The Camaro has always been big....for sucha purist I am shocked at your opinion.

 

Also note size and heavy are two different things....I think the combination of sized between the 4th Gen and the current GTO is fine......

As far as weight, the car can be as light as GM wants to make it and we are willing to pay...it's all in teh materials they use. FWIW I have noticed the industry seems to be making larger, heavier cars as a whole...especially teh Japanese..

 

I agree. The Camaro should AT LEAST be 3300lbs. I hate the fact that my car is so damn heavy. All my friends own Foxes. Its an advantage for them because it takes less power to get to our levels.

Example- My friend's 93 GT dynoed 310rwhp/333rwtq, runs 12.1@111.

What would it take a 4th gen? At least another 40-50rwhp. At 300rwhp we're stuck running low 13s and at best a 12.9. Efficiency in the power to weight ratio will not only keep us happy but even make a good RACING PLATFORM for enthusiasts. Why are 79-93 Mustangs so popular? They're light and parts are dirt cheap. The Gen III engine is the future of our powerplants and the aftermarket will follow. By the time the F5 debuts the aftermarket for the Gen III will be much bigger than it is now. Around here, one of the most popular cars is your Fox-Body Mustang. I have nearly 10 close friends with Fox-bodies. Practicality sells. Whats power if it takes too much to move the car? If the F5 is going to weigh in excess of 34-3500lbs that fact will hinder it. Light weight will help draw in the enthusiast crowd. Everyone else? Thats what appearance and options are for.

 

Actually an '03 Cobra tips the scales at about 3650 pounds, certainly no lightweight. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the DOHC iron block motor it's running.

The LS1 was pretty light. I expect the LS2 to continue to advance in that area as well as being more powerful. All told, I don't see why a 3300 pound V8 Camaro isn't possible, having the next gen aluminum engine and a modern chassis under it. Just don't compare it to a Corvette Z06 and then wonder why it can't be that light. My response is "it's a Corvette!"

 

You could not be more wrong my friend. I believe that you are stuck in your 4th gen paradigm.

Camaro's have been relative compacts to the rest of the car world.

They were always smaller than your average sedan...sometimes much smaller.

While the rest of the automotive world was shrinking.....Camaros grew, (a couple of inches with the 4th gen)....until they finally rivaled mid-sized SUV's.


The Mustang is sized much more appropriately than the Camaro.

 

A Trailblazer weighs 4500lbs.....

Weightwise the 4th Gen is very similar to other GTs out there...

 

Wasn't the 1st Gen a little lighter than the Thirds?? I think so anyway.

Length: No more than 185"
Weight: No more than 3400lbs. (and that's being fully optioned and a top model)
Height: No more than 49.5"
Width: No more than 75"

 

I've never really thought of any f-body as a "big" car. I really don't even see my car as being "big". However, I definitely don't think the next Camaro should be any larger than the fourth gen. I think it should be light, simple, and "durable".

 

It's not even close to mid-sized SUV dimensions...Thats like saying a Fiero rivals a 4th gen Camaro's size.

The Mustang is sized like a regular mid-sized sedan, *yawn* lame, thank god the Camaro didn't take that route in the fourth gen, I may have fallen asleep every time I saw one on the road, like I do Mustangs.

And everyone complains about the 'small interior' of the Camaro compared to how 'big' it is on the outside. Well, in actuality its only 1" wider than a Mustang, and has 1" more front hip room in the front as well as 2" more in the rear (for coupe versions) Which makes up its width on the outside. It also has more legroom up front, and a few inches less legroom in the back seats, which it makes up for with two more cubic feet luggage room (which is doubled if you bring down the rear seat. The 4th gen also has 4/3 inches of extra shoulder room than the Mustang in the front/rear. The Camaro has approximately one more cubic foot of total interior volume than the Mustang, which shows how much use of available space Chevy took advantage of when making the car. So if your going to complain about the 4th gen Camaro's lack of interior space when compared to its dimensions, don't bring up the Mustang as your arguement.

*These stats are based on 2002 versions of each vehicle.

 

They should extend the front a bit for more engine compartment room

Thats the only thing I hate about these cars! That...and that they dont grip worth a ****

 

HELLO! Who's talking about interior space? Not me. The Camaro is a pony car. It should be sized accordingly.

A couple of more things.

1) The Fiero is much smaller than a 4th gen...I don't have time to look up the dimensions right now....but it is substantially smaller.

2)Are you saying that if the Mustang was just 8-10" longer that you would find it more attractive?

3) Buy an SUV.

 

a camaro is a sport compact.

 

At the time of it's introduction - the 1993 Z28 was 9 inches longer than a Ford Taurus . At the time of it's demise - the 2002 Camaro had the longest doors of any car in the US market .

It was a big car. Way too big. The current Mustang is a nice size. Not to big, not too small. About 200 lbs lighter, too.

 

Historically, didn't the styling direction change in the 2nd gen Camaro's when someone took over? I remember briefly hearing about it in my "History of the Auto" class I took in college..



Anyways, I just want less overhang.. everythign else about it, I like about my 4th... the long doors, the nearly horizontal windshield, the huge dash and hood... true, it can get annoying sometimes, but another way to look at it, is character, at least for my 4th gen.. I didn't get it to feel and look like any of the more average cars ou there.. (although except for snow, I do expect it to serve as a daily driver).. But thats my 4th gen..


So you know, maybe it could benifit in making it a bit more ergonomic with out diluting the "character".. I'm sure, given a clean sheet, they can design and manufacture a more comfortable Camaro without making it too boring.. They managed to make the C5 better in all aspects, so I don't see why they can't do the same with the F-body. IMO, keep the styling as an evolution of the 4th gen, and it would keep me happy (I think the front end could use the most help)



As for size, I used a 97 Camry as a reference point for the 4th gens, since alot of people are familiar with those, especially my family.. (although I'm sure Camry's have bloated a bit since too) Its about an inch or two longer and wider, and an inch or two less in height. Weighs in about 200 lbs heavier. Has about a 1/3 more hp and tq than your v6 Camry, powering a the rear wheels with a live rear axle...



They don't grip? Something must be wrong with yours..

 

Thats only because the 2003 Camaro was such a limited edition.