GM Files Trademark for 'Panther' Name, Sparking Speculation on Camaro Successor
General Motors has filed a trademark for the Panther name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and it has again sent the rumor mills into overdrive about the revival of the Camaro sports car. Panther was the codename for the original Camaro during development, and a panther resurfaced in the Camaro Collector's Edition's logo. We don't think a Camaro revival is in the cards, so what is Panther all about then?
GM has said there's simply no business case for a new Camaro, but Panther could still bring some excitement in the form of a smaller and more affordable sports car in the mold of the Toyota GR86. This would be much cheaper to develop than a real V8 pony car, but profit margins will also be slimmer, which is why Toyota shares the development costs of its sports cars with other automakers - Subaru in the case of the GR86 and BMW in the case of the GR Supra.
It's not easy making a business case for sports cars these days. The Camaro went out of production in December 2023, and in its last model year on the market, Chevrolet sold only 6,000 of them, down from a high point of 70,000 in 2016. In fact, so slow was the stock to deplete that some dealers still had new Camaros left on the lot in February 2025. A trademark application doesn't mean much either, as GM has also filed a trademark for Pontiac recently, and that doesn't mean the brand is being revived.
A compact sportster on a shared platform could happen, but we don't know how GM will make it work in the current climate, and the way the market is leaning toward EVs. The next Camaro was envisioned as an electric sedan back in 2021, and this could still be a possibility, though we shouldn't be surprised if it morphs into an SUV, the way Ford has done with its Mustang Mach-E and the new Capri. An electric crossover called the Panther would certainly be less controversial than the hallowed Camaro name on an SUV.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Influencer Had Her Camaro ZL1 Stolen Ahead of Diecast Release Event
On Saturday afternoon, Autumn Spooner, an Arizona-based content creator, was scheduled to attend a car meet to promote her custom diecast of her beloved, metallic purple-wrapped 2018 Camaro ZL1. Unfortunately, the night before the meet at 4:19 PST, her car was stolen. Spooner was boarding her flight when she got the news that her car had been stolen after being dropped off in Costa Mesa, California. She shared the news with her followers across her social media channels. "My Camaro got stolen today," Spooner said. "I was on the flight to come here and pick it up, and as I was boarding my plane, I got a call that my Camaro was stolen, which definitely was not the call I wanted to get, ever. That's all I know as of right now." Several photos and videos have been shared with Spooner and authorities of the car being driven around Southern California, unwrapped to make it harder to track down. While the thieves took the time to unwrap the car, remove the plates, the dash cam, and the OnStar. They kept her Instagram handle displayed. "You guys have seen it out on the road a few times," Spooner said. "Last I knew, it was unwrapped; they literally took the whole wrap off. No plate on it, but they did leave my Instagram handle. Love that for me." The event, Homecoming 3, was intended to be a celebration of the car that got Spooner into auto content creation, as she unveiled a 1:24-scale die-cast of her car for purchase through Jada Toys. Jada Toys shared on Facebook, offering condolences to Spooner and providing information about the theft for those in the area. We want to send our deepest apologies to [Autumn Spooner], as we regret to inform everyone that her Camaro was stolen in Costa Mesa, California, during our setup for Homecoming 3. Spooner shared an update on her Instagram story that she might skip the event as she continues to deal with the aftermath of her stolen vehicle. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Motor Trend
a day ago
- Motor Trend
2026 Chevrolet Tahoe Review: Expert Insights, Pricing, and Trims
The Tahoe may be the Chevrolet Suburban's little sibling, but it remains one of the most recognizable American three-row SUVs available today. Carrying on a legacy of size and spaciousness, the 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe is expected to return with few changes after a major refresh for 2025. Rivals to the 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe include the Ford Expedition, Jeep Wagoneer, and Toyota Sequoia. What's New Fresh from last year's major update, we're expecting the 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe to carry over with only slight changes. For 2025, Chevy overhauled its full-size SUV with new front and rear fascia with available animated lighting. A 24-inch wheel option became available for those who want a flashy look straight from the factory. Cypress Gray and Lakeshore Blue Metallic paint colors were added as optional shades. Inside the cabin, Chevy improved the interior with larger screens and nicer materials. Along with the new tech, Chevy adds its Connected Camera feature for remote vehicle monitoring. This page will be updated with more insights and photos as information becomes available. What We Think GM offers the last non-luxury SUV with V-8 engines, making the 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe an outlier in its segment. Eight-cylinder power has its advantages—the Tahoe sounds awesome, has plenty of low-end grunt, and its towing performance is strong. Still, there are good reasons Chevy's competitors have moved on to twin-turbo V-6 engines. The Tahoe is inefficient and doesn't gain a competitive edge in terms of acceleration or capability with a V-8 under the hood. Things improve with the diesel engine, which is smooth, efficient, and torque-rich. Though the post-refresh Tahoe rides better than before, some models still err on the firm side, especially those with the standard coil springs and passive dampers. Models with adaptive dampers or air suspension are your best bet, especially if you avoid the available 24-inch wheels. The new interior, introduced for 2025, is dramatically improved over the pre-refresh model's cabin. New screens and better materials make the inside of the Tahoe a far better place to spend time. Super Cruise hands-free driving eases the burden of cross-country driving. Getting the right Tahoe is tricky. If you opt for the diesel engine and air suspension, and stay away from the 24-inch wheels, you'll find yourself in a solid full-size SUV. Top-Ranked Competitors: Jeep Wagoneer Chevrolet Suburban GMC Yukon Ford Expedition MotorTrend Tested The 2026 Tahoe carries over with a 10-speed automatic transmission for all models, with standard rear-wheel drive and available four-wheel drive. The entry-level engine should continue to be a 5.3-liter V-8 developing 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration from 0–60 mph