a 1992 convertible born around 2pm on July 2nd. This vehicle was modeled after the first Corvette built in 1953 – a convertible clothed in white and stitched with a red interior. Prior to birth, the decision was made was to give it to the Corvette Museum Foundation, with the sale of the “one-millionth plus one” Corvette to be auctioned with the proceeds going to the National Corvette Museum.

My first memory of a classic was in the fall of late 1954. My dad bought a 1955 Pontiac two-door sedan and my uncle Ted bought a 1955 Sport Coupe with Power Pack. The first thing Uncle Ted did was put Smithy’s on his Chevy. For the younger classic lovers, Smithy’s are 50s style glass packs, I’ll never forget that sound!  Every time these two cars were in the same town of Burlington, Washington, the race was on.

Tom Panaseny grew up on Long Island, NY helping his Dad work on the family cars. In 1969, his neighbor drove home in a new 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car - white with orange stripes and orange interior. Tom thought it was the coolest car he’d ever seen. It made a lasting impression, and started his love of Camaros.

Money was tight in the early ’70s, so Tom’s first cruiser ended up being a tired old ’64 Mustang, beat up from many years enduring NY winters. It did not take long though, before Tom joined his Chevelle and ’Cuda driving friends and built a total performance 1923 T-bucket with blown 350, and “all of the good stuff.” Talk about one extreme to another!

Construction crews at the National Corvette Museum have recovered the 1984 PPG Pace Car from the facility’s sinkhole, making it the fifth vehicle to be extracted. Unfortunately, the car was chopped by a large slab of concrete, and is in worse shape than any of the four vehicles extracted before it.

Chevrolet Performance, the high-performance parts division of Chevrolet, has announced that it will increase its contingency payouts to those who race in NHRA-sanctioned events using Chevrolet Performance parts while displaying the brand’s decals.

Says Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, “Chevrolet has a long history of supporting NHRA drag racers and our 2014 contingency program rewards sportsman and Pro Stock racers for top performances. When you race with Chevrolet Performance parts and display our decals, you are eligible for a contingency payout that can be reinvested in your race team.”

Vehicle extraction efforts at The National Corvette Museum had a lucky break today, when construction crews were able to resurrect the Millionth Corvette from the depths of the facility’s sinkhole.

At first, construction crews had no intention of pulling the Millionth out, but decided to give it a try as they saw the vehicle at the bottom of the hole.

“Initially there was no intention to bring the Millionth out, but as we got in there and saw more this morning we did feel like this might be our best chance,” said Danny Daniel, President of Scott, Murphy and Daniel Construction.

The crews first pulled the car by one wheel from where it was lodged, which swung the vehicle into the cavern. From there, they were able to lift it and place it to rest upside down on the bottom of the sinkhole. Then, the Corvette was hooked up by its two tires to be lifted out of the sinkhole, a process similar to that used to retrieve the 1993 40th Anniversary.

Unlike the Blue Devil ZR1 that was retrieved in overall great shape, a 1993 ruby red 40th anniversary Corvette didn’t fare so well. The body panels and window glass need replacing, but the vehicle is salvageable, Chevrolet spokesman Monte Doran said.

The frame looked to be "pretty straight," the underbody appeared intact and the steering gear worked, he said.

"Mechanically, it looks to be in remarkably good shape," Doran said. Chevrolet will oversee restoration of all eight cars damaged Feb. 12 when the earth opened beneath a display area while the museum was closed. No injuries were reported.

As the rescue operation began, workers in a cage were lowered to hook straps around the cars before they were hoisted out. The hole is about 40 feet across, museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli said.