Also, how many others have already bought another car on the assumption the F bod will never come back? Who plans to buy an '05 Stang instead? Just wondering what the current market of buyers is up to, with the knowledge there should be a new Camaro, just a matter of when...

Me personally, it works out good because the Z is paid off, the Grand Am will be paid off July 2006, so when the new for '07 (???) Camaro comes out, I buy that, still keep the Z, and use the GA as a daily driver, as it will only have 60k on the clock by then...

Good plan, eh?? C'mon RP, make it happen for me

 

If I trade in my Camaro for anything, it'll be the new Mustang.

GM pulled me away from my Ford roots by having a car that was faster and fit me better inside. And then they pushed me right back away by not having a single car I like that I can obtain.

The treatment I've seen from GM to their enthusiasts in the short time I've been a GM owner has made me want to go far, far away. Ford, on the other hand, seems to want a guy like me as a car buyer. I'll buy a Mustang, and GM can keep selling trucks.

 

I have way to much money in my 2001 SS to trade it in. I figure by 2006 it will be a mid 8 second car (street legal) and my Z06 will have taken it's place as my Street beast. Maybe a Magnacharger, ported heads, cam, pistons ect....

Hate to say this but if I were to start building fast street car Im would build the 03 Cobra. It has a rock solid forged bottom end. Guys are making close to the same power I will with out ever opening up the motor. If the 06 Cobra has a supercharged mod motor like the 03/04 cobra then Im sad to say I will be driving a ford.

I love to build my cars but I dont want to put another 30 grand plus on top of the cost of the car to make 600-700 rwhp. Whoever has the most mod friendly motor will get my next garage spot. Its sad that it might not be a Bowtie or even a GM car for that matter.

FORD just seems to have the Modern day Hot Rodder in mind with its upcomg products. Next S/C Cobra, S/C lightnig, S/C Ford GT. S/C thunderbird ect.....

 

Well, I bought my Z28 when I first caught wind that F-body production would be cancelled. Over the years, I've found out that the best GM vehicles are the ones get orphaned. Looking back on past history, when the replacement finally comes out, its complete crap. Look at the G-body Monte Carlo SS, a great car and future classic. Then look at the Lumina coupes and Montes that followed - all completely disposable crap. Similarly, the Impala SS died and was replaced by the current POS.

The looming death of the F-body was the reason why I bought my Z28, despite the fact I didn't need another car. Today its my second vehicle, for warm sunny days only. This basically means it won't wear out in this decade, or perhaps even the next. So trading's out, for a long time.

I do have to buy a new primary vehicle in the next year or two, but sadly, a 2007 Camaro will be too late to the market. As it is, my ideal is something with cargo space and ground clearance. It probably won't be another coupe, and considering how I manage to fill the trunk of a huge 4-door, not a sedan either. That's just my everyday transportation.

I guess a 2007/2009 F5 Camaro would have to be a pretty wild ride for me to consider it. If it goes to a "retro," user friendly design it has zero chance of finding its way into my driveway. However, if Chevrolet turns the performance up a notch and makes a performance machine that's even more driver oriented and more aggressive in styling, I might take the bait. A future Camaro would have to pretty hot for me to make another irrational purchase. It happened before, though.

I wonder if RedPlanet can pull off another "got to have" performance value?

 

I wouldn't trade my 35th for a 5th gen or anything for that matter. I plan on taking it (and my Monte) to my grave. In a few months I'll begin to scope out a 96 black Impala SS as a daily driver for the long hauls to work. I can't wait to be able to finally rest the Camaro. If work is going VERY well, and the CTSv is somewhere in the low $40k's I'll probably consider it or maybe a new GTO. They're a little more practical than another f-body at this point. Though i should be ready for a 5th gen in about 3-4 years.

-Rich

 

I will most definately buy a new 5th Gen... just about the only thing I can think of that would stop me would be if I really really really did not like the styling.

 

We'll see what happens when it comes back. I'm certainly not an automatic sale just because it says "Camaro" on it. Who's to say what my transportation or financial needs will be when the car does return?

