[tooslow]

One of the things I've always appreciated about the Camaro is that it is not a Mustang. With the introduction of the 5th Gen, however, it seems to me that GM has headed down a path that I'm not used to with the car.

Case in point, when I first started posting on this board, there were comments deriding how many "special editions" there were of the Mustang and it had diluted the breed. Now, there seems to be a new "special edition" Camaro coming out of the woodwork every few months. So, not only have they sold in such numbers (a good thing, IMHO) to the point where you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting one (again, something we used to hear as a bad thing regarding the Mustang) now we're saturating the market with so many variants that the Camaro is becoming eerily similar to it's old rival.

Anybody else feel this way?

[syr74]

It's a double edged sword. Any car in this price range is going to have to sell in relatively large enough numbers to make it relatively common or it simply isn't going to survive in the market. To counter that and give folks the uniqueness they claim to want they offer limited run models which provide exactly that, only to have people complain that there are too many 'special editions' once that path is taken.

So, what you really have, is a segment of the internet that wants a car with a modest price, sold in very low numbers and relatively few versions. Congratulations, I give you the 2004+ GTO. And that is the cold hard truth. When these people ask for limited variation and low volume of the existing variations what they are really saying is 'build me a market failure GM, but keep making it year after year even though you are losing your shirt on it because I really want you too'.

My personal opinion? Either more people need to take some basic business and marketing classes in their spare time or realize that their opinion may not be informed enough to bother giving out for the automakers to see. Ironically enough, the 100k units per year Ford and GM can manage to move of these models now is a pittance compared to the huge numbers they once pushed across the curb. And nobody back in the day was whining that their car wasn't 'special enough'. Go figure.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by syr74

It's a double edged sword. Any car in this price range is going to have to sell in relatively large enough numbers to make it relatively common or it simply isn't going to survive in the market. To counter that and give folks the uniqueness they claim to want they offer limited run models which provide exactly that, only to have people complain that there are too many 'special editions' once that path is taken.

So, what you really have, is a segment of the internet that wants a car with a modest price, sold in very low numbers and relatively few versions. Congratulations, I give you the 2004+ GTO. And that is the cold hard truth. When these people ask for limited variation and low volume of the existing variations what they are really saying is 'build me a market failure GM, but keep making it year after year even though you are losing your shirt on it because I really want you too'.

My personal opinion? Either more people need to take some basic business and marketing classes in their spare time or realize that their opinion may not be informed enough to bother giving out for the automakers to see. Ironically enough, the 100k units per year Ford and GM can manage to move of these models now is a pittance compared to the huge numbers they once pushed across the curb. And nobody back in the day was whining that their car wasn't 'special enough'. Go figure.

[liquidsmoke]

You can't realistically expect a 30 grand or so car to have the same exclusivity as a 100k or other exotic car. Just not going to happen.
I never felt the number of special editions the mustang had was a bad thing. It tells me I can customize the car pretty decent before I even start looking at aftermarket stuff. In comparison, the camaro special editions are pretty lame compared to the mustang.
For Chevy, a few stickers and emblems = special edition. Lame.
My car is still pretty much stock cuz I cant find the stuff I want. Either it don't exist yet or only one vendor makes it. So if more camaro's on the road mean I can get closer to how I want my car to look, I'm all for it.

[Sterling]

It does seem like there are a LOT of special editions out there already, but I'm really glad to see how successful this generation has become. I also like that nobody's car is the same because we've all modded them. Each one is unique, and it's fun to pick out the changes someone made to theirs.

[JusticePete]

Can someone please list the factory Special Editions that have been sold at retail?

[jandaseve]

The 2004+ gto would have been a lot more successful had they designed and built a new gto. Instead they took an exisisting australian car and slapped a pontiac symbol on it.

Special editions really are'nt a new thing with camaros. There were pace car replicas in 67. The IROC Z. The 20th anniversary edition, 25thanniversary. the Yenko, the copo.

[toesuf94]

FACTORY Special Editions that have been sold at retail:

Neiman Marcus Convertible - 100
Transformers Edition #1 - 2010
Transformers Edition #2 - 2012
Synergy Edition # 1 (SGM LT car 2010)[
Synergy Edition based on the SEMA Chroma car
45th Anniversary Edition
Indy Pace Car # 1

Indy Pace Car # 2

I did not include the SLP cars or any dealer iterations as you asked soley for Factory cars.

[jandaseve]

The honor and valor edition also

[toesuf94]

Originally Posted by jandaseve

The honor and valor edition also

Noted...there were 99 offered:

[its a syn]

To date there is only one Special Edition in name FWIW. And the only thing special about it is the green stiching,oooh. Different editions have always been a part of any cars history, Chevelles,Monte Carlos etc.

[JusticePete]

As Not once did the Mustang of Ford strategy cross my mind even though that is the question posed in the thread. My answer is no. The Camaro stands apart.

[8cd03gro]

I think the current camaro appeals to the last generation mustang crowd while the current mustang appeals to the last generation camaro crowd. IMO this has been reflected in sales. It used to be, during the f-body days, that the camaro guys were all about the performance and didn't care about the looks or popularity of their car. The mustang guys were the ones always talking about how their car looked better. Now it seems the roles have changed and I see most of the hardcore drag strip guys going to the new mustangs while the camaro is the "one to have" and seems to draw a lot more style oriented enthusiasts. This is not a negative thing for either camp, just something I have observed. It seems a lot of ls1 guys that would never have bought a mustang are driving around in 5.0s and a lot of 2v/3v guys have moved on to fifth gen camaros.

[Sterling]

What about the XM edition... have they actually sold that one?