12-05-2014, 12:57 AM | #1 |
Drives: 2016 1LT RS Camaro; 72 Chevelle Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central Point, OR
Posts: 5,688
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Size matters.... Right?
So we're thinking smaller platform = lighter, right? I'm not seeing any mention of revolutionary new technology used in the manufacturing process such as lighter materials, etc as of yet, so I can only assume the theoretical weight loss comes from being physically smaller...
The new Mustang gained a little weight, didn't it? It sure seems like it got smaller in size also, but it gained some long overdue new technology (IRS)... The 5th Gen Camaro already had it from the get go, and it was big and heavy. Now it's going to get smaller (in theory)... On to my point... At what point does smaller become TOO small? My local Ford dealer finally got some new Mustangs in and I stopped by last night... I have disliked most pictures I have seen of them online, especially the rear end. In person, (forgive me for what I'm about to say), in my opinion, it's actually a pretty good looking car (the rear end still sucks, but it looks better in person than the pictures make it look)... So I sat it in... The seats were super comfortable, the interior was wayyyy nice.... BUT... It felt claustrophobic-ally small and cramped in the cabin once I got over how comfortable the seat was and closed the door. And not that I was considering buying a new Mustang, but any and all hope for it went right out the window. I'm a pretty big dude... I want the Camaro to shed some pounds, but not I'm not willing to sacrifice comfort for anything. Especially if I have to drive the car every single day. So my question to you is... How small is to small? Is there a too small for you? Or do you just want the car to go as fast as humanly possible whatever the sacrifices may be? (PS, GM, you have to fix the rounded looking quarter window it looks like the 6th gen may have if it does have it. It looks really out of place. I hope it's not rounded.) |
12-05-2014, 06:39 AM | #2 |
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I'm 6'-4" and weigh 215. If I end up looking like Yogi Bear in it, it's too small.
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12-05-2014, 06:46 AM | #3 |
Drives: El camino Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: World
Posts: 193
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Depends on continent. Cars in europe are often smaller as people are too. I'd love to see a new camaro weighing in and in size being equal to the 4th gen.
I know that is not going to happen. But still |
12-05-2014, 08:06 AM | #4 |
GM repeat offender...
Drives: 16 2SS Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Grandview, Texas
Posts: 1,474
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Size is a funny issue. For instance. A 4th gen Fbody is considerbaly bigger than a C5Z06....yet the Vette had a ton more room in it for my body structure. (6'2@245lbs). Ergonomics can be much further seperated from SIZE than we typically assume.
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12-05-2014, 08:59 AM | #5 |
Drives: 2016 1LT RS Camaro; 72 Chevelle Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central Point, OR
Posts: 5,688
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I'm 6'2"/275, like I said, the Mustang went out the window just from sitting inside it...
About 10 years back I had a 94 z28 camaro, I don't remember it being too bad. I recently looked at an 02 here a couple months back... Haha that's not gonna happen for me either. The 94 had a manual seat, non t top, the 02 was power seat t top. I don't want to drive around feeling like I'm in a shoe box, regardless of how cool, or fast it may be |
12-05-2014, 09:47 AM | #6 |
Drives: 16 Camaro SS, 15 Colorado Join Date: May 2009
Location: Jefferson City, Missouri
Posts: 13,943
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Well...concerning the Mustang, they may have shrunk up the panels a bit to make it look a bit tighter/more modern but I don't think their intention was to make the car any smaller. In fact, I'm fairly certain it sits on the SAME wheelbase as the old car does. It might have lost an inch or so of height, but the footprint remains. The new profile, and new interior is what would have made the car feel more cramped, is my guess anyways.
Also...I'm reaching here, but I think the Mustang's wheelbase is around 107 - 108". Maybe 109?? The 5th gen Camaro's wheelbase is 112" (again...might be wrong here....but I know its a good 3 or 4 inches bigger than Mustang) and if it shrinks to the ATS wheelbase, it will still be 109", which is still as big or bigger than Mustang. So what I'm trying to say is, I don't think it should feel too much smaller, and definitely not smaller than Mustang. The only issue is how Chevrolet handles the interior. Hopefully they will do their best to give us a comfortable space on the inside, as the one drawback in ATS size versus 5th gen is I'm fairly certain the ATS is not as wide as the 5the 5th gen. I'm a slim guy and around 5' 10", so I have no worries of feeling like the interior is too small. I just hope its a nice place to be. Chevy knows we are not going to want a Camaro the size of a BRZ, so I wouldn't have any of those such fears, but I would say something like that, or definitely Miata sized would be my line.
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12-05-2014, 09:49 AM | #7 | |
Drives: 16 Camaro SS, 15 Colorado Join Date: May 2009
Location: Jefferson City, Missouri
Posts: 13,943
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Quote:
Oh and this... I'll just say in general, I hope they aren't just giving us a smoothed out, softened 5th gen. That's what the Mustang is. I still want some hard lines...I want the modern muscle look. I'm not saying it has to have chiseled edges everywhere, but hopefully it will look just as mean (but in a more modern way) as the 5th gen.
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2016 Camaro 1SS - 8-speed - NPP - Black bowties
2010 Camaro 1LT V6 (Sold. I will miss her!) |
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12-05-2014, 09:51 AM | #8 |
Drives: 2008 Malibu V6 Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: California
Posts: 280
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First of all, the new Mustang really isn't much smaller than the old Mustang. Overall length is 188.3" compared to 188.5" for the 2014. 0.2 inches is essentially nothing.
The new Mustang may feel smaller because the roof is lower, windows are smaller and visibility is worse... giving it an overall more claustrophobic feel. Have you ever sat in an E46 BMW (i.e., 1999-2006 3 series)? At an overall length of 176", it's probably quite a bit smaller than the new Camaro will be, but it doesn't feel that small inside. Why? It has to do with ergonomics, roof height, window size, etc. The only way to know whether the new Camaro feels too small to you will be to actually sit in it. Numbers don't tell the whole story. Obviously, at this point, the dimensions of the new car are set in stone. GM has made its decision about the size it wants, and we can choose to take it or leave it when we see it. My guess, and it's only a guess from the photos we've seen, is that it's going to be a bit bigger than the ATS coupe and a bit smaller than the current Camaro. |
12-05-2014, 03:36 PM | #9 |
Drives: 2016 1LT RS Camaro; 72 Chevelle Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central Point, OR
Posts: 5,688
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I think the newest Mustang I had sat in previously was either an 07 or 08, and I don't recall it seeming cramped...
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12-08-2014, 09:22 AM | #10 |
GM repeat offender...
Drives: 16 2SS Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Grandview, Texas
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I havnt sat is a "cramped" Stang since the 98-06 models(Terminator era). Those were horribly cramped. The 07+ arnt bad. And the 2010+ actually have a lot of room.
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12-08-2014, 03:49 PM | #11 | |
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01-17-2015, 12:32 PM | #12 |
Moderator.ca
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Besides exterior dimensions, packaging plays a huge role in how much room there is inside a car. Technically speaking, the Camaro is a compact car. Compared to the Cruze (GM's 'normal' compact), the Camaro is 5 inches wider, sits on a 7 inch longer wheelbase, and is 9 inches longer overall. It also sits about 4 inches lower. But the interior volume puts them in the same vehicle class.
Why is the Camaro so big on the outside, yet so small on the inside? Mostly its styling & proportions. Those big wide rear fender haunches eat up about nearly a foot of cabin width in the back. The long hood pushes the cabin back. Go a bit less dramatic on the outside, and you can end up with a more practical interior space -resulting in a car that, while smaller externally, may not be that much smaller on the inside.
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