How Will GM Repeat Success with 2016 6th Gen Camaro? Al Oppenheiser Weighs In
 

http://www.autonews.com/article/2012...ro-in-redesign

It says the 6th Gen is to come out the end of 2015.

good read.

2015 is when my loan is up.. maybe its a sign lol

I really hope if they take any styling cues from the second gen that they are minimal. I could see that horrible render coming to fruition :vomit: it would be a horrid sight, IMO they should take development even more serious then this generation! Time and effort are a good start to success

agreed

I believe it will/should be an evolution of the current/original design. It was a hit then, it is a hit now, and it can continue to be a hit into the future.

I read all the comments to MotorTrend and wonder why so many Camaro haters bother to post. Do those people really think their off-the-wall comments will really influence GM? However, there were some valid well thought out suggestions.
GM did something right with the 5th generation styling as sales have indicated. Agree interior materials should be improved. I know people with some exotic sports cars that have worst visibility issues then my Camaro. But with correctly positioned mirrors, I have adjusted and perhaps have become a safer driver when I back up or change lanes. In a few years perhaps cameras cleanly integrated into the side mirrors, with a small dash monitor is the way to go for better side visibility.
I hope the 6th generation will be an evolution of the current design because the 5th generation Camaro has been a sales winner. Yes, loose some weight but that can be done with materials without reducing the current overall size. I would consider a 6th generation Camaro that has less weight, but would not consider if the Camaro smaller. Some people (responding to MotorTrend) want a smaller Camaro with more interior space including backseat, larger trunk, and add a turbo 4 cylinder. My response is go get a 4-door rice burner and add some big tail pipes the size of pipes used for sewage disposal.
I disagree with some of the MotorTrend posters that GM designed the Camaro for older guys stuck in the 60s-70s. I am an older guy and was driving in the 60s-70s, and if I wanted, I could have bought a 1st or 2nd generation Camaro instead of my 2011 2LT. Been there...but I wanted a car that looked 21st century which to my eye was the Camaro (did consider both the Mustang and Challenger but to my eye those two autos just didn't look modern enough). No way GM designed our Camaro for us older guys! I am 61 and not as limber as I once was. Getting in and out of my Camaro for the first two weeks of ownership was not graceful. However, after exercising previously un-used muscles getting in and out of my Camaro for the last 18 months, I can now slide in and out without dragging my old butt over the thin leather upholstery (LOL). Driving my 5th generation Camaro does not make me think I am younger than my 61 years, but it sure has made me more limber! Thank you GM.

Where are all the designers from Pontiac. In my opinion they are the only ones that can take something as successful as the Gen 5 and one up it.

I'm with you bring some of the trim and care that Pontiac had over the camaro in the day.

What GM really needs to keep in mind is that ford is going to come out swinging

just like they are doing with this upcoming Shelby GT500.

GM is at a handicap because they can't make the Camaro faster and more powerful without also upgrading the vette. While Ford has just there one car to worry about.

Just the same, if GM doesnt come out the gate with 500 hp for the SS, I dare say they will be behind Ford.

I hope its not the 2nd gen. I thought the were ugly.

If any one who matters at GM reads this, please do not make the styling of the 6th gen an evolution from the 2nd gen! I'm considering the move to a 6th gen based on the performance improvement that going to an Alpha like platform should provide...that alone already has me excited at the possibilites.

But if you style it like some of the 2nd gen mixed with 5th gen renderings that have been floating around here, you can count me out.

6th gen should be an evolution of 5th, but recognizable as new and different, or nearly all new. Why keep repeating designs from the past??

+1

I trust GM.

:chevy::chevy::chevy:

Don't need 500 HP to compete. Just a lighter and better performing platform that hooks up off the line.

If the 370Z and its about 3,300 lb weight is a track carver and can run 13 flat in the 1/4 with a potent V6....what could a 6th Gen SS at about 3,500 or so lbs with 420 to 450 HP do?

Kick ass...thats what.

Although I think the early split-bumper 2nd gen's are the best looking Camaro's ever, and I'd love to see a modern interpretation of that if done as well as the 5th gen is of the 1st; I think the safe bet is for the 6th gen to be an evolutionary design of the 5th gen.

:popcorn:

going to be hard to make a better looking car than the 5th Gen...

I was hoping for more than just another pitch about sales figures... but it will be interesting to see what they do with styling and more importantly weight reduction.

Really? You'd take designers that failed to keep a defunct company's designs current and marketable and let them destroy a successful design? I could see the Camaro sales plummeting soon afterwards. Now give the Camaro team (which is or was a Cadillac team by the way) a chance to do a TransAm, now your talking. :)

Losing weight without losing size should be on the table I think. As for late 2015, thats wonderful news since mine will be paid for by then!!! The second gen is a beautiful car but, GM should make modern improvments on the car that is here and now!

This would do it....

Go complete retro, '69 Camaro in pro touring style.

Keep the traditional V-8, no AFM, at least 5.7L. Direct injection and a variable cam timing to improve mpgs. 3400ish lbs. SS version with the big V8. A V-6 version for the economy segment... More 1st gen size.

I'd bet if they went really retro, all the way toward a '69 like this, 100,000 + in sales volume easily.

