New 2009 Chevrolet Camaro heading for UK in 2010

The new Chevrolet Camaro – set to be available in both coupe and convertible guise – is going to muscle in on the European sports coupe scene dominated by the likes of the BMW M3, Honda S2000, Lotus Elise, Mercedes-Benz CLK, Nissan 350Z and Porsche Boxster as early as 2010, according to respected manufacturer sources in Europe.

The fastest growing brand on the continent in 2007 with 440,000 sales to its burgeoning name, Chevrolet intends to strengthen its vice-like grip by adding something a little less wholesome to its deck of playing cards. With the majority of its current pack being re-badged Daewoo models like the Matiz, Kalos and Lacetti - with all the visual arrest of chicken pox – the US car maker believes it's touch-down time for the big-lunged 400bhp, 6.0-litre Camaro.

Therefore coupes will start appearing in 2010, with convertibles popping up later that year. Prices and exact spec are still open to speculation, but those who insist it'll be more than the £35,695 Vauxhall VXR8, are probably onto something.

It's Chevrolet Europe's excited CEO who has put fans of all things brightly painted and beautifully loud out of their misery only this week by hollering that Europe is set to embrace an armada of right-hooking Camaros within two years. By 2010, up to 1,000 Camaro coupes and a further 1,000 Camaro convertibles will hit European shores, with the UK set to collar its fair share. Unless the voting system is comparable to the Eurovision Song Contest, and based on the principles that ignorance of UK existence is bliss.

Anyway, providing all goes to plan, 600 units of 400bhp, 6.0-litre Camaro – 300 fixed and 300 none-fixed roof variant - will be officially imported to Britain thereafter, if word from senior Chevrolet sources is anything to go on.

Those of British passport who like their shirts plaid and their music bluegrass will have their first opportunity to sneak a peek at the new Camaro at this years British Motor Show in July, where the US auto-maker is planning on having a large presence. What will also become clearer, is whether or not Chevrolet will host its badgework on the new Camaro's fender, as opposed to opting for it to be a stand alone brand, a la the Corvette.

Chevrolet, prior to a hasty rethink, was umming and ahhing about sticking its corporate moniker to the Camaro's snout as it didn't want to alienate its 'budget-conscious' European customer base by implying that it was going upmarket. Right up until a recent brainstorming session that perversely concluded its new, rapidly expanding range could sustain such a flippant inclusion.

So, if you like a bullish portion of meat with your two veg, then automotively-speaking the 2009 Camaro could be just the ticket once it's been lassoed by UK Chevrolet dealers.

Fast food doesn't get any quicker on its feet than the Chevrolet Camaro, nonetheless it's not all about in-your-face velocity. The canny 'small block' GM engine intuitively shuts down half of its cylinders once at cruising speed, returning fuel consumption of 30mpg. Yep, we'll be darned too.