[90503]

Well, the Corvette wasn't included in the OP's list of cars hinting at the 2016 Camaro interior....The Volt and Malibu can hardly compare to the Corvette....Hell, why don't we look at the Caddy's and Buick's interior is while were at it?....You never know...!

[newb]

I don't think the ties to the old school are necessary. Look in these forums which represent a minuscule portion of Camaro sales, and you can see how many people know nothing about Camaro heritage. While the die hards want ties, the young crowd wants cool. The iconic 1st gen had ties to what? The 2nd gen was a huge departure from 1st gen. 3rd gen had even less in common with 1st gen. And so on. Now all of a sudden it must have ties.

And yes I realize there are small elements of each gen carried over but not like people are asking for now. Face it, if you want a modern 69 Camaro, find a custom builder or start sourcing parts to build your own. Gm will not be doing it for you.

[DrkPhx]

I love the C7 interior. I don't want to see a retro interior; just something unique that sets it apart from the rest of the brand. That's all.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by 90503

Well, the Corvette wasn't included in the OP's list of cars hinting at the 2016 Camaro interior....The Volt and Malibu can hardly compare to the Corvette....Hell, why don't we look at the Caddy's and Buick's interior is while were at it?....You never know...!

The suggestion was for the brand similarities in the other 2 recently introduced Chevrolets. Picking the CT6 or Buick Avenir would just be silly.

[90503]

Originally Posted by Number 3

... Picking the CT6 or Buick Avenir would just be silly.

Of course...as would comparing the interior of the '14 Corvette....It didn't do much for the '14 or '15 Camaro, either...

[SuperSound]

Originally Posted by 90503

Of course...as would comparing the interior of the '14 Corvette....It didn't do much for the '14 or '15 Camaro, either...

That's because you have an entirely new Corvette for 2014, not a refresh.

[hotlap]

Originally Posted by 90503

Well, the Corvette wasn't included in the OP's list of cars hinting at the 2016 Camaro interior....The Volt and Malibu can hardly compare to the Corvette....Hell, why don't we look at the Caddy's and Buick's interior is while were at it?....You never know...!

The point was that the Corvette, as a recent model introduction, has a distinctive interior that say Corvette when you see it. The Camaro has its own loyal following and personality so while it's reasonable to expect it will have family ties, the C7 is evidence of Chevy's awareness to give the car soul

[atlcamaro1]

Originally Posted by SuperSound

Nonsense. Take a look at the Challenger and Mustang interiors. They are significantly better than the 5th gen. There is absolutely no reason to accept less quality "because it's a different car". The competition upped their game and the Camaro is behind. This is exactly why it's important for the interior in the new gen to leave behind the past. The 5th gen's interior was "good enough" at the time because the competition was no better, but "good enough" does not last. The average consumer (not people on camaro5/6) demands more than basic no frills interiors that would be at home in the 90's, plain and simple.

GM losing their way would be making a new car and not significantly improving the interior to rival the competition.

as long as they retain the camaro look, i dont care what materials they use.......

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by atlcamaro1

as long as they retain the camaro look, i dont care what materials they use.......

What exactly is the "Camaro Look"? I mean every Generation Camaro had its own look, it may keep a few styling cues but overall every Camaro generation has had its own interior and exterior look. I guess the biggest change was from the first to second Gen Camaro. I mean they were totally different.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by atlcamaro1

as long as they retain the camaro look, i dont care what materials they use.......

But based on the 5 completely different interiors over the years...................what it the "Camaro look"?

First, let me be clear, I appreciate how everyone, I mean a few of you, really love the current interior.

Lets go back in time. Do you guys remember the original steering wheel? A lovely 3 spoke not shared with any other GM product. It was quickly removed and replaced with a common steering wheel because it was panned for being too big. It was an homage to the 3 spoke you see in the 67.

It launched without NAV/MyLink. This was a HUGE oversight. GM had convinced themselves back in 07/08 that NO ONE bought cars with navigation. Everyone just bought their own Garmin and took it from car to car. Oooops wrong on that one. It was corrected, but now it is far from integrated.

