Why is the interior getting so much hate?

Hey all, i'm a long-time lurker but first time poster and i just wanted to throw something out there. First off, the concept is freaking automobile perfection and when the car comes out i will all but sell my soul to have it! From the posts and polls that i have read, the exterior has met with wonderful public eye success overall but there have been numerous complaints regarding the interior. IMO, i say leave it as it is in the concept. I mean, the previous two camaro's styling has always been futuristic and innovative. So why not push the envelope further??? Just look at the competition's interiors, there so bland and boring.

My first car was an 83 z/28 and i eventually got my hands on a 2000 v6. Both cars were years ahead of there time in futuristic styling. I love getting behind the wheel and feeling like i'm in a fighter jet or rocket or something and the retro accents and crazy gauge placement make it all the better!! I say make the awesome interior available and perhaps add a delete option for all the grannies and magazine critics. Would you guys agree?

Because it's too over the top and just flat out ugly. Just my opinion.

I would really love a C6"ish" interior....we'll see though.

Make the center console flow into the dash (ala C6 and just about every other luxury cars interior) and make a single pod gauge clusted, and the interior would be stunning.

I love how the dash is short and simple. Not like that acre of plastic in the 4th gens, and I LOVE how the dashline flows into the doors.

It's just not very practical.

i'd like to see gauges that are easier to read.

I think it's because of the luminescent orange paneling (although I haven't heard many say as much). Change the color to something more subdued, and revise the gauges so that they're more functional (again, mostly a color issue), and I don't think there will be many complaints.

I don't mind the gauges being where they're at, if they're just temp and oil gauges, etc... because I don't look at them that much, anyway, like I do the speedo and gas tank! :p

I thought it was cool. High tech touch panel that is heat sensitive is cool. Just like the ipods.

I just want it to be more modern like the C6

I just want it to be more modern like the C6


i agree... the exterior styling is amazing, but where do you spend most of your time in the car? i'd love to have a great modern interior (like the C6). Go check out the new mustang's interior, too retro and IMO not really that nice....

Yeah I actually think I'd like it without the orange and the bright reflective gauges. With just a standard black and grayish interior treatment with standard black or even white face gauges I think I'll be a big fan of the interior. I think they screwed the concept's interior up w/ the tachy color and gauges, throws off your whole impression of it. I also actually really like the way the dash flows into the door panels.

I kinda like it.

I think it just needs sensible gauges. I like the dual pods. They just need to be clearly labled and white or black. While they are at it, they should include the color changing option the new mustangs have. As for the orange panels, I love it. Of course it could be different colors for different exterior colors. Also, I love the shape of the dash board and the gauge pods. However, the loads of metal have to go to keep price down. Overall, I think the interior just needs to be toned down slightly. Keep the theme and important details and it will be a nice interior.
The problem is, everyone has different tastes. You can not push boundaries without upsetting some people. It goes for everything from comedy to car design.
Also, keep in mind, that with the low roofline, the car may feel cramped with a more flowing cockpit like dashboard. I feel that the late 90s mustangs were like that. The dashboard and center console seemed to trap you in there.

The dash and console are cool just the way they are. A dash that flows down between the seats makes you feel trapped like mentioned above.

It's quite simple really. The instrumentation is too impractical. I don't want to have to strain my eyes trying to read where the needles are pointing, especially at speed.

For a car that Chevy swears up and down is "not retro", why do we have to have a retro interior? :think:

My problem with it is the orange too. I love the flow of the doors to dash as you said. I dont like the big shiny 57 Belair headlight gauges in it. It shouldnt extend the dash pad. Theres so much bling you cant tell what it really looks like. I like how the seats are with how the seat belts guides on the bottom are but dont like the 80s buckle. It should be more 69 with C6 mix as far as the dash is concerned. Loose the 4th gen bulge in the bottom. Orange counsole gauges dont look right. The white looks great. Im wondering what Camaro they got the sterring wheel from.

I think it's because of the luminescent orange paneling (although I haven't heard many say as much). Change the color to something more subdued, and revise the gauges so that they're more functional (again, mostly a color issue), and I don't think there will be many complaints.


That's my only real issue with it. Lose the orange and I think the interior would look a lot better. I just HATE the color orange in or on a car.

I LOVE the instrument layout of the interior of the concept, but the color scheme was a bit :barf:
................actually the colors were a lot:barf:

I think if they went with colors a bit more subdued and less "in your face", they wouldn't have had so many negative opinions of the retro interior.