should take just over 7.0 seconds, which is in the same ballpark as a 2023 Tahoe Z71 we previously tested that managed a time of 7.3 seconds. Chevy offers a 6.2-liter V-8 engine as an upgrade, with output totaling 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. When we tested a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe High Country with this engine, we managed the 0–60 mph dash in 6.3 seconds. A Duramax diesel 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six is also expected to return with 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. Diesel models accelerate from 0–60 mph in just over 8.0 seconds. MPGs and Range We're expecting the 2026 Tahoe to have similar fuel economy as that of the 2025 model. The EPA rates the 2025 Tahoe with the base 5.3-liter V-8 engine at 14–15/18–20 mpg city/highway with rear-wheel drive and 15/19-20 mpg with four-wheel drive. Range is 384–408 miles. The available 6.2-liter V-8 nearly matches the efficiency of the 5.3-liter engine. With rear-wheel drive, the 6.2-liter Tahoe returns 15/20 mpg. Four-wheel drive variants are rated at 14/18 mpg. Like the 5.3-liter Tahoe, models with the 6.2-liter engine are rated at 384–408 miles of range. Diesel power is the most efficient way to go when configuring the Tahoe. The straight-six is good for 20/26 mpg city/highway and 528 miles of combined city/highway range. Safety Features Every 2026 Tahoe gets Chevy Safety Assist on all trims. Additionally, General Motors' Super Cruise hands-free driving will likely return for the LT, RST, Premier, and High Country trims. Front automatic emergency braking for vehicles and pedestrians Lane departure warning Lane keeping assist Automatic high beams Cargo Space and Interior Room The 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe carries over with the same interior dimensions as the prior model year. That means the Chevy compares favorably against the Ford Expedition. The Suburban, essentially an extra-long Tahoe, has much more cargo volume. Technology Infotainment The 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe has an 11.0-inch driver display and a 17.7-inch touchscreen with Google built-in functionality. Google Maps, the Google Play store, and Google Assistant voice commands are included, as are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Chevy includes other desirable features as standard, like a 360-degree camera and USB ports in every row. Available tech includes a wireless charger, a digital rearview mirror, and a head-up display. Sound System A six-speaker sound system is standard on lower trims. Those desiring improved audio quality should upgrade to a higher trim to get the Bose 10-speaker arrangement. Chevy's Connected Camera System Remote monitoring is likely to return for the 2026 Tahoe with Chevy's Connected Camera System. You can use the MyChevrolet app to access the Tahoe's interior and exterior cameras to check on your car and its surroundings. Value Standard Features Should the 2026 Tahoe arrive as a carryover model, the list of standard equipment will continue to be very appealing. A V-8 engine sets the full-size SUV apart from rivals. Other default mechanical features include independent multilink rear suspension and a 10-speed automatic. 18-inch wheels are standard. Inside the cabin, the 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe is expected to come equipped with an 11.0-inch driver display and a 17.7-inch infotainment display with Google built-in software. Other standard tech includes the Chevy Safety Assist suite, a 360-degree camera, and Chevy's Teen Driver monitoring program. Recommended Trim We expect the 2026 Chevy Tahoe to return with six trim levels: LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier, and High Country. Pricing begins in the low-$60,000 range for the entry-level LS trim with rear-wheel drive and climbs to about $80,000 for the top-end High Country model. Our pick is the Z71 trim, which looks good and is well-equipped with standard four-wheel drive, skidplates, red recovery hooks, and 20-inch wheels. Pricing for this trim begins in the low-$70,000 range. Though off-road-oriented, the Z71 model is a solid all-rounder, especially when equipped with the available Adaptive Air Ride suspension.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
Ford Stock (NYSE:F) Gains with Better Access to Rare Earths
One of the biggest supply chain problems for companies like legacy automaker Ford (F) is the access to rare earth minerals of the kind commonly used in electric vehicles. But a new report says that getting those rare earths out of one of their biggest sources, China, will actually be a little easier now. That news made investors breathe a little easier themselves, and shares were up nearly 2% in Friday afternoon's trading. Confident Investing Starts Here: China has brought out a set of temporary export licenses, reports note, which will offer up access to rare earths for each of the Big Three automakers, which include General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (STLA) as well. Reports note that at least some of the licenses are valid for the next six months, which should keep the lot of them in rare earths for some time to come. But it was hard not to notice that this change came just after a recent phone call between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, suggesting that that was part of some larger deal between the two. The move to restrict the supply of rare earth minerals has left many companies scrambling to fill in the supply gaps, and left many considering China a major bottleneck in the supply chain. With China producing about 90% of the world's supply, it is clear that they have the whip hand when it comes to these elements. We're All Getting Concerned About These Recalls You have likely noticed by now that the news around here, when it comes to Ford, seems to reference 'recall' a lot lately. Granted, some of these recalls have been minor to say the least; recalls that impact a handful of cars, or that are fixed with a software update. But not all of them have been so trivial, and some are starting to wonder if Ford's quality issues are starting to flare back up again. Daniel Ives, analyst with Wedbush Securities—who has a four-and-a-half star rating on TipRanks—recently noted that Ford was in a 'code-red situation…after a disaster quarter.' Rising warranty costs connected to all these recalls were hurting Ford, much as they did last year at this time. And with more recalls seeming to crop up, that could indeed prove a problem. However, bear in mind that the recalls are not all problems, especially when software is involved. So while Ford's recall count is on the rise, many of these recalls are much more simply addressed than they once were. Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, 12 Holds and three Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 16.87% loss in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $9.71 per share implies 5.18% downside risk.
