Car Thieves Stole Two Chevy Camaros And Crashed Them Instantly

Sep. 16, 2022 2:22 PM ET byGerhard Horn Muscle Cars /12 Comments

One couldn't even make it out of the parking lot before crashing.

Car thieves' confidence must be at an all-time high because we've never experienced so many brazen attempts to boost cars directly from the factory. Ford is suffering the most, with several high-profile thefts this year alone. The F-150 Raptorused to be a favorite amongst automotive bandits, but now the Raptor R is the flavor of the week. Last month, some miscreantshelped themselves to a pre-production unit.

Chevrolet is not immune, though it seems to be dealing with less qualified car kleptomaniacs. In May this year,five brand-new Camaros were stolen from GM's Lansing plant, and all crashed while trying to escape the police.

In the latest theft attempt, one burglar failed to even make it out of the factory grounds.

According to a report filed byWILX 10, the local authorities received a call at 2.30 am reporting two men trying to steal cars from the Lansing factory's southwest parking lot.

Apparently, the thieves had no problem getting into the cars and starting them, but the driving part was simply too much. One thief put a Camaro into a concrete barrier within the facility. The other suspect made it out of the parking lot but planted the car in a fence a few yards down the road. Both suspects then ditched the cars and made a run for it but were caught and arrested.

"General Motors is working with local law enforcement. We will pursue prosecution of the involved individuals to the fullest extent of the law," GM stated. "As we do as a normal course in our operations, we are reviewing our procedures to tighten security at the plant."

It's unclear whether these models were 2022 models waiting to be delivered or part of the first batch of 2023 models. The vehicles were removed from the scene before the cameras arrived, and only bits of debris were caught on tape.

Since the suspects could not get more than 50 yards from the facility, we're guessing they went for the fierceCamaro ZL1or a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8, at the very least.

The odd thing about this case is that the Camaro isn't in high demand. The latest car theft statistics we have date back to 2020, andthe most stolen carhappens to be the most popular. That explains why thieves regularly rob Ford. But the only Dodge on the 2020 list was the Ram. Why the sudden spike in muscle car thefts? Are they being stolen simply for joy rides?

Even though this represents another loss for GM, its car theft woes aren't nearly as big as Kia and Hyundai's. Thanks to a viral TikTok trend, the whole world knows how easy it is to steal a Kia or Hyundai built between 2010 and 2021. After months of increased thefts and threats of legal action, Kia and Hyundai only recently came up witha viable long-term solution to the problem.