The Chevelle is one of the most iconic names in the Chevrolet family. In production from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, the Chevelle quickly became a very popular part of the Chevrolet range and has since become one of the most popular classic cars in the United States. But the Chevelle in its various forms has not existed since 1977, despite being one of the most well known names in the Chevrolet range. It was effectively replaced by the Malibu in 1978.
Since then, no Chevelle has graced the Chevrolet range. It has been long dormant, but we think that it should make a revival. We also think that if it made a revival, the Chevelle could become a modern muscle car icon and take over the crown in the GM range from the Chevrolet Camaro. We got the highly talented digital artist Rostislav Prokop to craft a new version of the Chevelle that could make its debut for the 2023 model year, reviving the iconic Chevrolet name and bringing it back into the GM fold.
How Might A New Chevelle Look In 2023?
An important part of any Chevelle revival would be the way the car looks. And for this rendering, Prokop decided to go all-in and create perhaps the most muscular iteration of a Chevelle we will ever see. The front sees a fearsome looking hood, with a huge bulge down the hood of the car and Prokop in an Instagram post of our render refers to this as a new Chevelle SS. Vents either side of the bulge will aid cooling and hint at the level of power that this new muscle car will have.
The whole front-end is very aggressive. There are quad LED headlamps, and we can see SS badging behind the front-wheels confirming it is a modern Chevelle SS. The grille itself is quite dramatic and aggressive, and with it being so long since another Chevelle was actually made it is quite different to the final versions from 1977. It's also unlike any modern Camaro too, which would allow a new Chevelle to truly stand out in the Chevrolet range. The side and rear of the car do have much more Camaro about them, which would perhaps hint at where the inspiration for this car lies.
A Big And Brutal Car With An American V8
Another question of course is what would actually power this new muscle car. Well, in its lifetime there were plenty of powertrains available such as the 7.4-liter V8 engine and the original SS Performance trim. With so many cars going hybrid or electric, such as the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept it would be easy for Prokop to do the same here. But it does not look like he has. The huge bulge over the long hood suggests that this is still solely an internal combustion engine powered car.
We also love the double white stripes across the front of the car’s black color, a nod to the original SS trim of the Chevelle. The modern Chevrolet Camaro is a great looking car, but we think Prokop has actually taken it to the next level with this rendering. There is a bit more aggression to the GM muscle car segment with this new Chevelle, the big bulge a reminder of the glory days of muscle cars and the quad-exhaust setup at the back of the car hints at the sheer volume of noise that will come from this machine.
How Might The Chevelle Become The New Camaro
Of course, Chevrolet will never bring the Chevelle back. At least not like this. But Prokop’s render shows a much more aggressive and intimidating looking muscle car over what the GM brand currently produces. It is a real thoroughbred looking machine. There could be scope for the Camaro to go full electric and the Chevelle to take up the ICE muscle car mantra at GM for a few more years. It could overall though just be a much better and much more exciting package overall than the Camaro.
We Wish A New Chevelle Could Look Like This
We do wish though that if the new Chevelle were to become a reality, that it would look like this rendering from Prokop. He has created a truly exciting looking machine with some incredible lines, with lots of aggression and with true muscle car spirit. The nods to the original Chevelle SS such as the badges on the side and the bulge with the twin-white stripes are great to see, showing that this new Chevelle does not forget those models that came before it. It's unlikely to ever become a reality, but if it did, we really would love it if the new Chevelle was like this.