OP here,

Alot of ya'll are commenting on how illegible the speedo is. I personally have not seen the interior in person and i cant really tell from the pictures. Are the speedometer and tach really that hard to read? I thought GM would of gotten kudos for putting the two primary performance gauges directly in front and as big as clocks. Not only is this convenient for drag racing, but this will also let your passengers and any admirers know that this is a performance vehicle and not some grocery-getting granny (alitteration abuse anyone?) coupe.

Also, i think i would like to commend GM on stepping outside of the box and pushing the boundaries, especially with the secondary gauges. And whose to say that performance/retro gauges cant be a deletable option? I mean, the 4th gens can have there freakin roof deleted (for t-tops) and how popular was that! Not to mention the gobs of aftermarket gauges made for 3rd and 4th gen F-body's. Anybody agree with me here, or am i all alone!:(

Quit complaining. The interior is fine. If you don't like it, go buy a Mustang.

I saw the interior in person...outside of the seats and the center gague cluster, IMO there was nothing to like...

Quit complaining. The interior is fine. If you don't like it, go buy a Mustang.

That's a very asinine response...:rolleyes:

Now is the time TO complain...if we don't, then the car is going to get that retro-tube of an interior it has right now. Have you seen the friggen thing in person? Something tells me no...

Quit complaining. The interior is fine. If you don't like it, go buy a Mustang.

How progressive.

The interior is not a "major" thing to redesign. I'd buy the "go buy a Mustang" comment if I hated everything about the concept. I most certainly don't. I think most people would prefer a serious interior tweak. Are you going to tell them all to go buy a Mustang?

As the Guinness guys would say.....Brilliant! :dead:

For some reason it reminds me of something out of a cheesy 50's Sci-Fi movie. I too, am hoping for a modern interior. Love the exterior/dislike the interior. To echo the sentiments from a post above... NOW is the time to state our likes and dislikes.

It is just a concept interior. It isn't very practicle and is just for show. I don't expect the production car to look anything like that.

Not a big deal, I'll wait for the real interior before I pass judgment

It is just a concept interior. It isn't very practicle and is just for show. I don't expect the production car to look anything like that.

Not a big deal, I'll wait for the real interior before I pass judgment

I agree. Well put. Those console gauges are an accident waiting to happen the way they are in the concept. I can just see the lawsuits now. "I was trying to read my gas gauge, which is the whole way down on the console, and I ran off the road." Sounds stupid but it would probably happen....and they would probably win...and we would all have to take our Camaros into the dealer for a massive recall to move the gauges or something absurd like that.

Overall, I like the look, but I'd have to sit in the seat and see it in person to make a final judgement. Lutz even said in the one walk-around interview that the production interior wouldn't have all the billet almn stuff so as to save cost in building...SO I would imagine there will be other things that will go...including the luminescent orange dash/door panels. Maybe they'll have a "dress-up" option group to add some frosting for those who prefer.

LandonElf, you could make an interior of automotive perfection, and you'd still have people whining about this, hating the car for that, or swearing they won't buy the cars because of some issue or another, when they aren't going to buy anything but a used 5 year old car after they graduate highschool and get that raise at Wal-Mart.

An oversimplified reaction on my part? Another case of my being a little prickly? You betcha!

If people are going to slam something, they should offer constructive criticism.


Personally, I have only 2 issues with the interior.

First, those console guages. I see what the designers were trying to do in evoking the '69 interior. However, those of us that drive long distances and do alot of desert driving, tend to watch the fuel and tempreature guage, as I'm sure so do track racers. These 2 need to be up where they can easily be viewed, instead of down by the knees. Subsituting HUD is simply using a high tech (and unnecessary expense) to fix what is a bad but easily fixed styling idea. Having the other guages like the alternator and oil pressure down there is fine.

The secon, and only other issue I have with the interior is that it's a simple design that looks fantastic in the concept because of attention to details, the chrome shifter and surround, the wraparound color trim that looks like it was crafted, even the special "GM" seatbelt buckles. But you just KNOW none of those things are going to translate into the production car, and that's the problem.

Mustang's interior has plenty of cheap material, but because the interior boarders on being overstyled, Ford can get away with that. The Camaro's more restrained interior styling needs the colored stitching, the interior chrome, & the unusual intracate subtle details to pull it off. Start pulling that stuff out because of cost, and the interior is going to look as inviting and modern as a 1980 F350 commercial truck.

