Hugging a Camaro
You might remember Bob’s post last week where he mentioned he had a photo of Ed Welburn hugging his beloved Camaro. Well, Bob and Ed thought their FastLane readers might like to finally see that picture… -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
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Hooray! Good job with that camo job. Sadly you can’t make out too much, but its nice to finally see the Camaro beyond “concept form”
I sure hope the new Camaro isn’t too long (180 inches or less would be nice) or too heavy (no more than 3400lbs for base trim).
Would be nice if the V8 version has performance and handling as good as the 5th generation base Corvette with Z51 suspension.
I hope the intent of the Camaro is more of a baby Vette than just a Rustang competitor.
Sigh, I sure am going to miss those narrow side mirrors. I can only hope the original design is available as an after-market replacement part.
I notice the wheels are slightly different (I really like them!) the mirrors are a bit bigger (of course) wipers are visible (I hope they’re hideaway on the production model, but no biggie) ride hight appears taller (understandable) and it looks like the gas filler cover is gone from the left rear fender (I hope I’m wrong, as that was one of my favorite design details). Overall the small details make it look less “concept” and more production, and that is very exciting.
Thank you Bob for throwing all of us long-waiting Camaro fans a bone, and thanks Ed (and team) for designing what looks to be one very attractive car. Props to all involved for what looks to be a very promising progression to production reality.
I agree with Paul. Please be sure to keep it lean and mean.
the Concept Camaro was 186″ long.. the production car will be at least that long if not longer
and it’ll weight more than 3400lbs.. dream on
Awesome guys, from what I can tell it looks spot on…now give us a bigger camo pic!!!
oh and where do I sign up for one?
Gray
Hahaha. I’m glad to see that you have a sense of humor. I think his eyes are even closed. Priceless.
So far the only thing I’ve read on the new camaros, is that they have a ls2 motor somewhere in the naborhood of 400 hp and get 30mpg highway.
Also you can go to chevy.com/camaro to register to win one.
OK, Ed. You Win! You’re a bigger Car Guy than I am.
James N, the LS2 is dead. I’m sure the production Camaro will have some form of Gen V powerplant, or perhaps the LS3.
Camaro team, please prove Tom wrong and don’t make this another land barge. One of the biggest problems with GM vehicles is weight, so keep that down and keep the Camaro small. Bigger is certainly not better.
The picture is such a teaser. I hope GM shows us more pictures of the car. I know that a lot of the details are not finalized for the Camaro, but I wouldn’t mind just having a better look of it as-is. Please show us more!
Nice job, I did notice that you are hugging the car where that new B-pillar will be located… show us more!
Have you hugged a Buick lately?
You can skip this rant and go straight to the bottom fastlane short or read the diatribe.
Kudos to Rick, Bob and Ed for understanding the halo concept. They understand how a Viper helped Dodge, gave it design direction and pointed to the future.
Yet there is still no halo car for Detroit, one that represents the American brand. That encompasses what owning an American vehicle represents. GM, Detroit, and America are missing that halo.
Let’s see…
Volt?
Pro – It’s got just the technology we need to stand for Detroit’s new image of green.
Con – nope technology is already claimed by Japan and the Prius.
Camaro?
Pro – It’s got heritage, style, and power.
Con – might want a different halo with oil flurting with $100 per barrel.
Cadillac DTS, STS or Escalade
Pro – Escalade probably comes closest but this might be the very image we are trying to break.
Con – America forgot how to design large cars. And design has nothing to do with fuel economy.
So 46% of Americans AMERICANS mind you will only consider imports – ONLY mind you.
As an industry I simply think we fail to mold, gel, or interpret that thing which sets American cars apart here and throughout the world.
It’s nice to pick up market share around the globe and finally be able to hold back the import onslaught but doing it while masquerading American brands as Un- American non Detroit brands well that is fine but what about the American brand?
Where is our Prius, where is our Beetle, where is our Lamborgini?
The only place American cars have a good reputation and are sought after is in Cuba, and I am afraid that is forced upon them.
You know what, it’s fine. Just let the Chinese flag rise over Buick image and foreign flags carry and safeguard the image of them all. Brands take time and require a brick house anyway.
