It's not even a matter who's heritage is more or the same or what. It's a matter of creating exciting relevant products that will sell at a profit.

I'd say that the Chevy Camaro has GM's Ford Mustang competitor segment covered. Unless a new Camaro-based Firebird, could find it's very own buyers, without cannibalizing Camaro's, I don't think it's worth the investment. Nope.
I DO think it would be worth the investment, if Firebird could create it's very own specific market niche though...something that I just don't believe would happen if it came as a Camaro clone however.

 

I dont think a car with the name Firebird can escape its 35 year track record of being a Camaro and a half.... aaaanytime soon.

Make it a FWD/AWD or whatever and it will just be a bastard.

 

Could it be that the Firebird name will simply replace the GTO?

Pontiac doesn't need both models.

 

I hope ,as many have already said, that if they bring back the firebird they do a more modern interpretation. I also hope they go a little overboard on the styling. I think the firebird and T/A should be a little bit outrageous, think complete opposite of the GTO. No FWD! The good news for the firebird would it would have the modern musclecar market cornered as everyone else goes retro. GM would be in the unique position of having both areas covered.

 

If we want a viable Camaro in the long term, Firebird MUST either stay dead or come off of a different platform.

I would have voted for Solstice being called Firebird, or maybe GTO, or something entirely new... I like the FWD/AWD idea, btw...

But Camaro needs to stand alone without the dead weight of 15,000 Firebirds sucking up funding.

 

As much as the old Firebirds were cool, I DO NOT believe that a Firebird should be made off of the same platform as the Camaro. The Camaro needs to stand alone and not have competition from within GM. The cars were always too much alike and all of the production and advertising funds need to be devoted making sure that the Camaro is a success. On a personal note, I got so sick of females saying "nice Trans Am" about my 85 IROC. When I would explain that it was an IROC Camaro, man, if I had a nickel for every time I got the reply "What's the difference?".
No, this car is special. I think it has the chance to capture the imaginations of a lot of buyers, just like the first cars did. DON'T WATER IT DOWN BRINGING IT TO PRODUCTION, AND DON'T MAKE A FIREBIRD OFF OF THIS PLATFORM!

 

Am I the only one who remembers the 'future looks brighter and brighter' post?

 

What about a Firedbird based off the small RWD platform talked about on Fastlane. Firebird about the size of a Probe or 240sx, with super low weight and great turbo engines......now that's a car that won't directly compete with Camaro, and will attract import buyers [not that the Camaro won't do this too].

With GM, the money issue is tight. And you know when you've got no money, and most of your cars are outdated and not class-leading, well you have to focus on the core. I would be okay with the current Pontiac lineup allowing them to survive until the Saturn, Cadillac and Chevy division cooked up some money for GM, and they were freed up to do more inventive, different products for Pontiac. Namely, all RWD, all cool, all around 2010-2015.

 

I think the two cars could coexist on the same platform with just a different body. Look at the Impala, LaCrosse, and Grand Prix. All of them look vastly different and ride on mid-lux. Look how the greenhouses are each given their own' unique touches.

I don't really agree with the recent overlap that Pontiac has done with the Torrent and upcoming G5, but in the case of the Firebird, I really think that that name has way too much value to leave on the shelve. Perhaps I'm just being biased, but I really do think there is a way for the two cars to exist on the same architecture. I think GM really needs to think through Pontiac's line up. Maybe keep it as a mix of Opels, Chevys, and Holdens, all with Pontiac styling. Overlap wouldn't be so direct that way, and it would give the consumer more options.

 

You guys kill me. I'm an original Pontiac fan. I have a 1968 Firebird with the original Pontiac block in it. I think it's a better engine for the street than the SBC because of all the low-end torque. The Firebird was not a Camaro clone. It was faster and handled better off the showroom floor in just about every generation until the Pontiac Motor Division and the Chevrolet Motor Division were amalgamated with Buick and Olds to produce "GM Powertrain Division". The result of that was the SBC becoming the standard GM V8 until the LS1 arrived.

But the point is, Pontiac has always had its own following. Admittedly, I have owned a 1970 Camaro SS. But the Firebird was always the extreme that I aspired to. To assume that I would buy a Camaro because there is no Firebird is a mistake. I might just go for a Mustang instead. The 4th gen WS6, with its aggressive look is commanding higher prices on the resale market for a reason. People just like it better. It outclasses the Mustang and it's more fearsome looking than the Camaro. But it's more expensive, so for most the choice is going to be a Camaro.

The cost of producing a Firebird will be negligible compared to the benefits of having them in the Pontiac dealer showrooms. This way you get twice the dealer coverage to sell what amounts to a similar vehicle.

 

Why not do the reverse G35 treatment to the Firebird and make it a more refined two seat version of the Camaro?

Wouldn't sell a lot...but if Nissan can make a business case for the 350Z and G35 Coupe...I am sure GM can make a case for the Firebird with with how much the Camaro is projected to sell. If done right, I could see plenty of growth in the domestic coupe market and room for both cars. Especially if they are cool and in style. Remember the F-bodies flourished during the last gas crunch...it could happen again.

 

A great idea Charlie for the "we wanna be sporty and a little more upscale" division . Something like that would actually fit the image Pontiac is trying to portray . More or less a G35/350z killer

 

Does this mean a body that doesn't look like anything in the past, chassis dimensions that don't rival an SUV and a curb weight that'll make the car feel nimble and sporty? If so, I'll burn with ya.

BTW- Unless that shaker hood works for something other than impressing 5 year olds, I'll trade you mine for your high profile rear spoiler.

 

We're talking about that in here:

http://64.65.63.61/forums/showthread...=424798&page=4

 

HA! I'd just plain give you that spoiler, Tim.

Maybe the shaker could be connected to the intercooler.