The concept has the public's (and GM's) attention and focus. However, although the new Camaro can "make" GM (in that they are serious about creating well made cars that don't feel cheap in a timely manner), the Camaro can easily be GM's undoing.

Though I like the concept, given GM's (and in all fairness, all car companies) history how interiors translate over from concept to production, I'm a bit concerned.

guionM, yea, i would have to agree with you and thanks for the good post but you wanna hear something really really freaky? My best friend just bought a 5 year old camaro SS, graduated highschool only three years ago, and works at wal-mart........creepy......

guionM, yea, i would have to agree with you and thanks for the good post but you wanna hear something really really freaky? My best friend just bought a 5 year old camaro SS, graduated highschool only three years ago, and works at wal-mart........creepy......

I'm starting to freak myself out. I made a post on how Pontiac needed a version of the Cobalt. Guess what happened a couple of days later? :lol:

(...and no, I didn't know it was coming.)

The interior doesnt bother me that much I kinda like. Maybe some changes on the guages but the rest is fine for me.

The only things i hate about the concept are the guages. The retro font and style used on the primary guages and the awkward placement of the rest on the console is just all around bad.

Other than that, the overall flow is great.

btw, those console guages would be USELESS in a convertible with the top down. They'll be glare city for sure.

LandonElf, you could make an interior of automotive perfection, and you'd still have people whining about this, hating the car for that, or swearing they won't buy the cars because of some issue or another, when they aren't going to buy anything but a used 5 year old car after they graduate highschool and get that raise at Wal-Mart.

Well, that certainly does not apply to me. My wife and I have purchsed five new cars since 1999, four of those GM (1 Buick, 1 Pontiac, 1 Chevy, 1 Caddy). So, my comments are coming from a real potential buyer. ;)

Well, that certainly does not apply to me. My wife and I have purchsed five new cars since 1999, four of those GM (1 Buick, 1 Pontiac, 1 Chevy, 1 Caddy). So, my comments are coming from a real potential buyer. ;)

Yeah, I do wonder just how many of the people crying 'build it' are real potential buyers.

While I wouldn't be able to purchase it right away if it came out in less than 1.5 years (and it most likely won't), that's only due to my only having purchased my current vehicle 9 months ago. I'd have to pay considerably more off before trading it or I'd just end up having to finance a portion of it onto the Camaro due to it being worth less than I owe.

I've had, um... 3 new vehicles since 1999. All of them Chevy.

So I like to thinK I qualify as a 'real potential buyer'.

btw, those console guages would be USELESS in a convertible with the top down. They'll be glare city for sure.

I take it you've never been in a 1st gen convertible. The console gauges aren't a problem at all. :)

I take it you've never been in a 1st gen convertible. The console gauges aren't a problem at all. :)

If you say so. My thirdgen convertible had real bad glare off the radio, as does every other convertible i've ever been with a relatively low in the dash radio that's angled up slightly so the driver can see it. I suppose if you don't angle the guages up and make them even more hard to see and useless you could avoid that, but then, wtf is the point of guages that are hard to read?

My take on the interior...

First off it's a concept interior, which is pretty much designed to be "cool" rather than "useful" (form over function).

Overall I like it. But there are a few things I don't like.

Seats... I absolutely love them. The shape, the style, the contrast stitching.. gorgeous!

Dashboard/instruments... I like the general shape of the dashboard. Not crazy about the instrument panel, but I think realistic modern gauges would make production instead. The top lines of the dashboard are great, and how the door panels form into it is really nice. The screen in the center of the dash would be neat to keep as the onboard computer for tracking mileage, trip meter, maybe even incorporate radio and HVAC display into it, maybe GPS too. And HUD? Pretty please? :)

Center stack/console... I think a regular radio and HVAC controls will end up there, again, what's there now is just concept. I wouldn't hate console gauges, but I wouldn't find them too useful either.

Interior trim... Executed well. Not crazy about orange, but I know why it's orange. I wouldn't want alot of chrome staring me in the face, but subtle trim on the instrument panel is fine. Everything else is great the way it is.

Lighting... has anyone noticed the interior lighting? 4 smooth white LED strips on the headliner running the length of the roof (I have a good picture of it somewhere). Really neat, and I'd take that any day over a dome light. I would love to see that make production, even reduced to 2 strips along the edges by the windows (or whatever).

