Almost 8 years ago I joined this board because I loved the Camaro..and moreso wanted to know about it's future.

8 years is a long time to do anything..especially on the internet. When I joined a lot of corner stones of this little corner of CamaroZ28 were already here GuionM, Threxx, Darth Xed, Z284ever and so forth.

Back then, if you wanted performance from GM, Corvette, F-body, and maybe the supercharged W-bodies were it. I remember the threads fretting and hoping that somehow GM would pull of a hail mary and the Camaro would not be cancelled. Some people carried on hope even as the mysterious Redplanet readied us for the worst. After the car was cancelled, the years fretting things like size, platforms and ETA's. Or fretting what the SS concept's styling ment, or if the car would end up being called Chevelle because it was too big. Personally, I never let up hope the car would be back...it was not a matter of if, but more when. I remember thinking as Lutz drove the car on stage at the NAIAS having a feeling of accomplishment because mentally I was so invested in the idea that the car would be back.

So as we sit here a month from Camaro being in the hands of buyers I am rather depressed. Here we sit on a GM lineup that 8 years ago no one would have dared to dream. Not only a Z06, but a ZR1? The new CTS-V, G8, Camaro, Cobalt SS, Solstice are all cars that will be in museams down the road. That's not even mentioning vehicles like the Trailblazer SS and GTO that already ran their lifespan. Even GM's everyday cars are simply fantastic. The Malibu is world class, as are GM's SUV's and so forth.

What depresses me however is just as GM gets it right...things are about to get blown up. GM is not a perfectly run company by any means...and deserves it share of the blame. However, also keep in mind, the US automarket it about half of what it was 12-24 months ago. Not many companies survive losing half their sales volumes overnight...especially ancient ones with huge fixed and legacy costs. People who want cars, can't get loans. The ones who can get loans are either too smart with their money to spend it now...or at least have the sense to not buy from a company that may go bankrupt. To make everything extra special, high gas prices this summer, made American's rediscover the idea of a small fuel efficiant car...or at minimum thinking about fuel economy again. In general the idea and thought of living "green" is at a level of popularity I have not witnessed in my lifetime. And to think the gas price mess was caused not by shortage of oil, but lack of investor oversight and restraint.

Basically what I am saying is...here we stand on the eve of having our beloved Camaro back...with a lineup of cars from GM that we would have never dreamed 8 years ago. Sadly, however my mind is tied up in the thought that withiin 5 years all, or the majority of it could be gone. I mean..how is that for irony and karma?

 

5 years? That may be seriously optimistic.

 

So true. I inadvertently found this site after stumbling onto the online petition to save the F-bodies. I must've posted on that petition 10-plus times and stupid GM still cancelled the F-bodies. If GM goes down, I hope Wagoner and the other idiots that ran GM into the ground get buried alongside it! I still won't buy an ugly Toyota, so Ford here I come.

 

It has changed a lot in the 10 years that I have been here. It is sad to see talk of the death of Pontiac. I grew up in Pontiacs and my dad drove them for 40 years. I learned to drive in a Pontiac and will hate to see the line be killed off. It is almost like losing a part of yourself.

 

You pounded that nail, Formula.

It makes me sick to my damn stomach what is happening. Not just as an enthusiast, but as an American.

 

My dad can be considered a "pontiac guy." I grew up around lots of Firebirds. He still has a 67 hardtop and a 68 ragtop. Both in disrepair, but I hope to get the ragtop from him someday. I'll help keep Pontiac alive! The 67 hardtop was a backyard restoration in 1988 and she looked great for quite a few years, but after about 15 years of sitting, it needs a lot of help now.

It's not just GM... think of all the aftermarket companies that make parts for their cars. How many people want to hop up or make their appliance Camry look cool? Much more than "GM" will be hurt if they go under.

 

Me too Joe.

Eight years ago, I never figured this day would come. I wonder what GM might have done 8 years ago to have avoided this meltdown.

 

It's been a time accelerated times 2.

 

You don't have to be an American to feel the pain, brudda! All depressing news, day in, day out...

Let's be frank. GM make great product. They just don't make cutting edge product anymore... and it's in this area where GM have lost generations of customers to both affordable and luxury marques.

That's the main reason why GM have themselves in the current position, IMHO.

Do I believe GM will recover? This is the question I'll be asking myself every day for the next few years. As I said, all rather depressing.

 

I'm not understanding, this depression thing about GM. Nor the 'no cutting edge products' thing.

We just had an entire thread on this site, celebrating the Chevy Avalanche. It was a brilliant innovation by GM, and is loved by its owners. The CTS-V... ZR1... Cobalt SS... G8 GXP... and yes the new Camaro... I'd postulate are ALL cutting-edge designs and tremendous performance values. So enough of the grim reaper doom-n-gloom

 

You do know the meaning of the term 'cutting edge' don't you? When GM delivers 4 speed autos when the rest of the industry has phased them out years ago is not exactly cutting edge is it? To finally get Camaro out years after Mustang isn't exactly neck breaking speed is it? To actually sit inside their vehicles and say GM interiors are among the best in the world would be something of a first would it not? Do you really want me to go on?

And when GM figure out how to make great product on their volume sellers instead of the handful of sales from the vehicles you describe, they might actually head in the right direction instead of the wrong one.

No need to be defensive about some facts.

 

Gotta watch them "facts". Some "facts" are actually "opinions" that are pushed as "facts". So watch out for them "facts"....most especially the ones that are backed up by "opinions"....often pushed as "facts". Etc, etc, etc.

And don't get defensive, either. You don't want to join our little defensive club. (btw, if you disagree, you are automatically "defensive").

Oops....there I go again! And again!

 

LOL

I don't care what you think of me, I love you Bob!

But seriously, GM have been losing market share since they owned 50% of the market... and it has to be for a good reason.

Some of what I stated 'could' actually be true!

Anyway, Branden wants more substance than what is being offered right now. He deserves the respect given his tenure on this forum...

 

Imagine if GM had debuted the 2010 back in 03 as the replacement for the 02....


It is sad really, at least ford seems to be heading inthe right direction, there is just something about GM performance that I love....

 

We have gotten some great products from GM over the last 7-8 years. Two real big things bother me though.

#1) the Solstice coming out in 2006. GM says they can't build an affordable performance car with a volume of 50,000/year that is on its own unique platform, so they cancel the Camaro and immediately come out with the Solstice

#2) for every absolute fantastic move they make (CTS, Solstice, Malibu, GMT-900, Corvette, LNF, LSx) They make a lot of bone headed moves that hurt the companies image (Aztek, G3, G5, Pontiac SV6 , not updating interiors of Trailblazer & Colorado, etc..)