This is something I've been thinking about and observing for a good many years...and thought I'd bring it up for discussion.

It's been my observation that many Camaro enthusiasts are not very picky about Camaro. Before you jump all over me and say....." Hey man...I'm picky, I just want a badass car for cheap"....let me explain.

Many Camaro enthusiasts are certainly not picky in the way Porsche enthusiasts are picky about Porsches or Corvette enthusiasts are about Corvette or even VW enthusiasts are about VW's.......or even old Datsun, Alfa, Honda, etc., etc.

I mean...some Camaro enthusiasts merely need Camaro to hit specific power goals, be in a specific price range, and be RWD.....but beyond those parameters......NADA.
Meet those goals...and you could slap a Camaro emblem on just about anything...and you'd still sell 20,000 units per year. Well...... that's been my observation anyway.

I don't want it to sound that I mean ALL Camaro enthusiasts.....because that would be incorrect. Some of us are picky about every detail that has to do with Camaro. There are still some of us around. Although, many who feel this way, have admittedly defected to other marks.

But I've noted that a huge chunk of people who consider themselves "Camaro Enthusiats"....really have absolutely no vision what-so-ever of what Camaro should be.... other than fast, cheap and RWD.

That really scares me...................

 

I know what it shouldn't be. A chevy GTO, a Chevelle, have brickish lines like every other car on the road save Vettes...

It also needs that door close, window seal whatever its called cause when i get over 100mph theres a lot of wind noise. Suxors.

 

So basically if the next Camaro is on Zeta and some don't see that as a problem, then they aren't being "picky". :blah:

The Camaro should not be a Chevy GTO, I agree. The Camaro should not look like a sedan with 2 rear doors chopped off. But there is still little to no evidence that a Camaro cannot be done to your specifications on Zeta.

 

Camaro has always been cheap, powerful, and RWD. What else should we aspire for camaro to be? What historical precedent is there? The camaro has never been about quality or anything else i can really think of. The only historical precedent we have for camaro is for it to be cheap, fast, RWD, and compete with the mustang. Or is there something i'm missing? Seriously, that's not a rhetorical question. Or maybe what you mean is camaro should aspire to be more than that?

 

When you're car of choice gets cancelled due to bureacratic incompetence, and the manufacturer not only doesnt say anything about its future, but repeatedly emphasizes that any internal talk about the car will get you fired, and comes out in public and stresses that the car is done for, then you tend to be ready to take whatever bone they're willing to throw to you.

 

Camaro is much more than being cheap, fast in a straight line and RWD. It has to handle like it's on rails, have styling with obvious Camaro elements that knocks your socks off, should include some sort of removable roof option besides a convertible. I think it should be a little lower slung than Mustang.

With all that said, the "doom and gloom" regarding a Zeta-based Camaro is all speculation. Who's to say a Camaro at 190 inches wouldn't sell? The new Mustang, if you haven't noticed, has grown pretty considerably in dimensions compared to the SN95 and I DON'T think it will have any problems selling. If the next Camaro has good merits, styling, is attractively priced and the performance models go like stink....people, enthusiasts included, won't be upset if it isn't the size of a G35 (the measuring stick example for your ideal Camaro Z284ever, if I remember right).

 

What reason would compell you to buy a Camaro over a GTO then? Would it be the nifty crossbar and gold bowtie? Would it be the marginally lower price? Would it be the lower line trim?

In fact, if asked to choose between a GTO (Pontiac) and a GTO (Chevy)....the GTO will win every time.

Regarding sales....I'd bet a large 4 door sedan called Camaro would sell pretty well also. To me, a large 2 door sedan-based coupe wouldn't be much different.

 

in regards to this topic...
beggars can't be choosers comes to mind

 

There are some people who have a very specific idea of what they think a Camaro should be... ranging from clones of the 1st Gen, to clones of the 3rd Gen to a car that has to be at least 1.275 inches smaller than a certain mark...

That's all fine and dandy, yet it is crossing a line when they declare other Camaro entusiasts as "not real enthusiasts" simply because others don't share their very specific criteria as to what makes a Camaro.... especially when some of their very own criteria are things that have not been part of a Camaro in decades if at all... It gets tiresome after a while to be honest....

 

We aren't talking about beggars, we are talking about potential car buyers with options.
Options called Mustang and Charger/Challenger/???
I won't beg GM to sell me a Camaro, especially considering what I've seen regarding its possible styling direction.

 

Sorry your getting tired Darth. (Can't find the violin that plays a sad song smiley).

You're the one who said "not real enthusiast". I said "enthusiasts which are not picky". I'm sure that you see the difference.

 

Semantics. I means basically the same thing.

[SARCASM] If only Chevy would make a slightly smaller version of the 3rd Gen, we'd have 2 or 3 happy, picky enthusiasts! That's a winning formula!! [/SARCASM]

 

what i meant was...
we'er getting less picky just because we want it to resurface
now, if you ask what should a camaro be back in 92, you'd be sure there were some definate enthusiasts clamoring for it to remain camaro-like, have this and that, etc.
since we're now just wanting it come back period, we tend to lose that feeling of "well it has to have ___ to be a camaro"
jmho, to each their own

 

Nope....does not.

You should be more "picky" with what you say.

 

In regards to your question Z284ever, just because 2 cars are built on the same chassis doesn't nessesarily mean they have to be the same car and have the same identity. Now I demand that if GTO and Camaro are to both be built on similar versions of Zeta there are instantly recognizable and dramatic differences between the two. The Zeta GTO should have a softer-tuned suspension than Camaro (especially Z28) and of course it should look nothing like the Camaro. That is the biggest problem I have with the new "Charger", not that it is on the LX platform but because it is obvious it was spawned from the 300....it's about the same size, it's boxy with a blunt front end, the stubby greenhouse....

The Malibu and G6 are both on Epsilon...one has the image of a utilitarian family hauler and one is Pontiac's sporty mid size car....