[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by IOMike

Them to consider more people opinions than current Camaro owners.

If I can't chuck my son in the back seat, I won't buy it. It shouldn't be a daily driver family car, but if it's not something the family can enjoy in Saturday night they failed.

How about this...

An new GTO

But everyone blasted the shit out of it.

"too heavy"
"no power"
"cannot handle"
"blah blah blah"

And guess what, I loved mine. Had a car seat in the back, it was exactly what you are describing. Not only did I take the family out on Saturday night... we went and raced it!

[Twist ZL1]

Manual Transmission, better infotainment software, better interior materials, option for a fully digital DIC (like Audi's virtual cockpit).

[Baldilocks01SS]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeROC

I have to disagree here. If a plastic dash saves money for a great looking and performing car, I'm all for it. The cars are already expensive. Other than when you clean, do you guys touch your dash that often? I don't understand the obsession with making the car even more unaffordable for fancy things I'll never touch.

Unfortunately, that argument doesn't fly anymore. If I am paying 60K+ for a Camaro, I want an interior that I don't have to make excuses for. Soft touch materials aren't cost prohibitive.

[s346k]

Originally Posted by FarmerFran

Not only did I take the family out on Saturday night... we went and raced it!

if i want to lose races i can take the fam to dinner in my jeep, also.

[Jonster]

I want a car that has the "camaro look" with usable back seats, digital dash cluster, upgraded infotainment, and of course the improved performance/feel that camaro provides. I also would seriously consider EV if it was an option.

My thoughts...if they completely started from scratch on a model (or just completely with a new model) like the Impala and designed it with the camaro look in mind first while offering several "performance" options...it might do fairly well. I fit this market space where I need a daily driver that can be practical for my family while being sporty with the standard tech customers expect.

I am also practical that CHANGING the camaro specifically to fit what "I" need isn't sensible. There are track/performance enthusiasts and that is what the camaro is fundamentally build for. I'd like to see the camaro continue to reduce it's cost, increase it's performance, and focus on just making a bad ass muscle car (similar to the approach dodge does with the challenger/charger) and focus on a different model (like the impala, Malibu, or new model entirely) to fit the "camaro sport look" into the market that needs a daily driver family car with the camaro looks/feel.

I know that some may say "look at cadillacs then" or "go to <insert luxury brand here" for that car. And you're not wrong, but I really do love my camaro and this is just me selfishly thinking out loud if I was in front of chevy telling them what it would take to keep me in the chevy brand space.

That's just my 2 cents.

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by Baldilocks01SS

Unfortunately, that argument doesn't fly anymore. If I am paying 60K+ for a Camaro, I want an interior that I don't have to make excuses for. Soft touch materials aren't cost prohibitive.

For "$60K+", you're obviously referring to a ZL1..as the others don't even get that expensive. What car can you buy ~brand new~ that offers the ZL1 performance and aggressive aesthetics, at that price, with a higher end interior? I honestly can't think of anything off the top of my head.

I do get where you're coming from, we all want the most for our dollar...and the Camaro's could be improved a touch. There also has to be a line where people realize it is unrealistic to expect more.

[ThirdGenNut]

IROC looks.
Mopar quality radios.
chrome rim option.
no multi-dot LEDS. only glowing light bars or just single bulbs.
lose a couple more pounds.
sub 30k v-8.
or.....
Pay off the production building and all the production equipment.
produce your own power
keep selling the 6th gen for 20 more years for 20k a pop.

[Crushin_LT1]

Originally Posted by zaimer

For "$60K+", you're obviously referring to a ZL1..as they others don't even get that expensive. What car can you buy ~brand new~ that offers the ZL1 performance and aggressive aesthetics, at that price, with a higher end interior? I honestly can't think of anything off the top of my head.

I do get where you're coming from, we all want the most for our dollar...and the Camaro's could be improved a touch. There also has to be a line where people realize it is unrealistic to expect more.

Everything else has either much lower performance or is wildly more expensive.

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by Crushin_LT1

Everything else has either much lower performance or is wildly more expensive.

My point exactly.

[Hops]

for me it absolutely has to be track capable. And it don't mean lap times. I mean the only prep for a track day is an alignment and break bleed. And once you get on track, there's no overheating, it just runs all day without issue with a factory warranty to back it up.
I also don't think being track capable means it can't be more daily friendly in terms of a back seat and outward visibility. The back seat issue is treated like an all or nothing thing, but it really isn't, it just needs to be a little better than it is. I guess i could sum this up by saying, average the current Camaro with the BMW M2.

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeROC

Just my humble opinion:

1. I'm not spending over $60k for any Camaro, or any vehicle at all. And before you ask, I bought my Z/28 a couple years old for WAY under $60k.

2. If those materials aren't cost prohibitive anymore, fine then.

3. I still don't understand what so many people are doing with their dashboards that I'm not. I look at it sometimes and clean it when I need to. What am I missing here? I mean, I can understand wanting a well designed and built interior and wanting a certain feel maybe for the steering wheel, seats, and shifter. But is the dash really a problem?

I agree with #3 . I love nicer materials as much as the next guy, but I can't say that I have complaints about the dash? Sure, I probably notice the cheapness while detailing, but it is soon forgotten.