The automotive game is simple. After good design whoever has the best brand wins. And how do you build a brand is the question. And brand is two things here, first Chevrolet and second is Camaro.
So product continuity like Camaro is half the battle to building strong brands. Chevrolet itself has to represent something and here too there is progress with the focus on drive train technology.
That advertising is a winner.
Okay one down but now we got seven others. And still there is the problem of what is the Detroit or American brand.
Let me put it this way, what is the vehicle these 46% of people have in mind when they say they will avoid buying American vehicles. It is probably an image of the Escalade and lingering visions of the Caprice.
The American brand is this, and it has to be this. We will match and beat the technology of the Prius, the power of the Lamborgini, the functionality of the crossover while delivering more, more room, more comfort, more metal, more style. We are American after all.
Bottom Line?
Detroit is making a comeback no question, whether in terms of technology, international growth, style, quality, and competitiveness. Yet it fails to win the simple argument that is reminiscent of an election year argument.
“Why change? Sure things aren’t perfect but you still fail to make the case, why change for a slightly better dog when we have a mediocre sure thing.”
You win the argument with a car like the Holden FJ Efigy. What is it about this one? it has the heritage. Or the original Taurus. What was it about this one? Incredible style at the time that delivered more style and body than the flat pancakes that were the imports at the time.
But now if you match and beat all others in technology and quality. Still you have to wait…
Wait…wait…wait…
5 L O N G YEARS for perceptions to change and then you still do not win the dog argument.
You got to win by delivering more and make the case that imports can never make a puppy like this.
NEVER.
So you built a car. Congratulations.
So you built another brand. Spectacular.
So you did an Unamerican thing and are making a strong automobile company by building up European and Japanese ideals.
So when do we build Detroit or the American brand.
You know what, you guys did enough and you did unbelievable things these past few years but I guess you have taken it as high as it can go and saving the American brand is just too much to ask.
No, no, no you did good, really really good. I will just wait for somebody…
But why worry about this anyway,
Here is why, when Toyota stumbles in the quality stats like it did today in Consumer Reports, it still has a brand, a reputation, a whole nation of excellence to fall back on that is established on a rock. A rock we just refuse to build in Detroit.
Fastlane short…
it for you right here and I will solve your problem right here right now.
Detroit forgot how to make large cars while it still has yet to master or fails to be know to have mastered the other categories.
Oh my god, I’m giddy like a school girl now!! So exciting!
Is he hugging it? Or is he hidding an ugly “B” pillar design change? Inquiring minds want to know.
When you see that kind of enthusiasm from management, you know you’ve got something special.
Great Job Guys!
All I can say is WOW!…and again, thank you Bob, Rick and Ed for bringing back our beloved CAMARO! Cab’t wait to see (finally) in person.
“Ed Welburn, car guy”
This is exactly the sort of thing I had hoped to see. GM is finally in good hands when people like Ed are so involved with the cars that they actually hug them when they go from concept to prototype. Good job. I can’t wait to go to my local Chevy dealer and hug one myself.
Paul E., I’m not sure I follow you with the Baby Corvette comment.
Camaro has always been a Mustang competitor. It’s bigger and heavier and fits more people than a Corvette. When I think “Baby Corvette” I think the Saturn Sky Redline or the Pontiac Solstice GXP.
When I think Camaro, I also think about how it measures up against what the guys in Derborn have conjured up. It’s been that way since 1968 when Camaro 1st followed Mustang on the scene, and you can bet the farm it’s going to be the same when the 2010 Camaro returns to it’s roots as a 2 door “pony” coupe and abandons the “Corvette” look-alike body.
Hats off to the team of Ric Wagoner, Ed Welburn, and Bob Lutz who came up with the political end play to keep Camaro moving forward and the success of the current Mustang that broke the logjam to get things moving again by proving that the rear wheel drive 2 door sports coupe isn’t dead as long as it’s priced right and has alot of style and identity. Also, thanks to retired Holden CEO Peter Hanenberger, who unless he bucked GM North America and took a major gamble and comissioned the new Holden VE & WM on what eventially turned into the affordable “Zeta” chassis, we wouldn’t be celebrating the return of the Camaro today.
