Good news Camaro fans! Your local Chevy dealer is n ow taking orders on the new Camaro V6 and SS starting in October. Production will begin in mid-February, and cars will be in dealerships by mid-March 2009.

“We think there could be pent-up demand,” said company spokesman Terry Rhadigan, explaining why orders are being taken well in advance of the car’s appearance in showrooms. “The advice is to get to your Chevy dealer sooner than later.” He noted that buyers “may have to put a deposit down” to get in line for the Camaro, but that requirement is completely up to Chevrolet dealers.

Chances are dealers will be dealers so at first expect to pay stupid mark-ups to be one of the first ones to have your Camaro on the road. Sometimes when these cars come out, it pays to wait a few months to let the hype die down a bit and then you can usually get one at a fair price.

The Camaro SS will return an estimated 23 mpg on the highway, compared to 26 mpg on the highway for the V6-engined model. But the company has been really pushing the marketing on the V6. “We really wanted to get the fuel efficiency message out with the V6.” Rhadigan later said. They probably are thinking that the SS will market itself by just existing, that’s enough hype as it is.

So if you’ve been waiting for your chance to get your hands on a Camaro, then this is the time. With dealers now taking orders these new muscle cars should start popping up on the streets by the beginning of next year.

Above: This is the first production picture of a SS Camaro….