New Camaros roll off assembly line in Lansing Monday

LANSING – The 2016 Camaro will roll off the assembly line Monday.

General Motors Co. will unveil the sports car at 10:30 a.m. at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant. It’s the first time the Camaro has been produced in the U.S. since the third generation models in 1992.

“Everyone’s excited to see to the Camaro roll down the line and get shipped to customers,” said Erin Davis, GM’s Lansing-based spokeswoman. “We feel really lucky we’re the plant that gets to have it built not only in the U.S. but Lansing.”

The vehicle was unveiled to the public at a major event on Belle Isle in Detroit last May. Buzz had been building for months, as did local excitement when GM announced hiring plans.

The starting price is $25,700 for the Camaro 1LT which is powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder or 3.6L V6 engine. The 1SS model with a 6.2L V8 engine starts at $37,795. It will be available in coupe and convertible body styles.

GM hired 450 people this summer and added a second shift to produce the vehicle. The plant has been producing pilot Camaros for the past few months for testing purposes.

Lansing-area Chevrolet dealers expect the car to hit the lots by mid-November.

Lansing Grand River plant is not the only GM facility looking forward to new products. In June, the automaker announced a major investment in the Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant to prepare it for future products.

Contact Alexander Alusheff at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.