Other... Rearview mirror incorporated into the headliner. Quite nice and maximizes visibility out of the windsheild. Not sure if it's feasible for production though.
I like the concept steering wheel, but I would like a Corvette steering wheel just as much.
The materials used inside are great... seats, trim, headliner, every piece of material inside is nice, whether you like the shape or not.

Yeah, I do wonder just how many of the people crying 'build it' are real potential buyers.

...So I like to thinK I qualify as a 'real potential buyer'.

I'm sure you are. After my experience in buying a GTO a couple of years ago, I'm going to wait a year (and the scalping stops) before I'd buy one.

It's just that I've read alot of bellyaching (not on this thread) of some jerk making some off the wall comment showing his stunning creativity (like the guy who once called the then-new GTO "Kangaroo-poo") that is obviously said just to compensate because they're insecure about being hung like a gerbil, then everyone gets that herd mentality and piles on.

We've waited a long time for the Camaro to return. There was alot of things done under the table as well as what we'd call extreme (how does tearing down a whole 200,000 capacity factory sound?!). Camaro had alot of fans inside GM from Ed Welburn, Bob Lutz, and even GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner himself (!) who in whatever devious way they could worked to get Camaro back while manitaining their responsibility to the entire company. GM's previous management people killed Camaro, and wouldn't have given a moment's thought about bringing it back if it didn't make tons of profit.

I just get a little edgy knowing what it took simply to get to this point where "Critical Mass" is going to FORCE the people who would derail, kill, or sideline the car (at GM, Lutz, Welburn, or even Chevy's general manager or GM's CEO don't have final say on new vehicles) can't do anything but say OK.

GM is a very political organization. We have people in key positions who (for a change) KNOW the car business, and have alot of enthusiasm for it who have to work with alot of people under them or they have to go through who understand nothing more than market studies, figures, and corperate structure and territorial threats.

After what it took to get Camaro to this point where it IS going to get made, almost come hell or high water, slamming the car over minor items or condeming the car over things that can be changed while in production just rubs me the wrong way.

Not meaning to flame anyone, but like I mentioned before, it tends to make me a little unfair and prickly. Sorry. :)

I've heard this statement elsewhere about production approvals in reference to GM, but WTF???? If these guys can't cause it to happen, who IS running GM. Who at GM doesnt' work for these guys? Maybe we've found the "root cause" problem here.

Doug





I just get a little edgy knowing what it took simply to get to this point where "Critical Mass" is going to FORCE the people who would derail, kill, or sideline the car (at GM, Lutz, Welburn, or even Chevy's general manager or GM's CEO don't have final say on new vehicles) can't do anything but say OK.

Great observation guionM and once again i have to agree with you. We could be "picking the nits" on all the little details of the car, but i really don't think that that will help in anyway. Alot of the management seem to really respect the Camaro name, i mean just look at the unveiling, it was incredible! If everybody continues to find little things wrong with the car, this could really hurt Mr. Lutz's efforts in persuading "higher powers" to get this thing out ASAP.

I think that the biggest issue to date, and i can support my argument with the 1-10 rating poll posted on this site, is that the car is almost too good looking for its own good. I find that when a lot of people tell me how awesome a car looks, that when i finally see it, i try my very hardest to find all of the things wrong with it that i don't like, just so i dont have to be like everybody else. I learned about this in psychology 101 and i thought it was a bunch of BS and i thought people like to go along with the crowd. But the very existance of muscle cars defies this idea simply because people buy muscle cars so they don't have to be like everybody else. We want to have strong engines,to leave 20ft drag marks, make the guys driving mini-vans and hondas envious and generally scare woman and small children with our exhaust sounds! Woooo!

Well, sorry, i got a little over excited there and i realize that some of those muscle car driver attributes may have been a little over the top and i also apologize for getting of topic from the "interior hate" discussion but i just really want to support the fact that we should just trust GM, i mean they revived our faviorite muscle car amidst the worst financial and gas crisis in recent history. So i think we can trust them to make a fantastic final version.

Okay now i'm going to go sit in my 2000 3.8L and make loud VROOM noises with my mouth and pretend that its a 5th gen Z/28. peace!

Just give us a GTO/C6ish interior, and everyone would be happy. I guess I don't understand why they would make such an "edgy", controversial interior after seeing the response from the public. If the response is 50/50, they could probably go with a GTO/C6ish interior and capture more of the market because the subtle/clean interior wouldn't offend many people. Most people like the exterior - most of the controversy seems to stem from the interior.

holy old post batman!