Remember the interior blue light piping on the doors that for some reason didn't make it to the IP? Another loss due to the 67 retro top pad.

Digital temperature, dual zone, nope. You can get a $55,000 ZL1 and not have either of those.

Optional gage pack? Yep, perfectly useful below everything and basically just losing storage space. Again another 67 design feature replicated for the current car.

And I they essentially targeted the crappy interior of the Mustang, which was fine until the Mustang got an all new interior in 2010.

Don't misunderstand, I know there are people on this site that would prefer the Gen 5 interior............if you could just take more stuff off.

But GM has sold over 500,000 Gen 5s. We have how many members? It has to sell in volumes.

Ponder this, last month the Mustang sold at a clip that is 150,000 units per year. That is closer to Malibu sales than it is to Camaro. They must have done something right. I don't recall the Gen5 Camaro selling at that rate, but someone can fact check that. And this is in an era where coupes supposedly don't sell well.

Also, GM gave us exactly what we asked for in the Z/28. A track focused, LS7 powered, CC braked, no option light weighted monster. But it is selling no where near big volumes. It simply cost too much. What if they had done what others wanted and instead of showing what they could do, which was make a Porsche look substandard and just made the LS7 an engine option for the 1LE? Might have sold a bunch more.

My point all along has been, Chevy has to deliver a great coupe first. Then it can be a great Camaro. A great Camaro does not necessarily make a great coupe. And the interior is a huge part of that.

Now for more interesting points to ponder about the importance of this.

GM passenger car market share on the coasts is horrendous. Along the West Coast, there are actually people that don't know Chevy makes cars. They just see Chevrolet making pickups and Suburbans. GM as a passenger car company is nearly irrelevant on the coasts. Making a retro Camaro won't fix that. Making a great coupe will be a start. A very small start mind you, but making great cars is what GM needs to do now.

"Retro" and "Muscle" (although Camaro is not really a Muscle Car, it's just the closest we have right now) don't matter to most customers.

Think of it this way, if it's a great coupe in I4/V6 guise and sells really, really well, if the bones are right you can make it handle and brake go really, really fast with a drivetrain choice. And those people won't complain that is also really just a great car. But if you take a car and make it too retro and try to scream "Muscle" it isn't going to appeal to most people. And again that is the path to doom we have already seen with the Camaro.

Remember Bob Lutz's famous quote, "you can sell young mans car to an old man but you can't sell an old man's car to a young man". It kind of translates here.

The long term existence for the Camaro is dependent on it being a great couple, which means looks sharp, has good entry egress, easy to put stuff in the trunk, all the features to integrate with personal electronics and lifestyle equipment/devices, quiet, comfortable and fun to drive.

This is a car choice that isn't anywhere near Malibu. The current Malibu bombed partly for styling but for basics such as rear seat roominess and not enough f^%*ing cup holders. Yes, cup holders. Camaro is by it's nature, from it's roots and history, a much more expressive, personal choice. So it has to look really good.......inside and out.........to be a success.

Me, I believe it will be. I'm not buying or selling the 2016 hardware that could be carried over.

But the truth is the Camaro needs to be a sub $25,000 car as it is today. I would love it if GM gave the Camaro a completely unique interior just like the Corvette, but that is a $55,000 car. So it is just more likely we'll see some commonality across other Chevrolet products.

But here is the trick, and it's a tough one for cars like the Camaro that sticker from less than $25,000 all the way to $55,000. How do you make an interior that works for both price points?

My example is my old Sky Redline. At $19,900 for a base, but sharp convertible the crappy interior was just fine. My car stickered at $36,000 just a few ticks away from an Audi TT convertible, which has a really nice interior in comparison. The interior has to play at both price points.

[SuperSound]

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

What exactly is the "Camaro Look"? I mean every Generation Camaro had its own look, it may keep a few styling cues but overall every Camaro generation has had its own interior and exterior look. I guess the biggest change was from the first to second Gen Camaro. I mean they were totally different.

