Like the Mustang before it, the original Camaro maintained a persona associated with the likes of Mark Donahue, Roger Penske, and both SCCA and IROC associations. And then something happened. Maybe it was the ungainly rubber bumpers. Or perhaps it was just how simple it was to add shackle extenders to the back end, along with big meats and maybe some Krylon flames. Whatever the reason, the Camaro became the poster car for PBR-drinkers the world over.

Now I know what you’re saying, the third and fourth generation of GM’s bow tied F-body was NOT just about the mullet, and in fact they were just shy of the Corvette in the pantheon of American performance. And to that, I call Bull shite as the Scots are wont to say. Look, the Camaro lost its way, and for a while there it attempted to lure the ‘Vette over to the dark side as well. Unlike the Mustang which Ford has cultured almost without exception from its birth, Chevy seemed to eager to disown its pony car, even sending it to the cornfield for a while.

But you can’t kill a hero, and the Camaro rose from the grave a couple of years back, resplendent in first-gen evoking bodywork and a mechanical resume that puts even its cross-town rival to shame. After all, what red neck worth his bootleg Skynyrd cassettes would drive something with independent rear suspension? But what of the future of Chevy’s current take on the pony? Will the new Camaro suffer the same fate as its mid-life progenitors? What do you think, has the current Camaro escaped becoming a  mullet-mobile? Or, is it all business in front and . . . well, you know?   

Image: [pelicanparts]