Chevycobb

Hell, I even still look back at my 1994 when walking away from it...it isn't the fastest by a long shot, it isn't the best looking, the best condition, but damnit it is MY CAMARO! And when I finally am able to get a 5th Gen(God I hope I can afford it!) I will look at it non-stop with the same feelings, if not stronger ones.

This will not nessesarily just be my Camaro, Scott's Camaro, or even "The General's" Camaro. They have listened to us and are giving us what most of us want. This is OUR Camaro, and I am damn proud to be a part of it, and proud to be a part of this family.

Northwest94Z

I posted this in the other thread but I wanted to post it here also as a matter of record since it's related directly to Scott's "Pride of ownership" comments.

Scott,

I love this post. As excited as I have been for the re-release of the new Camaro this post just ratcheted it up off the scale. I bought an 08 Z06 this past Monday to replace the 02 I sold in Oct. and to try and describe how excited I am about having it sit in my garage next to my 01 SS is barely doable. I either poke my head in the garage everytime I walk past or I pull up a chair and spend some quality time amongst them admiring them for what they are. After reading your post I'm more excited about the first time I will be able to pull in and park my new 5th gen Camaro alongside it's stablemates that are keeping things warm for now.

Thank you for that post, thank you for CAMARO, I have faith and I have pride in ownership building with each passing day.

Z284ever

Great post Scott, and you peg exactly how I want to feel about my Camaro.

But I'm not heartened by ANY of the pics I've seen so far. None.

Even the latest undisguised photo, shows me what appears to be a very chunky Camaro. A progeny of a slightly cutdown fullsized sedan. A car which appears to ME, to be more a two door Commodore sedan in Chevy clothes, rather than the sporty, rakish Camaro I've been dreaming of.

The interior pics...well you know how I feel about that.
All the things I didn't like about the concept's interior, appear to have been retained in a weird, productionized, version of it all.

Anyways, what the hell do I know. Who knows, I may see the real car and love it. Man-o-man, I really, really hope so.

willz

Wow, Dude. Maybe you should just give it a rest. And I mean that with all due respect and not trying to be a smart ***. Look at it this way, there's NOTHING you, me, or anyone else here can do to change things significantly, the die as they say, is largely cast.
To me, it is beautiful. They retained most all of the cool things about the Concept in a production package that will pass crash tests, get decent mileage, and probably have north of 400 HP. That is PHENOMINAL! I don't know how old you are, but I'm 44, and I NEVER thought in a million years that this would be possible. I've owned Z28s with factory HP ratings ranging from 185 to 290, and they were all pretty stout in their day, but they got about 12 mpg at best and wouldn't make a wart on the behind of what this car will be in terms of performance.
Just be patient. The pictures we have are all from rather funky angles, and might not be the best indicators of the car's true size. To me, the best true indicator is the early spy shot of the production prototypes next to the Mustangs. The car looks pretty damn tidy in proportion there to me, and it is always easier to judge size when a known entity is close by to compare to.
Again, not trying to be a smart ***, as you are a veteren here anyway compared to me, but just give it a chance. In about 9 months or so, you might be very pleasantly surprised. I do think you'll be seeing the best performing Z28 ever, and I hope among the best looking too. I am confident that the engineers and the team are doing their best to make that so. So, take a deep breath, and think about the fact that we HAVE a new Camaro coming. I still have to pinch myself occassionally!

Lt1 and Ls1

I hope I will like the camaro as much as I LOVE my 07 chevy crew cab. One of the best vehicles I have ever owned!

BigDarknFast

I was thinking the same, thanks for posting.

BigDarknFast

Amen!

Camarofan69/87

After reading this thread, It reminds me when I became a Camaro fan. I was 11 or 12 when I knew I had to have a 1969 camaro. I told everyone that I had to have a 396 4-speed car. Well as luck would have it, my first car was a 1969 camaro. It wasn't a 396 or a 4-speed car but it was a 1969 Camaro. Now, 19 years later, I still have it. Its the only car I'll never sell. My passion for this car is never ending. In 2000, I bought a 1987 IROC which I also still have. To me, the Camaro will always be the car that I have to have.

