Chevrolet Press Conference - Remarks by Mark Reuss at the 2013 New York Auto Show

NEW YORK--March 27, 2013: Mark Reuss, president, General Motors North America, addressed news media, March 27, as he revealed the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro at the New York International Auto Show, Jacob Javits Center.

Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us on a very special afternoon for Chevrolet. You'll see just how special it is in a few moments…

It's actually been a special year for Chevrolet. Last year it was the winningest brand in motorsports, and the best-selling performance brand in the showrooms of America.

On the track, Chevrolet is the only brand in the U.S. to compete in stock car, open wheel, and sports car racing.

Last year, we swept the manufacturers championships for NASCAR, IndyCar, and American LeMans Series.

We kicked off this year's season by winning the first races in NASCAR, IndyCar, and American LeMans.

And every weekend we take what we learned on the track, and apply it to the cars you can buy in our dealerships… which helps explain why Chevrolet accounted for one out of every four performance cars sold last year.

In 2012, Camaro was the best-selling performance car in the United States.... for the third year in a row. Corvette outsold its closest rival nearly two to one.

In the past four months, we have been very busy at Chevrolet.

On December 13, we showed that Chevrolet performance doesn't always mean racing, sometimes it means good old-fashioned hard work, as we introduced the new Silverado.

Exactly one month later, I had the pleasure and thrill to help introduce the all-new, seventh-generation Corvette Stingray, a Corvette more closely linked to the race program than ever before.

Several of our latest track-tested technologies combine to make this the most powerful, most capable, and most fuel-efficient standard Corvette ever made.

In February, we introduced the SS performance sedan at the Daytona International Speedway, the first rear-drive sedan Chevrolet has offered in 17 years.

It's also the only rear-drive, V8-powered production car competing in NASCAR.

At the Daytona 500, the SS qualified for seven of the top eight spots,

and took the checkered flag with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel.

Earlier this month we unveiled the Corvette Convertible, which delivers the same performance of the coupe, adding the thrill of an open-air driving experience.

This convertible has an identical power to weight ratio, and identical

chassis tuning, as the hard-top model -- a result of uncompromised body structure.

And here in New York, we ' re introducing another new performance car, the 2014 Camaro.

The new Camaro has a redesigned exterior that incorporates some things we learned -- where else? -- at the track, where it competes in the NASCAR Nationwide series and Grand Am.

The front fascia has a larger lower opening for improved cooling and reduced drag.

The rear has also been redesigned for improved aerodynamic balance.

Camaro SS models also have a functional hood vent that reduces lift for increased stability at high speeds.

Inside, the new Camaro has new performance seats from Recaro, a name synonymous with racing seats.

We think this car will help 2013 be another great year for Camaro, just as we think it will be for Chevrolet.

Simply put, no other brand can match this performance lineup.

If you're looking for a world-class two seat sports car; a powerful V8 sport sedan, or a two-plus-two pony car, well, Chevrolet has 'em all.

And for any other brand, that may be enough. More than enough.

But we're Chevrolet... and we've got something very, very special to show you right now…

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the return of the legendary Chevrolet marque, the Camaro Z28.

This is for all of us who want a Camaro that's absolutely built for the track. And I don't mean just built for speed.

This is not simply a straight-line 0-60 drag strip car, although you can use it for that as well.

This car is set up for track perfection, just like the original Z28.

It has a high-revving, naturally aspirated, small-block LS7 V-8 with an estimated 500 HP, and 470 lb ft of torque.

It has standard differential cooler, transmission cooler, brake coolers and carbon-ceramic brakes made specifically for track use without fade.

And we took a lot of weight out of this car.

We ripped out the trunk carpet and insulation.

We installed thinner glass for the rear window.

We made air conditioning optional.

And we removed all the speakers but one. I wanted to take them all out, but you have to leave one so you can hear the seat-belt chime.

If you want a street-legal track car… and I know not everyone does, but if you do, this is the car for you.

I know it's the car for me, and I think a lot of other people are going to love it too, once they drive it. It's the real deal.

It is the defining performance point for the gen-five Camaro, and it's straight out of the legend of Mark Donahue 302 engines, acid dipped panels, and all the Trans Am racers.

I couldn't be more excited about it.

Above all, it's Chevrolet performance.

Together with the new Camaro, and the Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible, and the SS… that's a lot of engineered performance right there… and I couldn't be happier to be a part of it.

It has made me think I have the best job on the planet.

Certainly, the past few months, introducing these vehicles, has been quite a thrill for me, and I look forward to hearing what you think about it.

So I'd like to bring up some engineers and designers who were instrumental in getting Chevrolet Performance to this point…

Please join us on stage for a closer look.

Thank you.