I was just wondering, because I was thinking about how it's pretty important to me, especially as I get older (old fart! ) that I can see around me pretty good. I'd like the car to look good, but I'd also like to be able to see out if it very easily. That, to me, helps raise not just the safety, but the 'fun factor' as well.
(Sorry about the bad english, just got in from work, kind of a dead-head right now.)

 

I doubt very many people without connections would have the ability to get close enough to touch the car, let alone sit inside it. However, I am confident GM took visibility issues into account, in comparison to the cars predecessor. I know with my 97 there's the issue of being unable to see the front of the car below the windshield so you have to guess and gauge where you are. As well, there were huge blind spots which I'm sure have been corrected with the rear 3/4 window. I'm positive GM took everything into consideration when designing the Camaro concept.

 

Ya gotta love those special preview events! Although you can't sit in it, Scott allowed us to get up close to the car, and explore the interior well. I can't attest to sightlines though, and things will most likely change for production in any event.

 

They had better not touch a thing with the roof line or green house! Or we gonna send some men from Chicago to pay these Detroit guys a visit.:

 

I think I heard Scott say they were probably going to lower the seats inside...and narrow the car a bit (if it makes it to production).

 

Being a 1st gen owner I can offer my best educated guess. In the 69 you can see out to the end of the hood which is where the front of the car ends. This is because the hood relatively goes straight out. In the concept it goes straight out but forward of the front wheels it drops almost like a 4th gen. This could be a problem, but the long front overhang is gone making the front end drop out of the sightl line minimal. I would imagine you would be able to see to the end of the top of the open grille or close to it. The rear window is retro 1st gen, but the bottom of the window goes all the way down, and the top starts at that top of the roof, and it appears much wider than first gen. This appears the same way that mustang did the retro fast back. I would expect good rear visability out of that. Side visibility with shorter doors and 1/4 windows is obviously longer than 4th gen but there will be the 1/4 window seal that the windows roll up into. If there is a B Pillar added I would expect that view to be greatly reduced. I would expect a GTO type B pillar if added and a black border around the already small 1/4 window to hide the B pillar. (can you tell I dont want a B pillar? ) With the front and rear 1/4 windows rolled down your view is realy good. The openings on first gen are several inches longer than the 4th gen long doors when all 4 windows are down. Also with the window seals out of the way there is nothing obstructing your view all the way back. Its weird the first time when you keep looking back expecting that B pillar to stop your line of sight. I used the 1st gen because I am assuming alot of it is close. From what I can tell I would guess visibility would be great. Of course I dont expect the chopped top to make production. Feel free to correct me Im guessing.

 

I have heard a good report on visibility from someone who sat in it.

 

I didn't sit in it, but I did touch it.

I've got a picture of me with my thumb on the back bumper...there was a big guy in a dark suit giving me a dirty look though!!!

 

I have never had a problem with not being able to see the hood. It is just something you get a feel for. Of course i sit as low as possible in cars so I don't see the hood on many short of trucks.

 

to clairify, you dont have a problem seeing your hood because you compensated not seeing it by getting a feel for it. Nothing wrong with that, I was just saying what I thought actual visibility would be like based on both concept pictures and 1st gen.

 

I see this as a complaint from time to time regarding the 4th Gen Camaro.

As someone else stated, you 'get a feel' for where the front end is after driving it for just a short time. But that's not my reason for replying to your statment.

What I don't understand is why a number of people (not just yourself) saw it as such an issue? There are MANY vehicles that you can't see the length of the hood from the drivers seat. I don't think a lot of people realize it's not uncommon anymore to not see the hood.

The first car I wasn't able to see the hood on was my 1995 Cavalier, but my '05 Aveo is the same way. As is my mother's '00 Concord. I've driven a Neon and it's the same way, as well as the Cobalt. I remember when I got my '00 S10 Xtreme how strange it was too see the hood again. A great deal of newer vehicles have hoods you can't see. So why would it be considered an 'issue' on the Camaro but not other cars? Not being smart or sarcastic, just curious why so many people seem to see it as an 'issue' when discussing the 4th Gen, but not taking into account so many other cars that are the same way.

 

Everyone who went to the unveiling had a chance to virturally stick their head inside the car, let alone touch it (as long as you didn't have metal or anything that would scratch the paint).

I'm sure anyone who's invited by Scott to stop by while he's getting the Chevy display set up at your local auto show (and has no problems getting into the place it's being shown at) will most likely have the same chance, and maybe even given a quick tour of other GM displays (if he's not too busy reaming someone setting up Chevy's display area. ).



I don't see any visibility problems at all (especially compared to the 2-4th gen). The guages at the knee were a big issue. I'm curous how the passenger air bag is going to reach without a dash redesign.

The back looks roomy. Not as roomy as the current GTO in legroom, but better visually than Mustang. Pretty wide too. The headrests as shown are non starters. The concept has them angled back as has been done for years. New standards say they must touch your head, so production ones will be angled forwards.. alot.

 

Thanks for the replies so far! 'Visibility' was the word I was trying to say, but my brain is just not working these days. And as I was trying to say, visibility will be a factor in safety of course, but as I was wondering about, the 'fun factor' as well. If I feel fairly safe in a vehicle, I'll feel more at home and able to handle more things that come along.

5thgen69camaro: Thanks for your input; I think your educated logic and figuring there may be about right. I sure hope so, anyway!

 

Personally it is always an issue, but I could care less about the other cars you mentioned. Even if I did I would be complaining about them, but not on a 5th Gen Camaro Forum. As with any car there is give and take. I understand not seeing the front was a trade for areo dynamics, but when I can see the front I can better gauge where everything is. Also the long front overhang was an issue as well. Probably on some of those cars you mentioned as well but again I dont care about those cars. Visibility out of 4th gen out of the rear isnt that great as well. Just because it is that way on alot of cars does not mean we have to put the Camaro at a disadvantage by having the same shortcommings. They could be the best cars in the world and you could argue The Z06 probably gets about 20MPG, and if that is good enough for Z06 then certainaly it is good enough for Aveo.

At the same time I also understand that you are not going to see the whole front end because of areodynamics. I just want to see most of it within reason.

 

Irregardless if whether you 'care' about the other cars I mentioned, I only used them as an example to show that it's _very_ common not to see the hood.

Actually, your 20mpg Z06/Aveo statemet is honestly VERY close to reality.

I only average 23MPG on my Aveo. Very disappointing.