NEWS: GM Reportedly Calls "Game On" For Supercharged 550HP Camaro Z/28
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From: Oakland, California
Do you think that the typical BMW buyer understands that their car has damned near perfect steering, above average braking, sillky smooth revving engine and a very tossable and yet pretty unflappable chassis tune? Probably not. The the people that CAN appreciate that sort of thing are attracted to those cars and buy them. Those particular people are sometimes opinion makers in their social circles. Also, most magazines love that stuff and cars like that get great reviews.
So.....let's say your buddy/cousin/brother-in-law, Rodney, who everyone knows is a car guy, raves about his 335i. Later you read, or hear about, the great reviews in C&D/R&T/MT and eventhough you can't tell the difference between shift **** or door ****, you are pretty well convinced this is a great car. A car worth the money and worthy of consideration and perhaps even purchase.
So.....let's say your buddy/cousin/brother-in-law, Rodney, who everyone knows is a car guy, raves about his 335i. Later you read, or hear about, the great reviews in C&D/R&T/MT and eventhough you can't tell the difference between shift **** or door ****, you are pretty well convinced this is a great car. A car worth the money and worthy of consideration and perhaps even purchase.
However how do we get Camaro past the stigma it currently has? For instance, my wife doesn't like riding in/driving my 4th gen because its a "mexican" car. (Her words, not mine... although possibly more of her ribbing me for being hispanic.)
As much as cousin Rodney could possibly "praise" a theoretical 5th gen Camaro Z/28, he's still going to have relatives that picture a 3rd/4th gen with mismatching rims, multi-colored fenders and a death metal sticker in the rear window. BMW doesn't have such a stigma.
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From: Oakland, California
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From: City of Champions, MA, USA
Time after time people say the heavier G8 feels more like a BMW, there is no reason to think that the lighter(OMG something is heavier than it?) Camaro can't be made to wow people in the same manner.
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Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Stockton, Ca. USA
The real problem is, the people that claim to be the die-hard "Camaro enthusiasts" that "know what a Camaro should be" are completely out of touch with reality and don't understand how hot this car is and the general public doesn't care about your teary-eyed nostalgic memory of the 1968 Z28.
Does every other car community have this many know-it-alls in it?
Does every other car community have this many know-it-alls in it?
The last real z28 produced was a 4th gen 1LE. This car was a what a z28 should be. GM could easily build another 1LE car with the new Camaro without spending a ton of money. Lose all the electronic crap, add a few light weight parts, and these could be sold at dealers to make up for some of the costs, get rid of 4 of the 6 airbags, only 2 are required by law, wider but smaller tires and wheels, better suspension tuning.
Yes the Camaro is selling hot right now, but I am thinking 2 years from now it wont be as hot. Ford seems to be doing the right thing with the Mustang by developing lightweight oparts for the Mustang, why cant GM do the same thing?
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BTW....I've said it before and I'll say it again....the LS-series engines (and specifically now the LS3) is the absolute best performance engine available. Period.
What a fabulous powerplant. I just wish......man I just wish......
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Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Chicagoland IL
Is the current Camaro that kind of car? Honestly, no. It's nice. It's likeable. But it doesn't make you're heart pump or give you goosebumps either. And lots of cars give you that feeling - and not just expensive ones.
Last edited by Z284ever; Sep 23, 2009 at 05:12 PM.
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From: City of Champions, MA, USA
Wow! You do come across as an ***. These diehard Camaro enthusiastsa are the reason why the Camaro made a return. If it wasnt for them I am sure we wouldnt even be having this discussion at all. I wanted a new Camaro to autox with in a class where the car remains stock. Guess what the car because of its weight will get killed in FStock. Ok I guess I could run it in a modified class and guess what? I will still get killed because of the weight. You talk skidpad numbers but those dont mean crap when it comes to handling. Tossing all that weight around just kills the car around the corners. Yes I have seen the new Camaro and I also rode in the same car, at an autox and it was rather embarassing, especially when a 15 year old 4th gen LT1 Z28 was beating the new Camaro by over a second a lap.
The last real z28 produced was a 4th gen 1LE. This car was a what a z28 should be. GM could easily build another 1LE car with the new Camaro without spending a ton of money. Lose all the electronic crap, add a few light weight parts, and these could be sold at dealers to make up for some of the costs, get rid of 4 of the 6 airbags, only 2 are required by law, wider but smaller tires and wheels, better suspension tuning.
Yes the Camaro is selling hot right now, but I am thinking 2 years from now it wont be as hot. Ford seems to be doing the right thing with the Mustang by developing lightweight oparts for the Mustang, why cant GM do the same thing?
The last real z28 produced was a 4th gen 1LE. This car was a what a z28 should be. GM could easily build another 1LE car with the new Camaro without spending a ton of money. Lose all the electronic crap, add a few light weight parts, and these could be sold at dealers to make up for some of the costs, get rid of 4 of the 6 airbags, only 2 are required by law, wider but smaller tires and wheels, better suspension tuning.
Yes the Camaro is selling hot right now, but I am thinking 2 years from now it wont be as hot. Ford seems to be doing the right thing with the Mustang by developing lightweight oparts for the Mustang, why cant GM do the same thing?
Oh and actually we aren't the reasons why that car is back. Its back because GM thinks they can turn around public perception and get them to buy it again. Our car failed remember?
Last edited by super83Z; Sep 23, 2009 at 05:05 PM.
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From: AR (PA born and fled)
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Problem is you dont know what you are talking about, and are far from the truth. And thanks for proving my point that you are an ***
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From: City of Champions, MA, USA
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From: Chicagoland IL
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From: City of Champions, MA, USA
They have nothing to do with each other. I figured you knew that. Your just too anxious to discredit me and jumped on my post with 2 separate thoughts in it and are trying to say that I am basing the handling strictly on the skidpad numbers.
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From: AR (PA born and fled)
Ummm...
The 5th gen has come up short in the handling portion of magazine comparisons.
The car has also come up short in real world competition that places a heavy emphasis on handling.
I'm confused, please remind me who calls things as they see them and who doesn't like blatant truths?
The 5th gen has come up short in the handling portion of magazine comparisons.
The car has also come up short in real world competition that places a heavy emphasis on handling.
I'm confused, please remind me who calls things as they see them and who doesn't like blatant truths?
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Oakland, California
Give GM time. They are just coming out of bankruptcy and yet they still have more accessories for this Camaro than they did on the previous generation. Within two years they better have tweaked and improved it over what we have today. If not, they'll be in much bigger trouble than they've been in the last 18 months.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,214
From: City of Champions, MA, USA
Ummm...
The 5th gen has come up short in the handling portion of magazine comparisons.
The car has also come up short in real world competition that places a heavy emphasis on handling.
I'm confused, please remind me who calls things as they see them and who doesn't like blatant truths?
The 5th gen has come up short in the handling portion of magazine comparisons.
The car has also come up short in real world competition that places a heavy emphasis on handling.
I'm confused, please remind me who calls things as they see them and who doesn't like blatant truths?