The new 5 is built on the 7-series platform, and it gained a few inches in length. It's inexplicable to me why they would have built the new 5 to be so much heavier than the old. Even if the next one drops 200 pounds, it'll still be heftier than all the previous models.

I thought I remembered hearing that the old 5 was also based on the 7-series platform, but it clearly shared less than it does now. I don't think the 7 ever had as much Aluminum as the '04-'10 5-series did.

The Jag XJ and Audi A8, which are the two poster children for all-aluminum bodies, have also gained a significant amount of weight in their new models. I suppose it could be the case that all of them were too far along when the price of oil spiked in 2008.

It'll be interesting to see if new 2012 and 2013 models will do better than the 2010 and 2011 models, where weight has continued to increase across the industry.

 

I found this info on a Mustang forum. It adds credibility to my previous comments about the current 5-star Mustang not being designed to pass future crash tests.

In comparison, I'm certain the Zeta Camaro will pass future crash standards without too much trouble.

Some things just don't add up when it comes to Mustang's weight reduction claims given it will have IRS as well as incorporate more UHSS in its structure but...

 

I'd bet it was a noticed cost savings. All that aluminum was expensive, and a hard pill to swallow with energy prices on the constant rise. Also by sharing more components they reduce cost there as well. To be fair, a few hundred pounds of weight really isn't that big a deal to 99% of their 5 series buyers.
Yep. That and things like sound insulation, thicker carpets, power seats, heated/cooled seats, cabin air filtration, thicker interior plastics etc. But really, the biggest impact other than crash safety are those giant wheels.

 

Alot of it too centered around the difficulties even minor front accidents created . Its questionable structural rigidity , 10 fold after even a minor collision and the extremely high cost and level of difficulty to repair , amongst other issues having to do with manufacturing cost and the difficulty BMW had manufacturing it in high volumes . It made for quite the cons list , hence the decision to migrate to steel .

Certainly , hahaha . You could make a Zeta Camaro feel like a completely different ride with a set of lightweight 18" or 19" HRE or CCW's . I went from stock 24 lb a piece 18's on my Cobalt SS to 17's @ 16 lbs a piece , the difference in the way car drove was staggering .

 

I think it's plenty close price wise. Remember, this will be a sporty, compact, entry level Cadillac. Decontent the wheels, interior and engine - and there's the cost savings on your base Camaro. Of course, as we've seen, not too many people buy a base, zero option Camaro. GM will probably make a mint on the cars based off of Alpha. That is - if they truly deliver the goods.

 

The thing is, even if the 6th gen Camaro is based off alpha, its still going to be based off of a sedan platform so compromises will still be made.

 

I bet not even a fraction of the compromises zeta had, since camaro is baked from day one . Zeta was made to be good handling sedan, but it's doubtful it was designed to a "sports sedan" . If that makes any sense

 

The primary purpose of Zeta was a family sedan, though with RWD and good handling for a car of that type.

The primary purpose of Alpha is a sporty premium compact sedan.

Purely based on that, one would expect the Alpha to be sportier, smaller, and more fun to drive. Also more expensive, though we've discussed before why that may not be. Anyone who knows real numbers will not post them here, leaving us free to speculate.

 

I think it's safe to say that the base Camaro's price will be driven by the base Mustang's price more than the actual cost of Alpha. Any discrepancy will be subsidized by the higher end Camaros. Costs are shifted like that all the time.

 

Everyone here talks about Zeta like it's a complete turd.

Lets put things into perspective here.

a.) 5th Gen Camaro is selling at a clip never imagined. By in large, customers love the car. If your in the business of selling cars, 5th gen is not a failure.

b.) In G8 form, Zeta was called by various publications..the "best sedan for the money in the world", and often compared to BMW. GM has trouble getting Cadillac to compare to BMW..so that is huge.

c.) Zeta is gonna be around for a while, and at some point will have to lose weight. Even big boned people can lose weight.

d.) If Alpha is being designed for Cadillac, and Camaro it has baked in will be incidental. It will be designed to fit Cadillac's needs, and then somehow rejiggered to fit into what the Camaro needs. I think this will happen later rather than sooner..just because I think this platform will cost more than people are expecting.

Now I know Charlie has a fetish for Cadillac's, light cars, and Camaro's, so it makes sense for him to try and make Alpha fit all three bills. Based on what I have seen over time however...and common sense..something tells me that either price, weight, or flexibility will have to be compromise on this platform. This is not Theda, where you take a cheapo cute ute, and add a bunch of gadgets on top to make an SRX. This is building a serious sports sedan platform that can run with the best the Germans can make for Cadillac...and then somehow also making it fit into a 24K Chevy without compromising anything.

 

I think the price thing is being blown out of proportion as far as the chassis is concerned . A big component of cash savings, as far as the camaro is concerned, will be the car built around the chassis and drivetrain .

 

Not really. If that was the case, GM would have built all their NA RWD cars off Sigma, and Kappa, despite being a 7/8ths Corvette platform would not have weights 3200lbs

 

For sure there will be compromises. How can there not be? But for alot of people, (maybe even me), this will come a whole bunch closer to hitting the Camaro bullseye than Zeta does. Will it be dirt cheap? Not a chance. But neither is Zeta.

 

Maybe Zeta was great for sedans, but just not as great for sporty coupes.

Now that Mustang has matched or perhaps surpassed the Camaro in performance, and we are quickly reaching a point of diminishing returns with regards to increased HP levels, it is time for GM to explore another way to get more all around performance (and MPG) out of the Camaro. Of course, if that lighter, better performing Camaro got it's chassis from a another volume (not high volume) seller that away takes sales from BMW it would make much more business sense.

One thing I haven't seen brought up here is the fact that as long as Camaro is selling the way it is, GM might just leave the car alone, aside from small updates. No sense in messing with a winning formula. On the other hand, Ford gives Mustang fans a new special edition Mustang of some form or another every so often. Bullit, Shelby GT, the tuner cars like the Roush editions, the GT500KR...GM needs to throw something fresh out there too. Just to keep people's interest high.

 

FYI... Mustang is also based off of a sedan platform... just sayin'