Lookee here, a street Camaro with no push. Now this guy can drive!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myksIzDGNHw

 

Hardly a "stock" Camaro...and the Corvette seems to be being held up....

Is that SLP's version or ??

 

At least there's hope...just wish it would have been closer at launch...

Hardly...I guess I had my sights set for a class leading result...considering the 'test pilot's' credentials....guess there's still some bean counter or someone else that screws up perfection...


Been waaaay the h*ll too long....we're all doing fine, thank you very much How's Mom?

 

We were all debating rumor...rumor of an SC'd engine...rumor of it being called Z/28....but that's what we do in the dead of winter....

My point was that if you already have a car that doesn't handle well, if you go straight to adding 100 more horsepower and 200# on the end of the car that won't turn, you're making the problem worse......and naming it after a car originally designed to handle is just wrong.....so shoot me :P

 

My apologies, you are correct. I genuinely thought it was stock.

The video's caption reads...

So hardly stock ... but I don't think he's holding the Corvette up as the Corvette didn't pass him at any point, despite the few laps of footage.

Not bad for supposedly a nose-heavy (S/C) pig!

 

It's no longer a "pig" due to proper corrections to the suspension....still think it would be a funner car to drive as a NA version....JMHO.

But the ZR1 was obviously being held up and looked to be toying with the Camaro....as well it should have been....less weight, more power, better suspension....

Paul isn't known as being the most technical, smooth driver, more like a bull in a china shop...like Montoya...but they seem to get it done in spite of themselves.

 

I am just saying "Have a little faith" for a car that hasn't even been formally described to us yet. We had faith and they came out with the new Camaro, so there is a track record for coming through.

-Geoff

 

How many people race a bone stock car? Hardly anyone (at least not for very long.) 4th gens. aren't known for their handling stock unless you either A) ordered the 1LE option or, B) went aftermarket. The Mustang is in the same boat as we speak.

IIRC the Camaro still outpaces a non track package GT. Remember that the track pack is an option and wasn't available until after the Camaro came out. At least it wasn't ready until the preliminary stats of the Camaro were released. So in essence (sp?) the Camaro did come out with class leading handling.

Grossly embellished. I too, have read many articles on this car and haven't read anywhere that the Camaro handles poorly. Maybe it doesn't handle quite as well as the track pack optioned Mustang (which seems to be the only car in its class that does outhandle it) but it is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination. This whole idea that the car handles like a school bus because its not designed for parking lot racing is completely absurd. Of course its not. Neither is a 4th gen., a S197 Mustang, or any high horsepower V8 car for that matter. In that case its the person's flawed thinking that is the problem not the car's. Trying to use anything designed outside of its intended purpose is giving oneself a disadvantage from the start. The Camaro was designed for bigger tracks like VIR and the Nurburgring. Miatas and the like are for racing aroung parking lot cones.

**EDIT** Just reread some of the thread in the link supplied by the OP and the consensus is that the Mustang in said article is a track pack car. So the Camaro put 4 seconds per lap on the only car that you can actually compare it to and there are people who are still complaining about its handling? Surely you can't be comparing it to cars that cost tens of thousands more can you?

 

But that's all we can do is compare...when both parties are allowed modifications, the results should be linear...

http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...rack_test.html

The biggest flaw, though, is persistent understeer. "It wants to push just about everywhere," Donohue says. "I even tried pitching it on the way into the corners to wag the rear end out, but that just caused the front end to wash out worse--and earlier. So it's not nimble. .......

Next, the drivers swap cars. When this session is over, Donohue is the guy wearing the big smile. "Just driving down pit lane, the Mustang seemed much lighter," he says. "The low-speed grip is so much better, and you can toss it into the corner sideways." Jones, on the other hand, looks worn out by the Camaro. "It's a pig," he says bluntly. "The brakes are much better, but it just won't turn. The Mustang is a lot more fun to drive."


When do we get that "option" ?

But you said 'no-one races a stock car'..so in real world driving, which one would be "funner to drive"?

So in the real world, we are left to use it's HP advantage to mask it's sub-par handling?

Bottom line is this....I don't understand why, with knowing how they tested it and WHO tested it, the car arrived with a severe push...something slight adjustments might have cured....tell me why they built-in or left-in so much understeer?

My racing experience tells me nothing is more frustrating than a car that just won't turn....

I'm sure they'll "fix" it with a 'Track Pack' type option, but why are they left to have to "fix" it is my question....

 

Good question!

If we assume that the SS is the volume model, I can see why it's been tuned for alot of compliance and understeer at the limit. I get that. But it should really have a better "feel" to it than it does. The steering feels BOTH artificially heavy AND numb at the same time and you never get the feeling that this car is eager to be playful. It feels like a fairly nicely buttoned down sedan. I hope that's not what Scott meant when he said this car has "evolved". That's not the kind of evolution I was personally hoping for.

When comparing Camaros (and Firebirds) of the past to their corresponding Mustangs, the Camaros almost always felt better. Not by alittle, but by alot. The steering was more direct and precise. The chassis more composed and confident. I mean - it was just a plain better driving experience - from base to performance models. Even when Mustang had the advantage in powertrain, (ie., pre TPI days), it's total package of steering/brakes/chassis could not compare to the "feel" of Camaro. Camaro had that as a solid advantage and everyone knew it.

We've lost that here folks - sadly.

And like Doug says, I don't know how adding another 200-300 pounds onto the Camaro's nose will improve that.

 

Dude! Please stop! You make it sound like my fatass is sitting on top of the mail slot!

(a) We don't know the final weight of the LSA Camaro and what GM is doing to lighten the load so to speak; (b) we also don't know what suspension improvements GM has planned for said LSA Camaro; and (c) the supercharger is mounted on top of the block (which is slightly back of center of the front wheels), that means you also have to deduct the weight of the stock intake and crappy plastic engine cover... it is no way 300 lbs!

 

I do...

 

Okay, that's funny!

 

For 300 lbs. you could pretty much add a whole 'nother engine for Pete's sake...

 

Actually, it'll add about 250 in total.