According to proponents of a classical double-well potential, the 2-norbornyl cation exists in dynamic equilibrium between two enantiomeric asymmetric structures. The delocalized species central to the non-classical picture is merely a transition state between the two structures. Wagner-Meerwein rearrangements are invoked as the mechanism that converts between the two enantiomers (see Figure 4).
Efforts to isolate the asymmetric species spectroscopically are typically unsuccessful. The major reason for this failure is reported to be extremely rapid forward and reverse reaction rates, which indicate a very low potential barrier for interconversion between the two enantiomers.