Hey, don't get me wrong. i am thrilled that the Camaro is on the way back. And It is important that it is done right as Scott said.

But, with that said the first quarter of 2009 is too far away. By the time the Camaro hits the showroom the concept will have already been unveiled for over three years. And more importantly Ford will have it's brand new Mustang (which according to rumor looks just like the Camaro) in showrooms.

There was a window here to beat Ford to the marketplace with a brand new Camaro that would really turn heads. Now the Camaro will be going into direct competition with a brand new Mustang that looks just like it.

Doesn't GM/Camaro run the risk of being seen as nothing but a clone of the Mustang however untrue that may be?

I hate to be negitive. But it doesn't seem to be the best enviorment to bring the Camaro back in. If GM had beat Ford to the marketplace it would give the impression that the Mustang was following the Camaro's lead.

2008 would have been ideal. Camaro would have had a year's head start on it's main competition. And had the spotlight all to itself. Which is important in this case. Let's face it if the 5th generation flops that will be the end of the Camaro.

Any thoughts?

 

I totally agree with you, Ford will already have their "new" stang in showrooms by the time the Camaro Concept hits the streets

 

I agree. They need to get this car out as fast as humanly possible.

 

Very good points, and that is a big concern of mine. There's a lot of cool things that can come out in teh next 2 years, and I often wonder how much thunder will that steal from the Camaro?

Seems inevitable to a degree, though. It is not like GM is saying "let's sit on our asses for a year or two and then start working on it". This was in the process before the car was unveiled last January. I guess I am saying that if they could get it out sooner, they would. It just sucks all around that for them to make it in a manner that they feel is without compromise, it will take time. This is an all-new car from top to bottom, they are building it from a blank page, unlike the Chellenger and Mustang (someone correct me if I am wrong about those two).

I am willing to wait, but will everyone else?

 

maybe, just maybe, they added a little wiggle room to the availability date.

what would be worse? saying its going to come out on date X and it's late, or say its coming out on date Y and be early.

bottom line, however long it takes, we dont want GM rushing it to market. it's more important they get every last detail right.

 

painfully agree


but when you really think about it, ehhh thats not gonna work...3 years is a long freakin time


gooooooosfraba

 

GM definitely needs to "break with tradition" and get this car "right" on introduction, rather than gradually improving the car over a period of a few years to the point where it's finally right - just in time to cancel the program! (I'm thinkin' Fiero, Allante here).
Wiggle room?... I dunno. By stating that it's not going into production until the end of '08 and the 1st cars will be available in the 1st quarter of '09, then you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that the plan is to make the car in Oshawa. Even if GM packs up production of the Grand Prix (et al) early in MY '08, I suspect that there will still need to be some time allotted to combining and re-tooling Oshawa #1 and #2 into the flex plant in order to get Camaro production rolling before the end of the calendar year.
If there is wiggle room factored in to this equation, I don't see very much at all.
At least we'll know officially within a couple of weeks where it'll be built... and I can't see a whole lot of flexibility in the timeline that GM's already put forward if it's Oshawa... and where I said earlier that I'd put my $5 on Wilmington, I'd now put $50 on Oshawa after hearing the details released in the official announcement.

Best regardSS,

Elie

 

Very well could be the engineering will be done, but GM needs to wait for somewhere to build it.

 

Yea, but let's think about how many vehicles were available much sooner because they were ahead of production. Vehicles that didn't have quite as big a history, momentum, and importance. Not to say that getting ahead of production is easy to do or isn't anything other than chance, but they're trying and an early release may still be possible.....cross your fingers.

 

look at it this way, it more time to save up a healthy down payment, i do.

thanks

 

Actually 2003 would have been ideal. Well, maybe even more like 1997.

Since roughly the late '80's, GM has bullsh!tted around, dragged it's feet, been non committal and basically wasted alot of time regarding a new Camaro.

Although, it'd been great if a new Camaro could get here sooner and GM has definitely let too much time slip away, I can assure you, that since January, GM is going full tilt on getting it out ASAP.

 

If Camaro does not beat the re-designed Mustang to market will likely fail. One of the things the 5th gen has over the Mustang is that it makes the Mustang look cute when side-by-side.

As VOODOO mentioned the Camaro is already a reactionary design to the '05 Mustang. If the Mustang re-design is an aggresive future-retro design like the 5th-gen is, and it beats the Camaro to market, the Camaro will once again be labeled a "me-too" copy.

GM please, please, PLEASE get this car to market ASAP!!!
Don't let FORD win yet again!!

 

I need time anyway, so I can wait, though I wanted to see it be an 07 MY. However I have said from day1, letting the 40th go would be a mistake. Hopefully they did add in alot of that wiggle room, and can squeeeeeze in some Camaros for even a late 07 MY. And how can Ford design a new Mustang that looks just like Camaro and sell one? I guess we'll have to see how well the Challenger sells.

 

Actually, that statement probably works opposite of what you just said.

The reason why Mustang sells so well is that it doesnt cater to one small demographic.

Camaro MUST appeal to many... Women, young kids, boomers, and enthusiasts alike must find common ground with this car as they do with Mustang.

Being a bit 'cute' doesnt hurt, look at the Mustang's sales numbers through the years.

 

Was going to argue with you till I saw Mustang Camaro like refresh will hit the streets first. The 3 years I dont think is a problem but Mustang being released with the same design would matter perception wise if ford beats chevy to market with its own design. I can wait for the car like Jason said. I just hope coming back from Hiatus will overshadow that and the car will boom long enough to build a reputation where that wont matter and Ford hitting first probably even be forgotten...