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Old 11-15-2013, 01:26 PM   #793
The_Blur
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2010-1SS-IBM View Post
Could be, I just don't know enough about it. I suppose you're making a point about the 2 cars sharing the same chassis.

The Camaro and the ATS aren't in the same market segment. IMO it passes strange that they would share the same power plant. I could see other (and good) cars sharing a 4 cylinder with the ATS, but a 4 cylinder Camaro seems as strange to me as a 4 door Camaro.
It's certainly not unfair to see a 4-cylinder Camaro as strange. At one point, seeing anything above 4 cylinders was strange, and so was racing cars, and so now is making a move in the direction of small displacement.

It doesn't matter how many cylinders a car has. When we look at some of our beloved V8 Camaros, they put out as little as 140 hp—rating, not through the wheels—and they certainly weren't performers. Keeping that in mind, it stands to reason that any Camaro faster than those would be worthy of the name. Furthermore, we need to see numbers that don't deal with cylinders. No one cares if you drive a V8. How fast is it?

Now, let's look at how the Camaro fits into the performance market. Not all of these products are intended targets of the Camaro, but try thinking about it from the mindset of a company that wants to increase its market share. Adding competitive markets to the Camaro's repertoire could add significant appeal and increase market share. Some of the below categories may overlap in horsepower numbers, quarter mile times, or other qualities, and that is why they are lumped together.

Camaro ZL1 vs. Mustang GT500 vs. Challenger/Charger SRT8 vs. M5 vs. CTS-V vs. Porsche Panamera
Camaro 1LE vs. Mustang Boss 302
Camaro SS/Chevrolet SS vs. Mustang GT vs. Challenger/Charger R/T vs. 370Z vs. Genesis vs. Taurus SHO vs. M3 vs. CTS-Vsport
Camaro V6 vs. Mustang V6 vs. Challenger V6 vs. Genesis vs. CTS
no adequate GM rally-style 4-cylinder competitor vs. Lancer EVO vs. Impreza WRX STi
no adequate GM 4-cylinder performance coupe vs. BRZ/FR-S
no adequate GM 4-cylinder small RWD roadster vs. Miata vs. Z4
no adequate GM compact vs. Focus ST vs. Civic Si vs. tC vs. Mazdaspeed 3
no adequate GM subcompact vs. 500 Abarth vs. Cooper S

I could continue comparing cars and researching competitors, and I know some are missing, but why do that? I've made the point that GM has entirely neglected the 4-cylinder performance segment. The Sonic RS is a Sonic with a body kit, not a performance package. There is no Cruze SS. There is no Malibu SS or Impala SS, so the Taurus SHO is not facing adequate volume when competing with the overpriced Chevrolet SS. There's nothing to fight with the rally niche. In fact, nothing GM produces for the US market would succeed in WRC racing competitions, which is phenomenally disappointing given the success of the Cruze in European racing.

Internationally, GM does fairly well at least competing in 4-cylinder performance with the Cruze. Unfortunately, GM has entirely given up the "win Sunday, sell Monday" concept despite the competitiveness of its products.

In summary, any 4-cylinder Camaro on the lightweight Alpha platform is a perfect fit to compete in a different segment without interfering with the competitiveness of established trim levels. Instead of buying underperforming imports like the FR-S, this gives interested buyers the opportunity to purchase the better designed, better built, and better performing Camaro in a package that allows modest performance and fuel economy not previously available by a serious domestic RWD competitor.

Really, what's the harm in offering that?
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