[SirJangle]

Originally Posted by zaimer

There also has to be a line where people realize it is unrealistic to expect more.

^^^THIS

The bottom line, to me, is that the more you make the Camaro like a "family" car the more it becomes something other than a Camaro. Look, I get all of the opinions/arguments of wanting more or wanting the Camaro to satisfy your needs. But, that's not how life works. If the Camaro doesn't work for you, then you'll have to find something that does. And, I understand the point of then the Camaro might not exist going forward. That's the chance any manufacturer takes when making such a unique, limited audience product. But again, if the Camaro wasn't what it is, I wouldn't have one. I drove many different cars when shopping for my Camaro SS: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and the Mustang GT. I've had a Lexus RC350 F-Sport and an Infiniti Q60 Sports Coupe. None of them put a smile on my face or made me feel like my Camaro SS does. Making it more like other more practical vehicles defeats the purpose of making it in the first place.

For example, years ago I drove trucks. I absolutely loved the looks/stance of regular cab/short bed trucks. But, I couldn't have one because I had two sons to cart around. So, I always had to get the extended cab trucks. It's the same thing here. If you can't make the Camaro work for you/your situation, then find something that does work. That's just the way it is. Everything can't be everything to everyone.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by zaimer

There also has to be a line where people realize it is unrealistic to expect more.

Originally Posted by SirJangle

^^^THIS

The bottom line, to me, is that the more you make the Camaro like a "family" car the more it becomes something other than a Camaro. Look, I get all of the opinions/arguments of wanting more or wanting the Camaro to satisfy your needs. But, that's not how life works. If the Camaro doesn't work for you, then you'll have to find something that does. And, I understand the point of then the Camaro might not exist going forward. That's the chance any manufacturer takes when making such a unique, limited audience product. But again, if the Camaro wasn't what it is, I wouldn't have one. I drove many different cars when shopping for my Camaro SS: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and the Mustang GT. I've had a Lexus RC350 F-Sport and an Infiniti Q60 Sports Coupe. None of them put a smile on my face or made me feel like my Camaro SS does. Making it more like other more practical vehicles defeats the purpose of making it in the first place.

For example, years ago I drove trucks. I absolutely loved the looks/stance of regular cab/short bed trucks. But, I couldn't have one because I had two sons to cart around. So, I always had to get the extended cab trucks. It's the same thing here. If you can't make the Camaro work for you/your situation, then find something that does work. That's just the way it is. Everything can't be everything to everyone.

I agree that there is and needs to be a "line" as described. However... The manufacturer should not be the one that gets to move that line. The Camaro was always capable of carrying passengers in the back seat. That quality has been changed by GM and SOME buyers accepted it and bought the car anyway. But, they've also lost customers because they changed a fundamental aspect of the car.

I don't want a family car that's sporty - I had that with my TL. And, while I personally do not need a sports/muscle car that can be used as a family car, I can see where providing usable rear seats (like always) opens the market up for GM and increases sales. The Camaro is not the Corvette and doesn't have the same market. But, the way that it's designed, it also no longer has its original market.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by SirJangle

^^^THIS

The bottom line, to me, is that the more you make the Camaro like a "family" car the more it becomes something other than a Camaro. Look, I get all of the opinions/arguments of wanting more or wanting the Camaro to satisfy your needs. But, that's not how life works. If the Camaro doesn't work for you, then you'll have to find something that does. And, I understand the point of then the Camaro might not exist going forward. That's the chance any manufacturer takes when making such a unique, limited audience product. But again, if the Camaro wasn't what it is, I wouldn't have one. I drove many different cars when shopping for my Camaro SS: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and the Mustang GT. I've had a Lexus RC350 F-Sport and an Infiniti Q60 Sports Coupe. None of them put a smile on my face or made me feel like my Camaro SS does. Making it more like other more practical vehicles defeats the purpose of making it in the first place.

For example, years ago I drove trucks. I absolutely loved the looks/stance of regular cab/short bed trucks. But, I couldn't have one because I had two sons to cart around. So, I always had to get the extended cab trucks. It's the same thing here. If you can't make the Camaro work for you/your situation, then find something that does work. That's just the way it is. Everything can't be everything to everyone.

Don't misinterpret my comments. Making a "better coupe" is not creating a family car.

Making it more usable for wider range of customers, however, must be done to widen the sales interest. Right now it's a very focused car. I would guess that the Mustang sales GT vs SS are probably not far off in volume. My guess is the Mustang has more sales than Camaro in the "non performance" models (L4 and V6) and what would really be interesting would be sales percentage to men and women buyers. My guess is Mustang sells to more women than Camaro, but that's just my hunch. Could be way off there.

But also with coupe sales going down every year, you need a broader appeal to keep volumes up to maintain production. Back in the day, Chevy had Monte Carlo, Chevelle, Camaro, Corvette. You could get a coupe for almost every want or need because the volumes were up. I can almost remember back in 78/79 when the number one selling car in America was the Olds Cutlass a coupe. Now it's not only loss of coupe sales, sedans are being dropped in favor of SUVs.

So making a Camaro with more wide spread appeal may not have the scalpel sharp performance car we have now, but that would be better, IMO, than no Camaro at all.