I must say that I am admittedly frustrated by the article.
Not by the author, but by the overall message being sent by GM.
I believe very little light was shed as to the future of performance.
That is of course unless you are interested in 220 HP Cavalier.

That being said, MR talks about how being younger he had allot of good memories with Camaro.Yet in the same sentence he goes on to say "...But were running a business here too, so it sucks."
WTF!!! It's this same lack of passion and commitment that killed our beloved F-Body.On a personal note, I have one question. How can someone in this man's position not feel any obligation to Camaro or Firebird? If this is how he honestly feels he is not the right man for the job!!

In regards to Camaro he is quoted as saying "We are just not studying it, and we' not working on it.Yet RP is always telling us to "have faith" ect. I think it's time to drop all the and give us some directon.To that end, when asked why GM is so secretive he replies "I don't know that we are intentionally secretive on future products."
Then why the Gag Order on Camaro???!!!

When asked if we can expect a low cost, high performance RWD car in the future he is evasive yet again.MR "Near future is sort of a relative term, but I think there is obviously a want for something like this from GM..."
Of course there is, it's called C A M A R O !!!!!!!!!!! Why is that so damned hard to figure out!!!!!!

Anyway I had better stop before I get carried away.Also, sorry if I'm ranting a bit, it's just that you guy's know it's more than just a car!

-Eddie

 

Redplanet as a committed Camaro guy has to work in an enviroment that quite simply doesn't favor a Camaro at the present. As Camaro's #1 cheerleader, of course he frequently posts his "have faith" statements. Some REALLY misguided people here bestow god-like qualities on him, but at the end of the day it's those who actually have to make corperate decisions that decide what's going to actually happen to Camaro, despite what Red and OTHER PEOPLE (no, he's NOT the only one pulling for Camaro ) want to happen, and I can only imagine the frustration they must feel regarding all this.

But, stepping outside the box for a moment, and realizing you have responsibility for the entire corperation, and not just one faction, can you really blame GM's slow approach with Camaro? No doubt, Camaro was sabotaged by GM's lack of commitment and investment in Camaro at a time their #1 competitor seemed to pull out all stops, but to someone looking at only the bottom line & the size of the market, the F-body isn't even a blip.

Corvettes sell for $20,000 more than Camaros, yet in the end they outsold Camaros! WS6s and SSs, though overpriced, were the only models of the f-bodies that sold well. Pulling f-body will no doubt send a few more people to Corvette (which is closer to design & capacity than anything else on the market), and GM saves on production costs to boot.

I'm sure there are people in GM who have strong feelings toward the f-body, but let's get back to reality here. Do you expect someone who get's a paycheck from GM to say "To hell with what the policies are! I'm going to announce what we're doing with Camaro, and announce my commitment to it, and if you don't like it, you can fire me or I QUIT!" I think if that's what you're waiting for, you better make other plans. Working for any company is a job 1st and foremost.

I can't think of anyone so devoted to Camaro they are willing to collect unemployment for themselves & their family just to satisfy our demands.

 

guionM,
As usual your post is on the mark.
Please realize I'm just a blue collar guy and do my best to rationalize the finer points of the business world.
I understand in my limited fashion the corporate road blocks that the "good" folks at GM must be facing now.I'm sure Camaro has quite a few people on it's side.I hope enough to pull it through for it's 5th incarnation.

I guess what really bothers me about the whole demise of the F-Body is the outward attitude projected by General Motors.(Scott and a select few others not included )
It's like they don't lament it's loss, or what it meant to allot of people.They say things like "We're not looking into it...." or the market has changed for Camaro..Blah Blah..Blah...
The fact of the matter is that GM killed it, they don't seem to care that they did and finally they won't even give us the satisfaction of knowing they are trying to rectify the situation!

Forgive me if I sound crazy, but every night before I start my shift I take my SS out for a ride.I put on one of my favorit CD's and just enjoy driving my car. ....Just something about driving an American RWD V8 car! Especially Camaro!

In closing I'm sorry if my above post came off a little harsh. It's just that GM needs to make things right.And no, things will not be right in the world until a brand new Camaro/Firebird rolls of the assembly line.

-Eddie

 

Every1 knows how you feel dude and can understand your view. This whole thing should have never happened but there was alot to it that I guess had to be done and now its gonna be a while because of it all.

 

At this point I don't reall care if the name plate Camaro comes back. It has benn canned. Let it live in or memories. I just think GM needs a RWD V8 car that is about 20 grand less the corvette. Give it a new name and fresh styling and you will win back old Camaro owners and bring a whole new crowd of buyers who would never think about buying a camaro.

 

Perhaps...

but why give up the 3rd (or 4th, cant remember exactly) most recognized name plate in automotive history?

 

Maybe its just a coincidence, but I remember when they started the "WE'LL BE THERE" ads, I was very shocked to see them showing a 1st gen Camaro in the ad. This could have zero meaning , but I can't remember any other time that they used them in ads! Maybe I'm in denial, but I just can't see them killing it for good, as someone else pointed out they are much more than just cars.Every time I see the older F-bods they really take me back, I just know I'm not alone. What do you think?

 

Can someone please scan the article? GMHTP or the post office must have thought to play a funny joke on me and not send me this issue, and of course no one around here carries the mag. I dont even know what questions were asked.

 

Hey, I think one of your questions was in there. The one about Holden? Anyways if I could scan it I would, but I'm somewhat technologically challenged

-Mike

 

Hey you mean I am not alone. I too am technologically challenged. I can't even figure out how to use the cute little faces, so don't feel bad.Your doing better than me. Oh, I'm also vertically challenged. I Don't have a scanner, or I'd have my girlfriend scan it for u.

 

Frustration seems to be the word of the day. I'd certainly like to hear some positive news on the future of the Camaro but it doesn't appear that's going to happen any time soon. So, GM maintains a tight lip and keeps us f-body enthusiasts in some kind of frustrating limbo while we watch the competition become even more popular. WTF

I told my wife the other day that we're going to keep at least one of our Camaros forever. She agreed.

 

YEEEEE-HAAAA I figured it out 10 points for me *DUH*

 

 

Let me just say, there is a fine line between jeenyus and insanity.