Chevrolet Europe recently announced that it will stop selling its 6.2 liter V8 engine in Europe as of August 31, 2019. The company is unable to comply with current European emissions regulations.
The 460 horsepower 6.2-liter LT1 and 650 hp LT4 engines found in GM’s most muscular sports cars the Corvette and Camaro SS will no longer be available in the E.U. The current generation of each of these cars were launched in the E.U. back in 2011.
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E.U. Sales Ending for the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro
While demand for each of these models has never been extremely high in the European markets, Chevrolet is unwilling to make expensive modifications to the 6.2 liter V8 engine responsible for powering each of these cars.
According to CarSalesBase, Chevy sold just 1,758 Camaros in Europe in 2018. Likewise the company was only able to sell 557 Corvettes in the E.U. during the same time period. With sales volumes this low, it is easy to understand why the business case for complying with European emissions regulations simply does not make sense.
Those based in Europe that are interested in purchasing a Corvette or Camaro SS will still have a few months to secure one. However, after August 31st of this year, the only option will be to purchase a used model.
It is important to note that the Chevrolet V8 powered Corvette and Camaro will continue to be sold in Switzerland. Considered Chevrolet’s second largest European market, Switzerland is not a member of the E.U. and thus not subject to the same emissions regulations.
At this time, it is unclear if Chevrolet will seek to sell the next generation of the Corvette or Camaro in the European Union. The next Camaro is due in the middle of 2020 and at this time very little is known about it or its potential drivetrain. The mid engine eighth generation Corvette will be out sooner but it is not known if the company will seek to market this car outside of the American market.
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An Uncertain Future for GM’s Sports Cars in Europe
U.K. based GM Dealer Ian Motors released a statement regarding the Corvette and Camaro: “We’re thrilled to be able to offer the last opportunity to own a piece of history in Corvette and Camaro. Both models offer incredible value compared to many mid-market and commonplace sports cars, yet carry Chevrolet’s legendary 6.2-liter V8 block, which is arguably one of the world’s most successful performance engines.”
Source: Autoblog