Chevrolet claimed the Manufacturer’s Championship in the NASCAR Cup Series this year on the wheels of their iconic Camaro ZL1. But when the car brand announced their “new” Camaro for the 2026 Cup Series, fans quickly grew skeptical.
On Friday, NASCAR announced the introduction of a newly-designed Camaro for next season. Per Chevrolet’s announcement, “the racing version of the Camaro now features a larger hood dome, revisions to the front grille and redefined rocker panels. The automaker indicated that those design features align with the Carbon Performance Package Accessories Kit’s carbon-fiber pieces on the hood and rockers, plus a new grille and front splitter.”
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It’s a slight adjustment to the Next Gen version of the car that launched several years ago.
Fan criticism
Chevrolet officially discontinued the Camaro as a retail model two years ago. Despite car enthusiasts clamoring for Chevrolet to bring the Camaro back, the company has made no such announcement.
So in the wake of the news that this “new” Camaro is just a redesign of a NASCAR-exclusive car, fans got pretty heated that they had been misled into thinking a new floor model Camaro was on the way:
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“It’s literally the same car, after being told a new Chevy was on the way. Get ready for the same PR stunt with the playoffs too,” one user remarked.
“I’m a (Camaro) fan… but if it’s not sold anymore they shouldn’t be allowed to run it anymore,” another declared.
“So we took all the Camaro branding off for one year just to bring the Camaro back,” a third mocked.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 16: William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor Chevrolet, races Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Chris Graythen/Getty Images
“This feels like when the Browns unveiled their “New Logo” but just changed the shade of orange…”
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“All this hype for the same car and it’s not even a real production car. What a GM thing to do….”
Chevrolet was asked about the state of the Camaro as a production model and largely dismissed the question while reaffirming their commitment to being a NASCAR manufacturer.
“While we do not comment on future products, we can assure you we are working on what’s next for Chevrolet in NASCAR. Again, our commitment to competing in NASCAR remains steadfast,” the company said in a statement.
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So if you’re saving up for a new Chevrolet Camaro, keep on saving.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Nov 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