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/p...s-1280x782.jpg

I could care less what a Mustang does...I like the Camaro and that is what I bought and would buy again. I do like Russell's thought of a total retro....1st Gens are just Bad Assed

I don't think so ....I like it for then but not for the future , the pic 2 posts above....:)

I think if they do a really nice design of the 2nd gen should look pretty sweet! Or a redesign of the 5th gen, but that would be hard to make it look any better. They might just screw that up.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d083ba41-2176-2a10.jpg

2nd Gen styling would be pretty interesting. I don't know how they could improve upon the style of the 5th, because I think it looks so good along side a 1st Gen, so maybe the progression should be the 2nd, or maybe even a 3rd Gen!

Honestly - I'm thinking its going to be really difficult to be a better looking car than the current car. There are only two angles that I don't particularly find as appealing as every other angle on the car. I think Mr. O' addressed probably the biggest complain with the 5th Gen already, and it seems like they're already headed in the right direction, given the platform it sounds like they're working off of.

All I know is - the current generation is about as perfect as I could reasonably expect. I hope the 6th can follow in it's footsteps. I don't know how it could appeal to me more, but I know that the 5th Gen is the generation I've been waiting for. I hope the same can be said for the 6th :D I have faith :D

Ur leasing ur car?

Good to know!

As much as I love the '69, (That '69 will always be the BEST looking Camaro ever made, period !) a lighter 5th gen and a 10-15% scaled down in overall size (ATS's size) with the current power offering will be another success for GM. The improvement for the interior doesn't required much IMO, just a little better material and slightly rearranged. The new ATS's interior is beautiful but I wouldn't want it in the Camaro. My only complaint with the 5th gen is the WEIGHT. Bring that weight down and it's golden for me.

Well, I read somewhere, that the challenger will be retired and that they'll bring back the barricuda. It would be amazing if chevy ended the camaro and brought back the SS chevelle from the 67-69 era or even a retro 1970 chevelle. I know they have a malibu and theyre not going to bring that back.

My take on it, is get ready for a 2nd gen 1970 camaro retro to be the 6th edition. IF they make a 7th gen, I think it'll be totally revamped because even though the early 80s camaros were decent, GM will not be using that body style. I mean, the muscle car era was form 67-73. So Id think it'd be a total make over for a new camaro.

Im being selfish and hope that the change isnt too drastic since I am getting my car in 2012, I want it to still look good when the 2015 comes out lol, you 2010 guys had an extra 2 years with your cars than I will.

I think GM should poll this site for ideas and maybe even do a design contest. I'm working on a contest for Porsche right now - grand prize is 20k or a one year lease of a 911.

all they have to do is make it lighter, bit more powerful, spruce up the interorir materials and most importantly just have to refresh the current 5th gen design. Make it a little more bold, a little more cut. Doesnt need much. All they have to do is what Ford did with the Mustang, not a drastic change


ANYWAYS, all we know is that this current design is just like the 69, everyone is still going to be in love with it even 40 years down the line.
Not giving this car up.

^
That. Better in other ways, yes. :chevy:

The most retro car of the three is the least selling one.

BUT, this comment from the comments section made me laugh me ass off.

What a moron. Apperently he didn't read much of the article. 'Get with it' :facepalm: , uh, hey dummy, I'm thinking over a third of the market is pretty damn 'with it'.

I don't think horsepower needs to go any higher. The lighter weight will help with acceleration. With the new platform horsepower could actually decrease and still maintain acceptable performance. They need to concentrate on fuel mileage and handling and if they can do it with a V-8 it will be a home run.

They are well aware of the weight issue, hopefully they are able to keep that in check. If so I'm waiting for the 2017 model year- a 50th Anniversary Edition would look sweet next to my 35th and by then I should be able to afford it.

I think the design team should submit a couple design ideas, be it a retro 1st gen ,and a retro 2nd gen, and put it to a vote online,and forum members, to garner appropriate responses as to which direction they should take.

My loan would have been finished in fall of 2015 if I didn't refinance it late last year, so I'll have to wait another year. The markups for the 6th gen should be over by then.

This is all provided it looks good. Lol

My preference would just be to evolve its current styling.

Actually I think what you want IS a complete redesign. That way this one doesn't look "old". That may sound incorrect but look at the mustangs. The 2005-2009 now look old and blah to me because the 2010+ is a slightly redesigned and more slick version. Had the new mustang been 100% different. Those 2005's may still look cool in their own seperate way.

Does that make sense? lol


Im selfish too. However if its a 2015 model, mine will be paid off in time to upgrade to the 2016 model after their first year bugs are worked out. :thumbup:

I'm with "wizard1183"...i think G.M. would benefit greatly if they were to bring back a retro of the "chevelle SS",also think if they would do the same with the "Belair" it would be a popular car for the lets say little older demographic,that said though i dont think the sales of the belair would last past a couple years,but i have always said that the redo of "chevelle SS" would be a hot seller,..sorry,kinda off topic on 6th gen but don't know how it could improve other than what others have posted,weight and better quality interior,

Yes, that makes sense. I bought a 2006 Mustang GT back in 2005 and loved it. When the newer, (slightly redisigned), ones came out, all it did was make mine look used up and old. The redesign was enough to make the older ones look dull, but not exciting enough to make me think it was that different. My thought was that in a few years, that design would also make me go "Meh".
That's when my long dormant love for the Camaro came out and I started looking into them. I have not look back since getting my 2012 Camaro. It is the most in love with a car I have ever been.

:D