View Single Post
Old 03-15-2014, 08:27 PM   #128
PYROLYSIS
Remember the Charleston 9
 
PYROLYSIS's Avatar
 
Drives: 2004 KME PREDATOR, 2014 2SS/RS/1LE
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Summerv1LE SC
Posts: 5,381
Quote:
Originally Posted by Number 3 View Post
It will have to be evolutionary simply because it has to BE and LOOK LIKE a Camaro.

But it needs to be revolutionary in several areas at least compared to the current car.

1- Class leading interior materials. Current interior in 2010 was only trying to beat the 2008 Mustang interior. And it did. The Mustang refresh moved well ahead and GM played catch up with the dash, steering wheel, adding NAV, a height adjustable passenger seat. Flat out the interior pretty much sucks by 2014 standards. Just look at the new Tahoe/Suburban, Impala and Corvette. Any NG Camaro needs to put those in the weeds. The comments better read, "the 20XX Camaro interior rivals the Audi A5 for $15,000 less". I guess you feel like this is possible inside of the proper price range or you wouldn't have posted it, I hope you're right.

2 - Interior packaging. Frankly this is the current cars biggest weakness. Visibility is so poor that I never tried to parallel park one. Yes it can be done, but forward and side visibility are horrid and the rear is not much better than driving the Solstice Hard Top. The cowl is too high. The belt line is too high. And give us a trunk opening that isn't compromised by styling. The trunk is big enough but the opening is a small port hole. I think this will be the biggest factor in how evolutionary the styling will end up. It's probably the biggest complaint from the fifth gen. I've put 4500 miles on mine now and I can deal with it just fine and don't mind the sacrifice for looks but I'm not everybody and I'm used to the fourth gen which wasn't much better.

3 - More refinement in the styling. Fine, be a Camaro, we all want it to still be a Camaro. But you can make it awesome without being "cartoonish" and "in your face". I know there will be a lot of disagreement on this point. And I sure don't want a Hyundai or even the smoothed out Mustang. But don't add a lot of clap trap to it. That extra "stuff" is what hurts the C7 from being truly awesome. The Camaro was awesome when it came out. Partly because we hadn't had one in almost 10 years. But for me now, it is too much of it's own self. Tone it down a notch. Doesn't need to go to 11 But don't lower it past 10.

4 - DO NOT give us a Cadillac ATS Coupe with less stuff. And I don't mean styling. Any NG Camaro needs to have it's own value proposition. DO NOT give us a "if you want that feature or technology you need to buy the Cadillac?" Proposition. Having 3 brands is still killing GM. The Impala would be a much better car still if it weren't for the Lacrosse. And as much as you might like it, the TT 3.6L is only available with the XTS. Simply make the Camaro as good a car as you can in all trim levels. I'm hoping switching plants will give us more freedom with options but that may be wishful thinking. I'm not expecting us to be able to revert to how it was in the sixties but I would like to see some more options/colors without having to buy an overpriced special edition.

5 - Don't #$%^&* up the powertrain. Give the Camaro the best stuff you have. Don't launch with a 6 speed. Booooo. 8 speed is your best and newest transmission. The Camaro should launch with the best you have to be a great drivers car for each model. This doesn't mean Brembos on an LT. But don't skimp on the goods.

6 - Target the $30,000 price point. It needs to be the most awesome way to spend $30,000 if you want a coupe. And at that price point the Camaro should "punch well above it's weight class". One of GM's biggest failures in the past was to design and content the base car for it's entry level price. Everyone remembers the Solstice/Sky. It was the most wonderful car to get a small American made roadster for UNDER $20,000. It was frankly a miracle at that price. But the Sky Redline I bought several years ago stickered for $36,000. Within a couple grand of an Audi TT convertible. At that price point, the build quality, top operation, interior quality and features were all substandard. So GM DO NOT design and content the car for the base/entry buyer. Design and content the car so that the buyer at the high end is asking why they would spend more money for the German or Asian brand when the Camaro offers the same awesomeness for so much less.

7 - Mustang is not your only competitor. PERIOD.

The hard part will be to balance all that and still satisfy the "American Muscle" crowd. They will get that with likely the LT1. And even if the car weighs more than an ATS, and it will by the way, that car would be pretty awesome. Put an LT1 in an ATS Coupe and you won't have a 3,400 pound car. Sorry.

Now this alllllll has to leave room for a very special car at the top end of the range. GM has two premium powertrain choices in the Camaro ABOVE the LS3. Not sure if that is possible in a NG Camaro, but we've already seen the SC version of the LT1 in the Z06. Set the car up so that you can now apply premium materials to get real weight out and have a car that has all the track capability one can imagine in a Pony Car. That somehow weighs what a base V6 weighs but has the best powertrain, brakes, tires and steering. If you did 1 through 7 above correctly, this car should make anyone considering an M4, an RS5, an AMG C63 think reallllly hard about why they shouldn't be buying a Camaro. Now that's a hard goal. Most Porsche guys would have never, ever, ever, never considered a Corvette. Just ask them. But the magazines are now making that choice. And that has to be the mission of the NG Z car in the Camaro lineup.
I would like to see an entry level V8 with less power( I know) and better MPG than the LT1 put in the SS. Unless they have something up their sleeve this motor most likely doesn't exist and therefore you can kiss a $35K V8 Camaro goodbye.
__________________
BRING BACK THE B4C POLICE CAMARO!
2002 V-6 5 speed rally red (current camaro) Also driven:1992 Z-28 305 auto Red w/ black stripes (anniversary), 2001 V-6 auto light pewter metallic,1991 RS V-6 auto Black
PYROLYSIS is offline   Reply With Quote