Gawdy, tawdry and cheap looking!!! The gauges on the console are not safe, nor easy to read.

The exterior is stylish yet exciting. Make a comparable stylish, exciting interior that is not like the concept.

I will buy the car regardless of the interior, but while driving, it is the interior we see most. GM, look at the poll results and you can see that the vast majority of us readers (read BUYERS GM) want a significant interior change please.

I think if they kept the interior EXACTLY like the concept's was, I would be happy with it. However, this is obviously not the case. This is the type of interior that if you start with...I don't know how it will turn out after metals are replaced with cheap plastics, cheaper leather and cloth, and not as elegant stitching -- it's the attention to detail and quality that really sold that interior to me. I think, had they started with a more modern GTO/C6/etc. style interior, they would actually be able to improve the interior rather than take an "overdone" concept interior and water it down.

Gawdy, tawdry and cheap looking!!! The gauges on the console are not safe, nor easy to read.

The exterior is stylish yet exciting. Make a comparable stylish, exciting interior that is not like the concept.

I will buy the car regardless of the interior, but while driving, it is the interior we see most. GM, look at the poll results and you can see that the vast majority of us readers (read BUYERS GM) want a significant interior change please.
I can see how some think it's "tawdry"....but cheap looking? I fear it WILL look cheap looking after they're make a production version of it....but, IMO the concepts was not cheap. Just curious - what about it is cheap?

To tell you the truth they could make the interior pink with rainbow accents and i would still buy it. But then again i just want the most friggan horsepower/lb/dollar as physically possible.

IMHO, the current Chevrolet SS lineup has some very acceptable interiors.

die thread!

die thread!
yea.....my goal one day though is to just find the oldest possible thread and bring it back to life

Part of the distaste for the interior is because the original 1st gen's interior actually sucked. Anybody over 5 feet that got the misfortune of having to sit in that back seat bellyached to the high moon until they were extricated. The front seats on first gens were basic at best, but standard issue for the 1960s.

Americans are tub-o-lards nowadays and need all the padding and wide seating as possible. Even the average height is another inch in the last 50 years and leg room is mandatory. That said, the console is also very "anti-opportunisitic" and hopefully, the new 5th Gen will have greater comfort, space, and creature features. I don't want a bells-n-whistles asian look-alike, but a couple of cup holders is nice. Maybe they can have a couple of different models of interiors (i.e. bench seat, sport seats, luxury mode, econo mode, etc.)

I would love the interior to be like this in the bottom left corner the the picture on this page http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468516&page=2 I love the RED and the Green. i hope they offer the same color interior as the exterior. Can anybody tell me how to post pics??

First off my name is Ryan. I like the new camaro, it reminds me of the older first gen camaro. Personally I don't like the guage cluster on the dash. I lke the interior I think it's geat. But then again the guages, Their jusst too futuristic for me. I just hope that they change even the guage face to be different.

i love the interior of the concepts. maybe add a few numbers to the guages, but otherwise leave it alone

yah, I think you are right maybe the guages do need some new numbers. That would help alot.

First off you people complain too ******* much :rolleyes:
Everyone complained cuz GM stopped prod. on the F-body .
Then when GM pulls a miracle out of its ass (ESPECIALLY with
the name plate Camaro) and revives the legend all you
people can do is nit pick every god damn thing you can about it .
Do you really think GM would produce the Camaro with NO visible
markings on the gauges ? NO ! Do you think GM would really screw
this second coming of the Camaro up ESPECIALLY with some minor
crap like "gauges too hard to read" ? NO ! There are VERY strict
guidelines car manufacturers have to follow in order to stay "in
good standing" with DOT . I fully understand that not everyone
will be happy with the Camaro but people take it to a whole
different level with complaining about dumb issues . I personally
LOVE the 5th gen interior and wouldnt change a thing but in order
for public safety and great styling "some" things have to change from
concept form to logical form .

I NOT COMPLAINING. I am just stating a fact. I DONT LIKE THE GUAGES.

I think the interior looks awesome. I don't even think it looks retro. It doesn't look like any interior I have seen before.

Wow, you guys think you could have found an older thread???

Lol this was my first thread i ever made. But don't jump on people's cases for reviving a thread. Its WAAAY more preferable to revive a dead thread than to start a new discussion on the same topic.

Besides, its interesting to see how people's opinions have changed over the past year.