The new Camaro will be a success, NOT because it’s a baby Corvette or has some suspension tuning that is going to rattle your teeth or has more horsepower than a small city power station. The new Camaro is going to succeed because it’s going to be a great car on it’s own without needing horsepower or skidpad numbers to sell it (to a handful of people who don’t comprise enough members to keep any car alive).
I’m looking forward to the Camaro. My thanks to the multitude of people who aren’t GM executives, but worked in the trenches to make it happen.
Wow. It definitely is looking true to the concept. I am VERY pleased.
It’s almost enough to make me forget that it isn’t American.
I really hope Chevrolet does not have its Camaro wheel sights resting on the hard top concept wheels. The Nissan 350Z forums are having a great laugh over the fact that the “GREAT” retro Camaro will be sold with Nissan 350Z knockoffs. The convertable concept wheels looked good execpt for GMs usual bullheaded insistance that every thing we do is right and 20+ inch wheels will look good on a pony car. The new LS3 is a good edition to the option line up and I hope to see it available as well as a 5.3 of some sort. And lets not forget about the 427.
P.S. Hows that Firebird concept coming along?
Just wanted to draw your attention (specifically Mr. Lutz) to a comical reaction to this picture being released…
Have you noticed the extreme response that this picture garnered from the Camaro community? The hour after this was released, Camaro forums all over had a thread up dedicated to this picture. Our site specifically, Camaro5.com : after just 2 short days of this picture being up, it has been given over 75 responses from forum-goers. haha, We are living off of these little tidbits.
Thanks for releasing it. We do appreciate it. You’ve got a Winner on your hands, GM. I for one believe that whole-heartedly.
It’s nice to know that Mr. Welburn feels so passionately about this car. We’d, all of us, like to hug it.
Glad to see the Camaro project is coming along. Thanks for bringing it back, GM – We love ‘ya for it!
Fred, I agree. Luckily the Canadian plant it will be built at has a good reputation for quality, or so I hear, so I guess that’s alright.
Brian R, if you want a Firebird just get a Camaro and buy aftermarket body panels, hood, and wing for it. Otherwise what is the difference between the Firebird and Camaro? I have not yet heard one Firebird fan give one good example of what would make a Firebird different besides different styling. If someone can give me one good reason on how it is actually a different car, I’ll concede the point, but until then I maintain that having a Firebird is beyond pointless. I have heard from a source within GM that there will be no Firebird, but to expect something else from Pontiac. Sounds good to me.
Oh concerning the B Pillar, it looks like it might have been photoshopped out of the passenger window, and Ed is of course covering it on the driver’s side. There is an ongoing debate about this in a Camaro forum I’m a part of. Really, as long as it comes off like the Challenger’s I don’t mind.
I’m looking forward to November’s update. For a while there it really looked like things were dying down on the Camaro. These new updates sure are lighting the fire again.
tyler,
Yes of coarse you are right there is virtually no difference between a Firebird and a Camaro nor has there ever been since GMs linking together of engine options. But I suppose if you want to ignore the history of the automotive industries common practice of companies building models based off of the same platform then at least understand that when GM decides to neglect the base that is dedicated to Pontiacs version of the popular pony car and embarrased(with good reason) by the GTO that followed then you are throwing away future sales that could help revive Pontiac from the nose dive its taken in the past few years. I find it hard to believe that despite GMs need to sell cars they would turn away a willing-to-buy base that just want their own version of the pony car back and have little interest in the new Camaro other than an open door for a return of the Firebird. I seem to recall a post earlier this year on this site in which Bob Lutz concluded his entry with the words “Now I bet I’ll be hearing some comments like where is the Firebird”. While no official concept has ever been released I would predict to see something with in the next couple years. If Pontiacs idea is to build a GTO I don’t see why they don’t just base it off a 2-door G8 but add retro wheels and minor body apperances with a retro GTO color to make a convincing case that the car is really a GTO.
I drove a Camaro in highschool
Camaros have come alone way I love the yellow & black one thats coming out. I would look good hugging it. my grandson even thinks so.