The 2000 NEOCC Fall Classic was the first time I met Scott. That day we had a Q&A session with him and my only question for him was about the future of the Camaro. He could not tell that 2002 might be the last year for the Camaro. He was already preparing us to keep the faith. Then the day came that GM anounced that the Camaro was going to be placed on Hiatus after 2002. It was like losing a really close friend. My first thought was "well, I wish I could have bought one brand new". Now, in a few years that dream will come true.

As I read everyone's comments about the new Camaro on this website about what they like and what they don't like, to me the only thing that really matters is that our car is coming back and it is going to be better then it ever was.

Scott, Thank you for telling all of us to have faith in this car. There were days that it was hard to believe GM would ever make the Camaro again. The day that I buy my first new Camaro and turn the key for the first time, will be a day I'll aways remember. A part of me wishes that the new Camaro would be a 2009 vs. a 2010. It would have be cool to have a '69 and a '09.

0toinsanein5.4sec

Thank you for this thread

I feel I need to admit that I had almost forgotten what was so special about these cars. Ive had my 95 3.8L A4 since the middle of high school 5.5 years ago. It was a hand me down from when my brother got a 2000 SS M6 for HS graduation. I immediately loved his car more (who wouldnt) but thought my car was really good for a car nut like me's first car. And really it was probably the perfect car for me to learn on (well maybe if it was a manual it would have been better) as to say I had a lead foot 99% of the time back then would be an understatement. I beat the hell out of the car - not out of disrespect, but because I enjoy going fast more than anything - and it took EVERYTHING i threw at it.

fast forward a few years to around the beginning of college (I'm a senior now) and I thought it was time for something with a little bit more umph to it (as well as a manual). Couple that with many friends getting nicer, faster cars and it made me start to not like not care about my car. It was too slow and an auto (i hate auto). No matter how many "non-car fans" said "you drive a Camaro? thats pretty cool" I would just shrug it off and think "it's just a 6". So I started wanting to get a used cts-v or the up and coming g8 or a gto (all of which are cars that i love) (to hold me over until I could get a 5th gen). I still love taking my car around windy roads faster than i potentially should but I always wanted more.

I used to have this sense of pride in driving a Camaro and being part of the brotherhood that comes with it and unfortunately I started to lose it but after reading this thread, reading what Scott had to say and that old story written by Neal and his SS really reminded me what it means to drive a Camaro. Im sorry I lost the feeling I really am, but I think this thread really helped bring it back and I think im going to give my car a long overdue wash tomorrow.

Thank you once again for this thread

SFireGT98

Great post Scott. I feel the same for my current Camaro, and shes 10 years old (built in January of 1998 to be exact ) and "only" a V6. We all knew the passion for the car does run deep inside GM but its nice to be reminded from time to time.

Easy willz. He's entitled to his own opinion about the pictures. He even said the production version may be really great, but he can certainly voice his opinion about what we CAN see so far and GM is encouraging those that do see the car to let them know about it. And they're gonna receive good and bad feedback.



I will say that when I first saw the concept in pictures, it looked chunky to me. Then when I did actually see it at the Ft. Lauderdale show, it was actually alot slimmer and leaner than I had thought. And the current pre-pro pic of the white car makes it look a little chunky as well, but I think with the angle of the shot, color of the car, and fact that I thought the same thing bout the concept, more than likely it really isnt bad.

A10TankKiller

I turn 46 this month. When I was in HS I bought a 1971 Camaro 307 V8 for $500. The paint was oxidized, the headliner was falling, it needed tires, and the interior wasn't the greatest.

Now I own a '98 Z28 with 151K on the clock. I have done allot of work to her (suspension, cosmetics, bolt-ons, etc...).