A long hood and short rear deck. That's the definition of a pony car and the only thing that really ties all the generations together.


Also well said Number 3.

[DrkPhx]

Number 3 - Thanks for your perspective. No doubt GM needs to hit a homerun with the interior on the new Camaro. C6 Vette was in a similar situation and GM did a great job with that car and I hope they do the same with the new Camaro. It's seems you're setting us up for a let down (maybe I'm reading something that's not there), so we'll have to wait and see what it really looks like.

[90503]

Originally Posted by hotlapZL1

The point was that the Corvette, as a recent model introduction, has a distinctive interior that say Corvette when you see it. The Camaro has its own loyal following and personality so while it's reasonable to expect it will have family ties, the C7 is evidence of Chevy's awareness to give the car soul

...And that is a very good point, I hope you are right....Only problem may be as stated above, would be keeping costs reasonable....

The Corvette influence may be too pricey compared to what we see with the Volt or Malibu...

If the Camaro is squeezed to keep costs down, I would rather see the engineering and available dollars go into handling and performance....and keep the interior on the Spartan side....

I think this model can get away with it, performance and lighter weight over interior luxury and very reasonably priced....I know it's more complicated than one or the other...

....but hoping for the best and nice surprises to come.

[atlcamaro1]

Originally Posted by Number 3

But the truth is the Camaro needs to be a sub $25,000 car as it is today. I would love it if GM gave the Camaro a completely unique interior just like the Corvette, but that is a $55,000 car. So it is just more likely we'll see some commonality across other Chevrolet products.

But here is the trick, and it's a tough one for cars like the Camaro that sticker from less than $25,000 all the way to $55,000. How do you make an interior that works for both price points?

My example is my old Sky Redline. At $19,900 for a base, but sharp convertible the crappy interior was just fine. My car stickered at $36,000 just a few ticks away from an Audi TT convertible, which has a really nice interior in comparison. The interior has to play at both price points.

And thats my point. Eventually, both ford and general motors, trying to keep up with each other in vehicle TECH, are gonna price these cars out into the middle of luxury car territory. Im not saying that gm needs to just throw some plastic out there and call it a day. No, they can offer a more premium interior, and keep the prices down. Like i said, i own a benz, i HAVE owned a audi and cadillac. Nice, premium cars. You know what i HATED about every one of those cars, including my current benz? Over engineered, expensive to repair, and hard to modify audio systems to aftermarket. Im trying to sell my benz now.

I looked at the 5th generation Camaro, and immediately, I feel BACK in love with pony cars. You know something else? I loved the fact they updated the Camaro, but kept a Camaro, pony car heritage. I love the fact that its not over engineered. It can be modified ( audio systems, engine upgrades, etc.) to my liking if i want to. It is not gonna be anywhere near a benz cost in repairs, and the cherry on top, v6 engines that get better gas mileage, with less cylinders, but MORE power than the 1995 z28 camaro i had. ( I have also owned a 6 cylinder mustang and a mustang gt ). The new Camaro and Mustang give you that luxury car vehicle, but without the headaches of the cars from the luxury brand nameplates.

I say all this to say, when I said I want gm to keep the Camaro heritage, Im really talking about not over engineering the car with technical wizardry, to the point where its not a pony car, but a entry to mid level premium luxury sedan, along WITH the problems those cars bring to the table. I love the look of the new mustange interior. I was blown away by it when i saw one in person. As long as they dont go full German and Cadillac and start incorporating fiber optic systems, soft close doors, air suspensions, vehicle specific audio systems, ( fiber optics audio) etc. Im cool with them updating the looks of the cars.

One more thing, I love the new mustang interior, but the exterior? Only the GT trim level with the right wheels looks good, the base model looks like garbage, exterior wise. Just my opinion. I dont see the new Camaro having ANY problem knocking the mustang back to the number 2 position.