There are truth in these words. Once Zeta was selected as the Camaro's architecture, it's fate was sealed.

I just hope that there are enough buyers of a two ton Camaro around, to keep the brand alive until it can be put on a more appropriate architecture.

 

Certainly it's not your contention that IRS added 400 - 500 lbs to the car. Is it?

 

Not in its entirety, but part of that total weight yes (probably 100-200lbs of it).

 

Well, if this car fails, which I seriously doubt, it won't be because of the weight.
Majority of buyers won't care or even have a clue what it weighs. Car enthusiasts compared to overall buyers are a small part of the population.

 

Nonsense.

The car is heavy because:

1) It is based on a large car. For a given car, the engineers can't scale a big chassis down and get to the same weight as they could if they stretched a smaller one.

2) Increasingly stringent crash and safety regs. These require more componentry. For example, I'm sure the car's big platform roots and weight hurt it in the rollover tests. End result, more structure to pass the test.

3) The inexplicable demand put forth by the majority of customers that every car model should be available with every bell and whistle the manufacturer can throw at it.

4) The equally inexplicable notion that the car simply must have eleventy-billion hp or its not worth driving.

5) It is based on a large car.


To point at that evil new-fangled IRS and blame it for half the weight gain is just silly.

 

We've been through this before - and you can take this to the bank: 25-50 pounds over a well engineered live axle.

 

Then why aren't they still buying SUV's? They may not know exactly what it weighs, but they know the effect it has at the gas pump.

 

Not that I doubt you but where is the research and proofs for this, I would love to read them. (not sarcastic, i am genuinely interested)

I'm not blaming IRS for the weight, I understand that its based off a large car platform and all of the other reasons, but to say that IRS is not a part of that weight increase is ignorant.

 

I got that directly from an auto industry engineer, who's job it is to package such things. Actually, it was pretty in depth conversation, but that figure was the bottom line.

 

That will all hinge on the V6 gas mileage. People buying V8's
don't have gas mileage as one of their top priorities. I know I don't. We'll
see where the V6's come in at on gas mileage. If they all suck, then I guess
GM can cut production down to enough to feed the enthusiast's. I suspect
the car will evolve over time and better gas mileage Camaro's will be available.

 

I also thought it was around 100-200LBS added. Regardless though, I never thought this would be an around 4,000LBS vehicle. I remember watching it go around the track in that video thinking it just looked heavy, not as nimble as it could be. I think we're pretty much all taken back by recent posted numbers, they are disappointing for sure. It's supposed to be a sport coupe but instead weighs as much as a full-size sedan, more than the GTO's which got critisized for weight constantly.

 

Wow,

It's a porker for sure if those numbers are correct. Power output is exciting, still think the SC car should have been a SS, this is about as far from a Z28 as it gets.

 

The best handling, best braking, most exotic engined car is nowhere near far from a Z28, and it's a small block. Time to change your sig, we won.

 

For starters, the Mustang has a solid axle. Secondly, it's only 315hp, versus over 400 for the (if rumor is correct) 3900 lb Camaro.

By the way, in the latest Motor Trend, there's a comparison test between the Challenger and the Mustang GT500. In that test, they mention that the Challenger felt more solid than the Mustang, and it seemed higher quality. Making the car more solid adds weight. The Zeta is a solid car also, I believe.

I happened to be reading an older 2003 Car and Driver today that had a long term test of a 2001 BMW M3. It weighed 3532 pounds.

I'll put this forth now. If Charlie gets his wish, and GM builds a "Super Alpha" V8 Camaro as light as they can on a budget, I'll bet the thing still weighs at least 3600 pounds, and likely quite a bit more than that. Now if they add expensive lightweight parts that increase the price, or build a lightweight model with minimum content, sound deadening, etc., then who knows?

 

It's certainly part of it -- though not half. The G8 has half a dozen airbags, traction control, and stability control. Each of those systems adds weight. The Camaro will likely have similar equipment.

By the way, NHTSA is revising roof strength standards. Expect changes to the regs, requiring stronger roofs.

Oh yeah, the tire pressure monitoring systems require a sensor in each wheel to monitor the air pressure, and wiring to relay the readings to a central computer. All this ... "stuff" ... adds weight.