I was talking to my Mom when she was here for a visit recently. She told me I look @ my current Z the same way I would sit and stare out the window and look @ my 71. I too open the garage door just to look @ my car. I spend hours lovingly polishing the headlights, or brake lines on the ABS module, or the inside of the wheels where no one ever looks or cares. I have taken her drag racing and we both had a blast! We've been on road trips and car shows and enjoyed every minute of it. I imagine I will feel the same way about the 5th gen when I get one. With each released pic I become more excited about this car. I have seen it @ G10 and fell in love. And there is NOTHING I've seen in any photo that makes my enthusiasm wane. Are there some things I would've done differently? You Bet! However, I understand concessions have to be made. I am looking forward to the coming year and the "unveiling" of this new icon in all its' glory!

CLEAN

One thing you have going for you though, I.M.O. MOST GM cars do not photograph well. Even the C6 has to be shot from specific angles to capture any semblance of it's true style. It's easy to see w/ your eyes, but dam near impossible in print. It's the same way w/ the current Malibu. I was NOT impressed in pictures, after we were led to believe it was so beautifully styled. Once I saw it in person though, and it was in a fairly basic level of trim, you at once see the stance, and the huskiness of the design, and those absoulutely do NOT come out in the pix, at least none that I have seen. The 3rd and 4th gen F bodies could be shot in the most unflattering poses imaginable, same w/ the C5. Even the Concept has its unflattering angles ( the elevated rear 3/4 comes to mind where it makes the car look tall and squat). I say wait until you see it IN PERSON, and I'll bet you'll like it a lot better than what you've seen of it so far.

willz

[QUOTE=SFireGT98;5091035]

Easy willz. He's entitled to his own opinion about the pictures. He even said the production version may be really great, but he can certainly voice his opinion about what we CAN see so far and GM is encouraging those that do see the car to let them know about it. And they're gonna receive good and bad feedback. [end quote]


No need to be easy, not upset. No doubt people are entitled to their opinion. If my tone was harsh, not intended that way at all. I just hope this guy will give the car more of a chance. He's been posting here a LONG time obviously, and has a lot of good insight. He also is passionate about the car, but seems awfully pessimistic. I can say that being a bit of a pessimist myself by nature. I just think we all need to take a deep breath and wait. THE most in the know person who posts here is Scott, and he truly believes, I think, that this Camaro will be incredible and won't disappoint 99% of us. For me, I am finally going to sit back, drop the fretting and worrying, and BELIEVE. That's all I was trying to convey. Great bunch of guys here, and no harm intended.

mzgp5x

I too am returning to my childhood. The clock comes around and I find my gearhead roots returning to the migration of the early 60's. But, with a new tech twist. A 1997ss was to mild for me after 1 year. The Camaro is a base for my own creation. It's a very personal thing to us all, and, hurts when people attack your passion and work. Now ($30k later and 11 years) I get looks from those foreign car buyers that I like ("damn!"). Also, I have been to many GM events, but, I find myself alone as it is difficult to discuss mods with the GM employees (I was one). But, it rattles the roof tiles @ the gas station and I get looks. Sorry, I'm just a gearhead. Can't stop the mod on my rolling experiment of life. It keeps my Engineering mind active. (97ss 383 - D1/ M6) B.

Primus

This thread got me thinking...

As a previous owner of 6 4th gen F-Bodies I have to say that this Camaro is radically different then the 4th gen. As much as I loved the 4th gen I think this move away from the 4th gen is the best move to make.

IMO the 4th gen Camaros and Firebirds were a fairly niche market. This new 5th gen reaches out to everyone. I think that this vehicle will be able to evoke emotion in a broader range of people then the 4th gen did. And anyone that knows anything about this kind of purchase (new vehicle) it's mostly about emotion.

When I look at this new Camaro I get a totally different kind of feeling then the kind I got when looking at the 4th gen. It's really hard to explain.