I'm not too sure how to respond to that. Are we all supposed to say it is great? Reality is, different people have different criteria for buying a car, and if it doesn't meet those need, then that is a potential "deal breaker", surprise. I would have to say that no one wants to like this car more than those on this board, so if there are concerns, then that might say something. To say that there are too many people that might balk at buying the new Camaro seems like an odd statement.

As far as forming an opinion too early, I would bet that if the final version is different than what that person thought was a deal breaker, they would gladly change thier mind. I don't think anyone here wants to hate the car.

 

Well, I was on board until the design direction of the interior was revealed. I know it will look better when finished, but the Disco Stu gauge cluster and console gauges are what they are. There's no going back now. Nothing before this was considered a "deal breaker" to me. Not even the lack of T-tops, which I love and which has been such a key element of what makes a Camaro a Camaro in my eyes. Not even the rumored porky weight.

I'm waiting to see the finished product, but it's the summation of a lot of "little" things that I have seen and heard on the car so far that is, sadly, driving down my interest. I really hope I don't get blasted for that, and I apologize if I offend anyone (especially the Camaro team, as I can't imagine how hard everyone at GM has worked on this car). It's just how I feel.

EDIT: Sneaky Neil, well said.

 

Ok, here is my 0.02.

I hate it, and I had a feeling I would.

The positive, judging by the door panel, the materials are going to be nice.

The negative, it's just wrong. I think GM did an excellent job of squeezing out the heritage without making the car retro on the outside. Then they ran out of coffee and doughnuts or something because the interior was always, to me, retro and a rip off. The only reason it was passable on the concept is because they used concept materials with whiz bang lights and surfaces, so it matched the "future/retro" thing that happens on the outside.

But obviously > 10% of that would be production feasible, and you would be left with what we see here, a few less than well integrated retro touches and a less than functional interior.

Yes, I'm aware this could all change substantially but... I hate every interior that doesen't have a defined center stack, makes me think bench seat trips adhered to vinyl. This one is especially egregious because its an amorphous dash-blob that has hard edges jutting out in some places and round edges in others. It looks

Those ***** for the vent direction are floating there like the last two sad Cheerios' in a very tragic bowl. Even if the lower gauges weren't useless I certainly won't be able to see them in 1st, 3rd, or 5th, past my paws. Plus it seems to be lacking in usable space downlow to store a cell phone, a beverage, a mp3 player, the lack of such space, or even such space poorly executed would be a deal breaker for a large number of people so I'm sure that's going to change. Also that steering wheel is odd looking. Looks like the center piece is lower than center.

Thoroughly unappealing.

 

Yeah, I forgot all about the "just-say-no-to-retro dealbreaker" crowd that was around pre-concept. Lets just say membership in that group tanked after NAIAS 2006. There's still some hardcore adherants, though, just like with all the other absolutist groups.

I really don't know if I'll be in a position to buy a new one of these next year (or even in the next several years), with family coming first and all (Maybe Scott can tell my wife how great child seats will fit in the back). But I am still as passionate and hopeful about this car as I've ever been, maybe just not as vocal though.

But nothing is a dealbreaker for me. I have said this consistently for 2 years now, but I will judge the car on its own merits once a complete, production car is available to evaluate. Its about the whole package guys.

 

There's something I'm not comprehending here. Several posters have been wringing their hands about reading those 'mission-critical' gauges. I've got to say, most people aren't sweating their oil pressure while they shift, in a modern car... much less, volts or temp. Talk about stuck in the 1960's...

 

For as critical as I've been lately, I really f*cking like the interior.

 

Everyone's entitled to their opinion - and it's for sure, this car will not be for everyone in the US. I think though, some are not being realistic about this car. T-tops? How exactly would you propose that GM engineer such things in a 2009 vehicle, meeting tough, modern side impact and rollover regs, at the Camaro's bargain price point? I love them too... but come on. And curb weight - well that dead horse has most definitely been beat here

Bottom line, I'd bet that many here who are complaining about the interior are not Camaro intenders anyway, due to other reasons not related to the car's unique interior. That's their choice too... but it helps to cite these other reasons if that's the case, like the above member has done.

 

I can't believe how people act on the internet...

I saw the headline "NEWS: Spy Shots: 2009 Chevy Camaro caught- interior too!" and my heart jumped... for joy. The pictures could not load fast enough! I don't know what kind of moron you have to be to frequent these forums and read what the guys (and gals) at GM are posting and see the concept cars and see the all the spy pics that have made it on to the internet and how everything that they have been saying for months is true...