LOOKING FORWARD TO RIDING THAT BUMBLEBEE CAMARO.HEY BOB YOU HAVE FINALLY SHOWN YOUR TRUE COLORS, LETSGET ON THAT FASTLANE.
Brian R, I still don’t get it. I’m a Chevy fan, and a Camaro fan at that, but if they brought back the Firebird and not the Camaro, I wouldn’t want them to have bring out the Camaro too. I would just buy the Firebird, because it is the same exact thing as the Camaro. However, if they really went back to the roots of the Camaro/Firebird and used different drivetrains and suspensions in addition to new styling, and just used the same platform, that would make perfect sense. So yes, Pontiac does need a midsize V8 RWD coupe, but just do not make it a clone of the Camaro.
Also, I don’t see why the GTO was so unloved. It had a great drivetrain and decent suspension (though it did have wheel hop issues) and better build and material quality than anything else Pontiac was putting out. The only thing I could see going against it was the styling. Yes it was plain, but that’s all the better for making it such a great sleeper. I guess Pontiac guys just love cars with eye-sore “Look at Me!!!!!!!!!!” ricer styling.
But really, if you were true fans of the f-body, would you not buy the car just because it doesn’t have a screaming chicken on it? Being a Pontiac guy should mean you’re all about drivers cars, and that is what the Camaro is, so embrace it.
I LOVE THE CAMARO IT IS A WORK OF ART CAMARO HAVE CAME A LONG WAY FROM THE SOUP UP HOTROD BACK IN TIME THAT THE WE ALL LOVED NOW THE CARVETTE HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK BACK AT BEAUTY MEET ASPHAULT IT’S A SEXY CAR I JUST LOVE IT
Hell I HAVE A CORVETT, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE NEW CAMARO, I FEEL LIKE SWITCHING. ITS GOOD TO BE YELLOW. IT ROCKS!!
Fantastic Camaro. I will hope to prey that I will win this car.
“GM2009″
I love camaro’s, the only car I have ever owned…I am on number six now, a sweet black 2002 but sure do have my eye on that new one…wow that car is amazing..so glad they are out again and looking SO Good. Watch out…
Tabatha
October 19, 2007
Tyler, I can certainly see your point if a Firebird was built with the flaming chicken, late-70’s hillbilly design. I would be disappointed about it but would love to see an original Trans AM appearance return. I own a 2000 Camaro SS and will sell it for nothing less than a new, well designed, and faster GM product.This is where the GTO failed with the muscle car crowd. Bob Lutz saw what he liked about the Monoro and figured the car would work in America but he failed to understand just how much baggage came with the GTO. Although an overall outstanding car GM took the most famous name in muscle car history and threw it on a car that looked nothing like a GTO(mistake 1),had it built in Australia and not North America(hense “American Muscle Car”) and made it slower than the F-bodies.(biggest mistake). The car had virtually no chance.
The new Camaro won’t likley follow the same fate especially if Scott Settlemire is behind the wheel of the new Camaros. I truly feel a hugh advantage having him over the rest because of his true love for this part of the industry. But I fear once the game gets underway next year that Dodge will eat into the Camaros sales before its even introduced to the showrooms if Dodge keeps the Challenger at its current price range. Should the Challenger succeed the way Charger has don’t be surprised to see the name “HEMI CUDA” show up in a Chrysler show room with a luxury look and SRT horsepower. I understand from a dealership owner it was brought up but never really discussed much. The assembly plant which the Chargers, Challengers and 300C’s are being built in is quite low on room for now.
This is where Firebird would fill the gap that a GTO counldn’t in order to get the Firebird base that won’t buy a Camaro and keep their 4th gens. It will also bring back the former owners from the baby boom generation. It all sounds crazy now but if the sales and demand
go up the ideas will as well. Ford has learned over the years how to make the Mustang carry all its weight and has all the Roushs,Saleens,Shelbys,and Steedas it needs to stay competitive. Camaro can do just fine in 09 so long as it can be flexable and affordable and offer original models and paint schemes as well as good perfomance and won’t let its own stubborness be its own worst enemy.
