Quote:
Originally Posted by BlaqWhole
I was adamant in the thought that GM was not going to put the LT5 in the Camaro. But now I think it is a possibility. I think maybe a 25% possibility. But a possibility nonetheless.
Looking at the 700+ HP cars out there, how many can be had for the price of a ZL1? Not one. If GM puts the LT5 in the ZL1 and calls it a Z28 then what kind of price hike are we talking about? Remember how horribly the last Z28 sold at $70K+? Ok so the ZLE is at $70K MSRP. But how many people are buying them? Throw the LT5 in the ZLE and you'll see $80K easily. Who is buying a Camaro for $80K? I sure as hell ain't. Well maybe. But will they sell enough of them? I doubt it.
The only way this would work is if GM built a very limited amount of them and made sure they were all sold or most of them were sold beforehand. But I think the market for an $80K and up RWD high HP fair weather vehicle is dwindling. It is getting harder and harder to justify paying the money they're asking for these cars.
So I don't think it's a matter of GM doing it so much as being a matter of who is gonna buy it. Honestly, most people with $80K and up who are buying GM are looking at Corvettes. Because no matter how good and how much HP a ZL1 has, it is still a Camaro. And people who want to differentiate from the Camaro crowd are buying Corvettes. Honestly that is why I'm probably switching over to Vettes. Because my ZL1 is still a Camaro. And Vettes just have a completely different vibe to them. Anyway the ZL1 sold because it is basically a 3LZ-optioned Camaro with the same engine but in a Camaro and for about half the price. I don't think a Z28 with the LT5 and full options will be priced decently enough to make people buy it.
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GT500 sales plus Dealer ADM will show just how many are willing to spend 80+ on a pony car with 700+ HP.
Demon sales support this niche market as well. Chevy has never even attempted to offer competitive HP to Dodge and Ford. ZL1 is a great car, but it's strength is handling. Straight line, it is out muscled by Dodge and will be by the GT500 as well.
As for Corvettes, I shopped plenty of C6 ZR1s before I bought my C2 GS Mongoose Motorsports car. That was before baby. I plan on keeping the GS, but the next car won't be another Vette, it will be a newer Camaro, so either a ZL1 or an LT5 powered Camaro which I'm hoping for. I already have a road course car, so I don't need another ultimate handling Camaro, the Z/28 showed that was a bad sales pitch at a high cost. The Demon has shown that a monster straight line HP machine will sell.