burningsquirrels

the mustang is a more practical car. i recently test drove 00-02 camaros, and liked them. i tested an 03 GT for comparison... boy what a difference. the camaro was hands down the performance car, but the mustang felt more like a regular car, and had a bigger backseat, and had a trunk, and the rear seats folded down for added space. if i was joe schmoe or joe college who sees cars as just this point a to point b thing, the mustang makes way more sense. if i was in the market for sensible sporty american coupe, i'd be buying a mustang, too.

of course, i'm a GM guy and a chevy guy, and i want to go fast enough not to get rear ended.

5thGen

That's the biggest message I want to get accross to GM.

There are 2 door coupes in the Market. Make one that's better, or at least that can compete very well with all of them.

Hyundai Tiburon
Scion Tc
VW Beetle
Toyota Celica
Ford Mustang
Toyota Solara
Honda Civic
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Honda Accord
Acura RSX
Dodge Stratus
Monte Carlo
Pontiac G6
BMW 3 series
Pontiac GTO
Infiniti G35
Meredes CLK 350

These are all in or near the price range from a base Camaro, through the top of the line Camaro.

This is a big segment, if the V6 comes comes with the right look, and the right level of standard features and equipment, it can compete with all of these. QUality is on par from GM, so next is the look and feel that people want. The look is there with the Maro, but will the feel be there?

CLBHK

Exactly. I can't remember how many times I've heard people say, after seeing my 94Z, that they would never buy a car with such a sloped windshield. "That dash is huge!" Immediate turn-off right there for many people.

I still remember taking my car out for a test drive for the first time, Sept 94. Large windshield and dash to deal with, wipers, and NO HOOD...where the hell is the end of the hood...how can I park this thing without ripping the front end off? And then changing lanes...looking back to check for cars in the other lane and only seeing the wide pillar, not being able to see outside the car.

Then the long, thick doors. I still warn new passengers in my car to carefully open the door when they get out, so as not to ram it into the car/wall/whatever we had to park next to. The doors are a lot thicker than they realize. Also not good when having to park in tight spaces....I don't do it, but the average person does.

Then the floor bump for the cat...

The 4th gen wasn't a car you could just jump in and enjoy, for most people (talking the everyday crowd here). Hopefully the new one will fix that.


What will people be looking for in a base Camaro? Some sportiness... otherwise they would buy an Accord/Camry, so some of that has to be there, but not necessarily horsepower. Decent gas mileage...will be a prime concern. Insurance rates that won't be much higher than other similar cars. Some practicality...holds 4 adults, even for short trips, and their stuff at the same time. Accepts car seats for the kids. Maintanence...not much more expensive than other cars. Such as "normal" tires, not ones that cost $250 a corner every year. (As an aside, have you priced the concept's tire sizes? Yikes! ) Decent factory options/standards: auto tranny, A/C, decent radio, power seats/windows/mirrors. Sunroof??? PRICE...must be competitive. Quality fit and finish...doesn't look cheap compared to similar-priced cars.