OK Brian, I’m starting to see your point now. I’ve seen some sketches (absolutely no idea if they are GM or third party) of Firebird/Trans-Am concepts, and they definitely aren’t just Camaros with different scoops and a split grill. I think if they took one of these very aggressive and very Pontiac designs, paired it with a slightly more aggressive powertrain and suspension, and included distinct performance/driver oriented features, it would make an excellent companion to the Camaro. I too am excited about Scott Settlemire working on the new Camaros. He posts on the Camaro forum I’m a part of, and he is great about forming a link between the Camaro team and the fans. It is encouraging that the core fan base is being taken seriously. I did hear that while a Firebird is not in the works yet, look for something out of Pontiac besides the new G8 (which, despite the lack of a name, is very appealing) so I’m sure Pontiac will get something good.
Cheers, and thanks for the response. It really did clear quite a few things up.
Mustang competitor, I don’t think so. As soon as the Camaro comes out, the Mustang will be out of its league.
I’d say new Camaro will be a competitor for M3 and the like.
Russell, are you suggesting the Mustang will be in a league above or below the Camaro? You seem to suggest that it will be above the Camaro, but the next Mustang GT is rumored to be getting 350 hp versus the Camaro’s expected 400+ (or in the worst case even if it got a direct copy of the G8’s engine it would still have more power than the Mustang.) That Mustang will retain its live rear axle as well, which, while good for a solid axle, still shouldn’t be able to outperform the Zeta hardware. The Mustang will be in the same class as the Camaro, but won’t be able to beat it most likely unless all of our expectations are way off the mark. The Challenger probably poses the bigger threat. The Camaro might rival the M3 on paper, but I seriously doubt it will have nearly the same level of connection between driver and machine that BMW is legendary for.
Im hoping to see a ZL1 427 that has the sleeper look and a Yenko tribute car with a 427 included. I’ll take one thats jetsteam blue and stripped down on the inside as far as options but with a 6.2L for $22,000. I can always dream I guess. The crowds will probably be wanting some specifics with the Camaro at the auto show this year. Hopefully a Z28 or SS badge will sit on a Camaro in January. I can’t wait for Chicagos.
Not a Mustang competitor, best of luck making that image work over the most famous 40 year rivalry in the American auto industry. GTO tried the BMW competitor in its run and never once was there a used BMW sitting in a Pontiac dealership for one less GTO. Honda learned how to trick wealthy U.S. buyers by calling them Acuras so they wouldn’t have to say look at my $85,000 Honda NSX.
Brian, you might be able to get a base V6 Camaro for $22,000.
As I understand it, this segment (sporty) has had the biggest year on year sales loss in the industry. Mustang and Eclipse sales are way down. My prediction is that the first year sales of the Camaro will be OK, then sales will fall – like a rock. People will find the cut corners and cheap decisions and it will be woulda, coulda, shoulda, all over again. Classic GM – over promise and under deliver, and hope to make it up with marketing hype. This plague within GM continues to show your true colors – a wannabe company, but always too little, too late. You did it before with the ‘69 SS, but that was then, and this is now. It’s a shame Bob that you continue to let the “cheapness is king” mentality happen on your watch. I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.
I can’t wait for my chance to hug one of these either. I will be waiting when the first truck load rolls in to my local dealership. I have a request for Bob or Ed to consider. Please work on a way to photograph these cars when they come off the line. I would pay a little extra for the option to have a picture of my baby the day it rolled off the line, have the serial number and the date on a digital readout board in the background with a big Camaro logo over top.
Ed, how much would you be willing to pay for a picture of your Camaro rolling off the line in 1969? Even though you are not the original owner, if the pictures had been taken, GM could have sold one to every owner that has had that car during it’s life time.
I approached GM about this but was rebuffed on the basis that it would compromise security, sure, fair enough, have the back drop prevent viewing anything but the photographed area. The line knows which car is passing by at any given time so a simple link could generate a digital photo which would be very small to store on a drive even if you were able to sell 150,000 units a year.
