Chevy replacing Impala with New Brand in 2013

[Setzer85fan]

Chevy to replace Impala in 2013 with another Chevy brand: Chevrolet is developing a new car with a new name for its 2013 NASCAR entry, replacing the Impala used by Team Chevy, and plans to eventually market and sell the new model to consumers. The dealership and racing versions of the car will be unveiled this year, after the New York auto show in April, spokesman Monte Doran said. The new car will use a nameplate not currently in Chevy's lineup. Neither the car nor its name will be a derivative of an existing one, such as the new Malibu or the upcoming redesigned Impala, Doran said. General Motors wouldn't reveal details. "We are keeping the wraps on the new car for now and will continue to prepare for next season by testing camouflaged vehicles," Jim Campbell, vice president of Chevrolet performance vehicles and motorsports, said in a statement. "We know that Chevrolet fans are eager to see the new race car, and we hope that the prospect of being able to own one just like it will make the wait a little more bearable."
The new car may be a version of the Chevy Caprice currently imported from Australia for U.S. police forces. Inside GM, a plan to develop a Chevy performance sedan like the Caprice for consumers was on-and-off in recent years because of concerns that it wasn't a high-profit vehicle, people familiar with the situation said. Australia's Holden brand currently offers consumers a variation on the U.S. Caprice. Along with developing the new performance sedan, GM is redesigning the current Impala, which will be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant and is expected to hit showrooms by spring 2013. The automaker is also rolling out a redesigned Malibu.(Detroit Free Press, more at MotorTrend and a past post at AutoWeek)(3-13-2013)

[Matito29]

Well that explains why they're waiting until after the auto shows later this year.

[Chris Owens]

Hopefully it's the Commadore.

[wdnewberry]

I'm actually bummed with this news. Of the current line up of Chevrolet cars, the Impala is the only one (other than the Corvette) that doesn't make me want to puke. I have the feeling that this new car, and the redesigned Impala, will take on similar styling cues as the Malibu and the Cruze. Gonna be waiting this unveiling with great anticipation, and a few antacid...

[WCPainter]

Damn...read the title and got really excited for the Camaro...oh well.

[Nitrous56]

Looking forward to seeing what they come up with and if they actually do offer a performance type street car.

[RobbyFan]

Calling it now,

[Chev_350]

But Mr Hendrick said it would be the Impala. He also said the #48 Daytona car was exactly the same as it raced last year....hang on....

I think rather than an import Commodore it would be a Commodore based car, made in North America. The dollar just isn't suited to importing a car from Australia anymore.

[RacerRon13]

Calling it now,

What is that thing? Whatever it is, I don't see that happening. Not enough rear area for downforce and the rear window slope seems too steep to be competitive.

[savyo4]

You know, Chevy did register the name "Nova" recently. How awesome would that be.

[Nextelracer]

I was hoping for a return of a proper V8 RWD Monte Carlo, but I guess not.

[Brandon Lutz]

Calling it now,

Doubtful. It is not a "full size" car. Plus that thing is hideous. Chevy needs to end their infatuation with this big ole grill thing they got going on with some of their cars. The engineer who pitched that idea and got them to hang on to it needs to be flogged.

This is coming from a die-hard Chevy guy btw.

[S_Gibson]

"we hope that the prospect of being able to own one just like it will make the wait a little more bearable."
(Detroit Free Press, more at MotorTrend and a past post at AutoWeek)(3-13-2013)

They didn't really say that did they?

Lol, "own one just like it".... Like all those people out there this morning buying all those 2 door Tauruses and Impalas? In the pre 90's you could buy a car from a dealership that was "just like it" in styling, but those days are gone and anyone that would buy a car because they slap a sticker on a template that says Impala, Camry, etc. is crazy. I always wanted a 1980's Monte Carlo SS for some reason. Maybe it is because it "looked" the same as what Dale Earnhardt drove. My father-in-law bought a Thunderbird Supercoupe because he liked the recognition it got with NASCAR. When I look at the track today i don't see anything resembling an Impala. Guess their are enough people with poor eyesight out there for them to think the NASCAR template motivates people to buy a certain car. Why not just have everyone sell the same car with a different sticker set?

I can remember when the Manufacturers Championship meant something. End of the season you were not only cheering for a driver, but you were hoping someone driving a certain make won also. Common templates made that so moot. An older couple at our church bought a nice Impala SS. When I saw it I didn't even think about NASCAR. It isn't even remotely the same. It was a great looking car they bought, but what is on the track last Sunday is not an Impala.

[savyo4]

I actually like the big front grills, though whatever that car pictured above is needs to never see the production line. I like the Malibu's look, along with the GMC Terrain & Sierra.

[Nathan_Drake]

They didn't really say that did they?

Lol, "own one just like it".... Like all those people out there this morning buying all those 2 door Tauruses and Impalas? In the pre 90's you could buy a car from a dealership that was "just like it" in styling, but those days are gone and anyone that would buy a car because they slap a sticker on a template that says Impala, Camry, etc. is crazy. I always wanted a 1980's Monte Carlo SS for some reason. Maybe it is because it "looked" the same as what Dale Earnhardt drove. My father-in-law bought a Thunderbird Supercoupe because he liked the recognition it got with NASCAR. When I look at the track today i don't see anything resembling an Impala. Guess their are enough people with poor eyesight out there for them to think the NASCAR template motivates people to buy a certain car. Why not just have everyone sell the same car with a different sticker set?

I can remember when the Manufacturers Championship meant something. End of the season you were not only cheering for a driver, but you were hoping someone driving a certain make won also. Common templates made that so moot. An older couple at our church bought a nice Impala SS. When I saw it I didn't even think about NASCAR. It isn't even remotely the same. It was a great looking car they bought, but what is on the track last Sunday is not an Impala.

Have you missed out on the fact that they're totally re-designing the bodies for all 4 makes so they actually resemble what's on the street?

[Eighty-One]

The Malibu is really the only car Chevy makes that doesn't look like an abortion that lived. The camero looks ok yet hideous at the same time, the impala is the furthest thing from a race car that I've ever seen. It screams nana getting groceries not racing. I hope this new car looks like a race car and has the spirit of one on the street. A retroish nova done like dodges challenger would be sweet

[LittleFan]

Calling it now II

[Kevin_McAdams]

The size of those lights makes me want to vomit..

[OverKill0421]

You know, Chevy did register the name "Nova" recently. How awesome would that be.

Nationwide?

[RacerRon13]

The size of those lights makes me want to vomit..

LOOK!!!! It's a flashlight on wheels!!!