GM has some promising plans for future models, including thereturn of a sedanin the Buick lineup, as well as the resurrection of one of the most glorious American muscle cars of all time, the Camaro. In terms of the latter, we’ve been dealt a distasteful blow in the form of a four-door body style instead of the historic two-door pony car format. And while mildly frustrating, it may not be as fatal a blow, since reports hint at a sleeker, less-traditional sedan. Reports also mention the inclusion of another key feature that may just make enthusiasts forget all about the abandonment of the coupe body.
The Next-Gen Camaro Will Sacrifice Its Two-Door Layout For Three-Pedal Gearing
According to GM Authority, the next-gen Camaro will offer a manual transmission option, along with the auto. This is huge, considering there aren’t many left globally. From American brands, only a few new models come with a manual. There are even fewer American performance cars with a stick — the Mustang, CT4-V Blackwing, and CT5-V Blackwing.
Sources place a six-speed unit between the axles. Depending on the engine that ends up motivating it, it will likely be the Tremec TR-3160 or TR-6060, found on the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing, respectively, as well as the sixth-generation manual Camaros. There’s also the new manual transmission that Tremec dropped in theirC8 Corvette SEMA build, though the aforementioned units and GM’s Alpha platform already have a thing going on.
Four Doors, But Not The Traditional Sedan Look
Sources report that the next-gen Camaro could very likely come back as a sedan, riding on an updated version of GM’s Alpha II platform, believed to be referred to as A2-2. Considering it will be riding on a platform whose predecessor carried both sedans and coupes, we’re hoping GM does the right thing and at least gives us both — like thecurrent-generation Dodge Charger. Regardless, sources say it will not wear the traditional three-box body seen on models like the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, as well as the majority of sedans on the road.
This could mean GM is going for a fastback sedan, or four-door coupe, as some manufacturers call it. Think Kia Stinger, Mercedes-AMG GT 53, or Porsche Panamera. This could work, though, personally, I find that four-door coupes have an inherently European flavor (similar to wagons) that may not resonate with American enthusiasts expecting a muscle car revival. The current-generation Charger offers its two- and four-door variants with a liftback instead of a traditional trunk, so we could see something in that ballpark that retains a bit of American styling. Either way, the option to row your own gears puts it in a more sacred category in 2026, as manuals have been hunted near extinction by the modern age of electrification and CVTs.
Why Camaro Fans Remain Nervous
It’s easy to get excited about a Camaro revival, though we still lack official word from GM, and without that, we’re speculating into infinity. We know that GM has all the ingredients to make it a modern masterclass in muscle, though ever-changing mandates and corporate greed could very easily replace our enthusiasm with an impostor — a sports car pretending to be atrue-blue American muscle car. We’ve seen it happen before, so we’re hoping GM is taking notes and chooses not to sabotage a legacy nameplate.
Sources: GM Authority, GM