Let’s guess a bit here…if you sell say 100,000 units and only 25,000 people take this option and uyou charge say $100.00 (a bit steep considering the effort involved but still well worth it) that would represent 2.5 million dollars! just from the first time buyers!
Please think about it guys, I really want one of those pictures.
Thanks, Rick Bradnam, St Catharines, Ontario
F. Michaels, way to pass judgment before even seeing the thing. Considering that it is scheduled to debut as late as possible, giving GM the time to gauge the competition and adjust accordingly, I tend to think the Camaro will deliver more than promised. The G8, which shares a platform, has already has its handling and speed praised, and it is a land yacht. The LS2 promised for the Camaro has already been retired in favor of the even better LS3. The prototype looks similar to the concept, and all of the changes that I can see seem to be made for the better (except for the lack of push-button ignition, which I am still upset about, but it isn’t a dealbreaker). So really, way to make a preemptive judgment and backing it up with….nothing. No proof.
Rick, I love that idea. It might behoove GM to research theme parks that offer on-ride photos. If so many people are willing to buy photos at highly inflated prices of them making a weird face on a roller coaster, how many car guys would be willing to do the same for their beloved car? It might not work out, but I think it is worth looking into.
The prototype looks abit larger than the concept. For me, a slightly smaller Camaro would have been preferrable. Oh well.
My big concern now is weight. Zeta is a heavy architecture. Hopefully Doug Houlihan’s comment to the enthusiast community about not to worry, “we’ve sent it to Jenny Craig”, was not mere hyperbole.
Thaks Bob, you’re the best.
Charles Philippou, O.D.
Well, considering the G8 in all its full-size sedan glory (and what amazing glory that is, I might add) comes in at under 4,000 pounds, I think the Camaro is still looking good for light weight. The Challenger is already over 4,000 pounds. Eeek. Still, I do hope that weight savings is a constant thought while building this car. Remember, less weight improves both performance and efficiency, so if it can be done without making the car too expensive, go for it!
Man! its about time i was getting tired of the imports getting all the attenion, Hot American Muscle mmm yummy I can see me and my hot wife kickin some asphalt on any given strip. “BUMBBLE BEE WHERE DO I SIGN “
Tyler: I find no comfort in the fact that the G8 weighs “only” two tons, nor that the Camaro is based off of a 2 ton sedan architecture. If Camaro even approaches that weight, it will be a failure. Cut and dry.
As far as the Challenger, no matter what Chrysler wants to call it, (ie., ponycar), it is in fact a fullsized, 5 passenger, car. Certainly nothing we’d want for our Camaro.
Frankly, this weight issue is a deal maker or deal breaker for me and lots of other potential buyers.
Can Camaro shed a quarter ton compared to it’s porky sedan siblings? I’ve got my fingers crossed.
Charles, I have to respectfully disagree. A full-size RWD V8 powered sedan coming in under two tons is practically unheard of it today’s market. The G8 is a huge car in every dimension, so all things considered it is light weight for its size. The Camaro is much smaller in size, and all things considered I think we can expect to see 3500-3700 pounds, more than a quarter ton weight reduction and competitive in the mid-size sedan category. Recall that Zeta is a rather size-flexible architecture, so just because one car built on it comes close to 2 tons doesn’t mean that all will. I do agree that weight is a big concern. The sad fact is that modern cars must be built around the increasing size of Americans, Americans who love their heated seats and cupholders, massive infotainment systems, and enough airbags to land on Mars, all of which equal more and more weight. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, and knowing the people working on the Camaro, I’m sure they’re taking these concerns into account. If the Camaro can be lighter and more powerful than the Mustang at the same price, there will be no competition.
I find the arguement of weight issue quite pointless when you consider what history has already shown us. Surely no one is ignorant to the fact that massive leadsleds with big horsepower once roamed the earth and still ran 12-14 second quarter miles. I think no matter what the final weight of the car ends up being technology will more then make up for heaviness. I watched a Chrysler 300C SRT-8 run a 12.80 in the 1/4 mile at the track. So I have no doubt that the Challenger will run a fast time.
