Dealer guide reveals updates for the 2021 Chevy Camaro
Following emergency cosmetic updates to the Camaro’s beak, Chevrolet is refreshing the pony car with a host of equipment changes for the 2021 model year. A GM dealer order guide for the upcoming model year, which was first spied by gmauthority.com, showcases a variety of updates as well as a new gearbox for the high-powered, SS 1LE track rat.
On the mechanical side of the equation, the sublime V-8-powered SS equipped with the 1LE track package can now be had with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Previously, the SS 1LE was only available with a six-speed manual. We saw Chevy expand gearbox options last year on the bonkers Camaro ZL1 1LE package, adding a 10-speed automatic (the same co-developed unit that Ford uses on the F-150 Raptor) to the option list. While the two-pedal setup will most likely improve lap times in the SS 1LE, the manual still offers a more engaging driving experience, and we’d tick that box all day long.
Inside, the 2021 Camaro will now offer wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, freeing occupants of the need to plug into a USB cord to mirror their phone’s interface on the car’s infotainment screen. This update is especially welcome, given the fact that the Camaro’s bunker-like interior offers virtually nowhere to place a plugged-in phone, save for the cupholder.
For the Camaro’s exterior, a new extra-cost shade of red called Wild Cherry Tintcoat replaces the outgoing Garnet Red Tintcoat. Sadly, Rally Green Metallic—a very Chevy take on British Racing Green—has also disappeared from the order guide.
These changes arrive amidst rumors that the next-gen Camaro nameplate will possibly be delayed following the end of the current model’s lifecycle. (A vehicle that has been spanked on sales charts by the Mustang and overtaken by the muscle-focused Challenger.) Others have surmised that with GM’s recently announced electrification plan, the Camaro will live on as a high-performance EV.
In the meantime, Chevy soldiers on with a breath of new life into the Camaro, hoping these updates will help bring the fight against the Mustang (no, not that thing) and the Challenger. No details on pricing have yet been announced.
