The 2023 New York International Auto Show has eagerly shown that pony cars are not dead just yet if we are to believe the S650 Dark Horse Ford Mustang. On the other hand, the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro might feel different.
The Blue Oval head honchos have played what is possibly one of their final ICE-powered trick cards, and the seventh generation of the iconic Mustang will go about its EcoBoost and Coyote V8 business as if nothing happened. Meanwhile, the Dodge Challenger’s fate hangs in the balance after production of the 2023 model year ends, and there will be no more ‘Last Call’ special editions left with dealerships.
That is because only the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept’s production version was shown to get the new nine levels of Banshee EV power and a fresh lease of zero-emissions life as it returns to the established coupe body style. As for the Chevy Camaro, the sixth-generation model is on life support with dismal sales, and General Motors has decided to pull the plug – at least for the time being – with an upcoming 2024 model year Collector’s Edition.
All that means one needs to go the way the Dearborn, Michigan-based second-largest U.S. automaker dictates from now on. However, if folks are okay with giving up the perks of buying a brand-new car, there are other solutions to the Mustang-Challenger-Camaro conundrum. For example, one could go vintage and acquire an original pony car. Then, if you do not want to live the 1960s lifestyle in terms of comfort, handling, and performance, you could also set on a journey of restomod discovery.
Oh, well, if anyone does not feel too secure about that just yet, we can always resort to the imaginative realm of digital car content creators to attempt and calm our anxiety down. Ups, maybe I said that all wrong, since the 1969 Chevy Camaro we are about to discuss is not exactly mild and relaxing. More like it’s ready to pump adrenaline with jet-engine pressure instead. And it is all thanks to Emmanuel Brito, the virtual artist tucked under the personalizatuauto moniker on social media, who takes us on a fresh journey of CGI discovery to the max!
As such, it comes along nicely, complete with an extreme widebody kit featuring some of the fattest and juiciest CGI fenders we have seen lately. Plus, the restomod vibes are supported by the LED head and taillights, there are lots of exposed carbon fiber aerodynamic elements, along with crimson details to properly contrast the black carbon fiber plus the Satin White body treatment. Last but not least, the rear diffuser, the massive and intricate rear wing, the mesh-style grille and fender vents, along with the dark fat-lipped BBS-style aftermarket wheels, show this project would mean some monster V8 business, if ever real.
Alas, if you want something modern, we still have a digital solution – this time from the General Motors Design Center’s social media page, which recently came out with a “ridiculously juicy – athletic and bold sketch” envisioned by their designer Gary Ruiz. Untitled yet hinted in the hashtags as part of the Chevy stable, this ideation sports car sure looks like a mid-engine affair. And, along with the V-shaped rear window, the mystery is not hard to decipher as an idealized version of ‘America’s sports car,’ aka the Chevrolet Corvette. Who knows, maybe the upcoming C9 will be inspired by this after it has run its natural C8 Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray course?
