Quote:
Originally Posted by KMPrenger
I enjoy your posts Doc, but there is no BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo that will compete with a $40K Camaro in terms of driving fun and performance. At current real prices, 40K gets you a 2SS Camaro with 455HP and lots of interior goodies. 40K in those other cars might get you a decent interior, but nowhere near 455 HP. Camaro/Mustang/Challenger aren't designed to compete with the luxury names of the word in both interior material quality, and performance, nor should they ever be.
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Thank you, but on this post you missed the point. It isn't just about performance. The demographic you reach once you go past $40k is a different market than the fanboy/muscle car/performance crowd. They have different desires, expectations and perceptions of why they buy a car. The problem is/was, that the demographic that wants the Camaro isn't the $40k+ crowd. The crowd that wants the Camaro just doesn't want nor can likely afford a $600+ a month car payment, and that's for a 72 month loan not including insurance. The car was priced too high for the crowd that wanted it, and didn't have what it needed for the market it was priced at.
The people that can afford prices above $40k want more than just performance. Looks, interior design including materials, usability and status matter a lot to that crowd. They make snap judgments because they can; they don't have to agonize over price. If they look at the Camaro and it looks cramped, then it is... whether it really is inside or not. They won't even bother to open the door and sit inside. You have a couple of seconds to grab their attention; which starts with looks. After that, they get very selective about things, which starts with the interior. The test drive is about the last thing they look at; almost the opposite of the muscle car/performance crowd who just wants to drive it.
It's just a different demographic, and unfortunately the Camaro didn't have what it needed to grab them.
Now that prices are dropping on the Camaros that are on the lot, the market that wanted them all along is starting to buy; for them, it was price all along. I'm starting to see them around town now, where before it was six months after they came out before I saw a single 6th gen.
The Camaro could still be a winner; it just needs a completely new body and interior, but clearly GM has no intention of bothering with it. The Camaro was just a line item on a spreadsheet for them.