The best thing GM could have done would be to have kept buyers in their products, but they have not offered a product that offers the excitement I'm looking for (affordably) since the '98 model year revisions of the f-body. While that made those cars more tempting, they still offered little in improvements over the '93 LT1 Firebird I had owned. That car was sold a few years ago and I later picked up the Fiero as a fun extra car, then followed that with the WRX as a daily driver. Turns out other manufacturers do have exciting and affordable new cars right now!

Only time will tell if pushing a lame duck 4th gen and then ditching that market altogether will burn bridges with would be 5th gen buyers and one-time GM loyalists.

EDIT: Pricing was just announced for the 2004 WRX STi (300/300, awd, sub-5sec to 60mph...that one) as $30995. THIS is the next car I would save up and trade-up for. And it'll be out this year. An impressive showing by the GTO may make me reconsider, but that car is likely to be more expensive and considerably slower. GM needs to be more aggressive than offering an expensive, limited-run Cadillac to win back performance enthusiasts. The GTO in low $30Ks with the LS6 would be a nice start, not to mention a modern and affordable Camaro.

 

I know one bridge that has already been burned, so there's no need to wait for time to tell. It's going to take about a decade of solid respectable activity for me to believe that GM has got it's act together. Unfortunately, vehicles like the SSR are only further alienating me from GM's design philosophy. Axing the F-body was one thing, but then turning out this tacky aesthetically deranged mongrel of a vehicle is just a slap in our faces. I don't give my money to companies that slap me in the face. GM can be working on the greatest design the F-body has ever seen, but I am not so forgiving of the activities it's been guilty of these past few years. There are other manufacturers out there developing just as impressive platforms, and treating their consumers a whole lot better to boot.

 

Depends what it will look like; if it's ugly, I don't want it.

It also depends upon how much KY Jelly will be needed for my insurance raping.

 

I can really identify with what you're saying. GM has a habit of killing its best performance products, and the last-off-the-line cars are always keepers.

By the way, your MC is awesome, almost better looking than the 2002 SS. It's amazing how modern this 80s cars still looks, especially with cool rims. Who would have though that American Racing could turn out classy wheels that look better than anything Chevrolet ever made. What's the pattern called?

 

It will depend on how well GM thinks it out. I don't currently have a F-bod, but if the F5 is anything like the SS concept, I will stick to F4s and F1s.

 

I'd like to think I could retire my 4th gen from daily driving duty and set it up as a track only car.. then get the 5th gen for daily driving.

 

I think my next car will be an '05 or above Mustang Cobra, a CTSv, or a C6. I don't plan on selling either my 3rd gen or 4th gen when getting my next car. Finding garage and parking space will be difficult. Anyways, the reason I doubt I will ever buy a 5th gen is because I'm getting older. I recently turned 30, and my approach in life when younger was that it didn't make much sense to me when >40 year olds were buying sports or muscle cars. You should've indulged yourself earlier, had fun when it makes more sense, and when you're more able and willing to enjoy things. So, I'll probably select a car that is more practical and comfortable than a 5th gen. I just have a feeling IRS won't be offered because GM will try to maximize profit without worrying about what will sell. Also, I'm really interested in a S/C Cobra, but on a modern chassis. I don't plan on modifying my future cars nearly as much, nor do I plan on working on them as much or wasting my money (we never recoup anything except enjoyment of the car). And the styling, if its a retro style 1st gen, I'd rather get a CTSv. I prefer a more modern cutting edge style. However, even though I normally say no to retro, I just love how the new Stang looks. Oh well, '06 Mustang Cobra is probably next on my list.

'91 T/A (for sale), '91 GTA, '01 WS6 T/A

 

I already informed 'the wife'... as soon as the 5th gen goes on sale... I'm selling the '97 to buy a new Z/28.

 

If there is no Camaro by summer 2005 I'll probably go with a GTO, CTSv, or Lightning.

If the rumors about the AWD, 285HP, M6, next gen Grand Am come true that car will be in the runnings too.