As far as weight being a make or break issue with the success of the car in general I’d say thats a rather bold claim thats quite unlikely. First the obvious, you’ll never again see a Mustang GT outperform a baseline V8 Camaro. Ford has dedicated itself to being the “close enough” manufacturer that is lazy on performance. Thats why the Mustang is used to handle all their performance needs with the same twelve year old motor that delivers bare minumum perfomance with a great sound at low cost.Secondly, the easiest to understand is that you have “Ford guys” and you have “Chevy guys” and so long as Chevy produces great styling that can beat a Mustang both at the track and on the sticker price it will do fine.
Rick: What a fantastic idea! I’d happily pay an extra $100 to get a copy of the picture of my car rolling off the assembly line!
Brian,
This is probably not the best forum to get into a debate on Camaro and weight, since the lag time between posts is so great – but what the heck, here goes.
Have you actually ever driven one of those “massive leadsled” musclecars from the sixties? First they weren’t as fast as you think. Second, they handled like cr.. erm…crud. And third, ponycars of the era were small and light – that was kinda their whole point.
Just because you’ve witnessed a $45,000, 4,100 pound, full sized sedan, doing high twelves at the drag strip, doesn’t mean that controlling weight on the new Camaro is “pointless”.
Sure, assuming you’ve got traction, adding power will to a certain extent, overcome weight in a STRAIGHT LINE.
But if you have too much mass, even adding enough power to rip the fabric of the time/space continuum, won’t improve handling, steering feel, braking, emissions or mpg’s – or therefore sales.
Charlie
Brian, the main concern with weight is more along the lines of handling, braking, and efficiency. Anyone can make a land-yacht fast in a straight line. Making a truly fast car both on the straights and on a road course or wherever the race is at benefits greatly from reduced mass. Look at cars from Lotus. They run on wimpy little Toyota 4 bangers, but they are absolutely fast both on the straights and on the turns thanks to their extreme light weight. There is so much more to a performance car than 1/4 mile times. Also, light weight improves fuel efficiency. This will be a daily driver for most of its owners, so efficiency is a big plus.
Just heard that the new “Knight Rider” series will have a Mustang Shelby as “KITT”…
GM lost a GREAT marketing opportunity for the Firebird concept car…
Bob,
I live in the Detroit area and have not seen a single Camaro prototype. What’s up?
I think chevrolet blew it. They should have stayed true to the 69 model like ford did with mustang and dodge with the challenger. Also they are taking too long, gas is 4 bucks a gallon now. Who wants to drive a 4cyl. wimp?
the new spy shots of the camaro are awful, the headlights look cheap, Gm should of stuck to the concept headlights it looks like a pair of after market headlight bought off eBay were put on.The exhaust is cheap looking STAY WITH THE CONCEPT THROUGH BODY EXHAUST!!and please keep the tail lights one color RED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tranny Position: is it just like the C6 Vette for the LS3 powered SS? Take a look at the Camaro site on Chevy’s website. Get to the Specifications PDF. Go to page 3. Look closely at the tranny pix. Check the lower right tranny pix. Doesn’t it look like there is an output shaft on the side of the tranny, opposite the clutch end?
Sure looks like it to me.
So I’m thinking that the SS manual trannied Camaro locates the tranny at the rear diff to optomize weight distribution.
Our only Camaro was an 82. I need a new one. I totally love the V6 model too. Too bad I just replaced the convertible top on my wife’s Mustang. To get the new Camaro I’ll have to take the Mustang and put her in the Camaro.
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Once again – what a shame. Must have had the same design Engineer that did the Dodge Charger. What a complete injustice to this classic car (the Charger too). Put all the horsepower and bells and whistles on it you want but if it does look the part (and it doesnt) who wants it? Who are the people signing off on these body designs anyways? Certainly not any vintage car experts, enthusiasts or creative car designers.
I think that Ford did an awesome job on their Mustangs. They captured all of the great profile characteristics that made the old models so “muscle”. This new camaro doesn’t look anything like it’s older …I would say 3rd cousin at this point.
Just more evidence for why these car companies are failing. Exceutives making decisions about things they know nothing about (bad designs, poorly made cars etc) instead of letting someone creative, knowledgeable and intelligent do it.
Just my two cents..