'The body lines have changed very little from the concept'
'The car has changed very little from the concept'
'We're trying to keep it as close as we can to the concept'
'Just wait until you see the final product, you won't be disappointed'

I have loved since I was little and that guy on the cartoon "Mask" had that red IROC-Z with gullwing doors and rocket boosters under the rear wing. The first car I ever bought was a brick red '86 Camaro. I bought it a few months before I graduated high school. I didn't care it was bone stock. I didn't care it was heavier than a mustang. I didn't care what the interior design was like. I didn't care it didn't have T-tops. It was a Camaro. When I totaled it 5 years later the weekend before I was going to propose to my now wife, the question wasn't "what kind of car do I want now?" but "Which Camaro will I get?" I ended up getting a '94 Z28. It might not be the best car ever, but it is a Camaro. I might not like the aftermarket shift **** or the big wing on the back or the rims or the air vents that are painted blue, but it is a Camaro (I got what I could afford at the time).

And in 2006 when the Camaro concept was first shown, my heart was set. "As long as it is even remotely close to that and wears the Camaro badge, I want one." I thought. Any little tid bit of news about it makes my heart race. I get giddy every time a new picture appears. I don't know how I'll be able to afford one when it does finally arrive, especially with a baby on the way now. But I will get one, even if I have to wait a year or two longer and get one that one of you nay-sayers trade in because you just can't live with those gauges on the center console or the interior is just too ugly. I keep both eyes and ears peeled for chances to win one. (I think I have accidentally registered to win bumblebee a few times, oops! )

Camaro just have something that no other car does, I don't know what it is, call it an X-Factor. They might not please everyone, they might have valve stem seals that need to be replaced always, they might have an opti-spark that likes crapping out and getting pissed on by the water pump, it might weigh more than a mustang and be slower but it still and will be a Camaro and that, for me, makes it cooler to own and drive than anything else.

 

Hell, I rarely bother to look at the speedo while I'm driving. But it can't be said that the location adds anything to functionality, so why are they there?

Because they chose form over function, which would be fine if they had chosen one form, but instead I've got squares, circles, octagons and ovals all over the place.

The interior is not at all modern and I do not like that. Now this won't stop me from going and checking it out when it gets to the auto show or the dealer, and perhaps once you get inside, in the appropriate seating position, some of the wierdness dissapears and it all works.

But right now, I'm quite displeased. I was not, and am not, one of the all or nothing people and more than understand that sacrifices will have to be made, for cost, safety etc. But none of that applies here, and to me this just looks like a string of bad decisions. I think the real issue here is that I do not understand the thought process that created this. Of course, I've never been in 69 Camaro interior either. And it's possible my interpretation "modern" of this car was different from the creators "retro" from the beggining, and only now is that becoming obvious. In any case, I'm dissapointed.

Of course, I'm riled up right now and being emphatic... but at this point I would say best case scenario is that it comes out and I find it passable.

 

You are assuming that people have to accept certain facts about the car, weather it be the lack of T-tops or a curb weight that is approaching 2 tons. No one has to accept anything. If that person doesn't want to buy the car simply because it doesn't have t-tops, then who are you to say they are wrong and should "be realistic" and take certain concessions? No. If they don't want to buy the car for any reason, they have that right and are not wrong for doing so, no matter how small the nit-pick might be. Why do some think that just because it is a Camaro, we should all acept and buy the car, even if they are aspects that we don't like.

You think that the people that don't like the interior are not interested in the car to begin with? What makes you think that? I hate the interior, and I have only owned Camaros up to this point and I am looking for a car to replace my '95 Z28 and guess what I wanted it to be?.

 

Jesus Christ, even I didn't think the backlash would be this bad after the general public saw the interior of the car.

Even on this site, filled with enthusiasts, people are calling the interior a "deal-breaker". Since when did enthusiasts give all that much of a sh*t about interiors?

As long as the seats are reasonably comfortable and the sound system is good, I couldn't f*cking care less what the interior looks like. As long as the engine and exterior is badass, which, as it seems, certainly is the case on the Camaro.

 

Since when was "enthusiast" limited to drag racers and lead foots?

That's the problem with preferences, they're personal. What you want is what you want. What I want is what I want.

 

I think many people are jumping the gun on these interior shots, something closer to production will likely look a lot different. I've seen a lot of comments on the steering wheel, hasn't anybody else noticed that there seems to be a loosely laced leather cover acting like camo in these pics? Hmmmm, I think we have not seen anything close to the finished interior yet, much like the howls and the "sky is falling" when the white prototype in the fuzzy cell phone pic appeared. Have some faith and patience, I do.
Clyde

 

Well I'm glad to know you already have the options/specifications list, how about sharing them with the rest of us?
Clyde

 

So true! The Camaro is special and one of a kind. The new one carries on the tradition in style. Its exterior styling is a work of modern art