It was only a 1 minute radio interview.

I'll still believe in the martian, but I have serious doubts about seeing a "Camaro" at the NAIAS. I have posted about this a few times, but remember, there was no Corvette concept. The Solstice will have been at least 45 months from being shown at NAIAS until it hits the street, and that was an accelerated program, showing how efficient the new GM is.

I trust and have hope in the martian, but my gut says no "Camaro" at NAIAS. Maybe a RWD coupe of some type or Chevelle or GTO future concept, but, I just have major doubts about a real "Camaro" concept. The only scenario I would see where a Camaro was at the NAIAS, was if it was very near production ready. Because, as much hype there is over this thing, imagine if they came out with some awesome concept and then over the next 3 and a half years, it was watered down and its looks cut down and it had a parts bin rearview mirror and 18 inch wheels instead of 22. There would be some screaming.

 

So production on the GMT900s starts in Nov-Dec. +18 months=June of 2007 or so. A concept show in January 2006 would not be out of place.

 

This is a constant cycle of ups and downs.

 

I heard the interview too, and while it's not a big deal, I was just happy to hear them saying the "C" word at all.

 

About there for the first round of the 900 utilities, yes and that will last well into 2006. But where do you get 18 months? Based upon GVDP "IF" there is ever an approved program it is 18 - 24 months from styling freeze. Depending on how the program is timed. And styling freeze is not what you think it is. That just means certain surfaces can be moved a couple mills but not design direction. This is primarily for packaging issues that arise after the hand off to platform engineering. They are not even close to that. If or when and I use that very loosely there is a charter sign off then we are talking 24 - 36 months. And as far as I know that still has not happened. So hence pet projects in portfolio or architecture studies do not make for an officially timed and budgeted program. Not to say it will not happen but again as far as I am aware it has not happened yet.

 

So if Camaro is approved towards the end of this year we are still 2 or 3 years off until it hits the streets? Can we assume though some engineering/ design work may already be done and just not released to any suppliers yet? What about that steering column that was sent out to Delphi a while back that was coded GMX-284 (the supposed internal GM Camaro code)? I guess either way though we are still looking at a very late 2007 or mid 2008 release if we go by what you’re saying. A Camaro concept at the 2007 NAIAS would make more sense then the one coming up. Hmmmmmm, unless there is a concept for this year and this entire time frame is bumped up a year. Concept or not I'm going to make my guess that we see a Camaro in 2007.

 

2007 left the room a looooooooong time ago.

 

What about '08?

 

Vehicle development at GM, Toyota or any manufacturers is the same and vehicle timing is just symantics. It takes 5 - 6 years to develope a vehicle. Period! There is home work done before the charter is signed off. The industry traditional metric for VDP is months after styling freeze. But that does not take into account all the years of work prior to that. Advanced Engineering does the leg work leading to styling freeze in a nut shell. Any rear drive at GM is in portfolio. Portfolio does a lot of advance work that may never materialize into a real car that you or I ever see. That is why I try never to believe a program is real and will see the light of day until after it leaves portfolio. Even the highly publicized zeta program really never left Advance Engineering.

 

It'd be pretty disappointing to not see a Camaro at NAIAS after a couple of the bones we've been thrown.

 

Two different things......you'll see something very interesting...but it might be a year or two before it is for sale....

 

Well that comment right there tells me well see a Camaro like concept but I’m betting they don’t come out and call it Camaro.

So 2008 it is………… :blah:

 

2008 at a minimum. I would say more like 2009 or even 2010

Remember the SSR and Solstice race to release on accelerate programs legacy.

 

FWIW, red wouldn't be telling us, the camaro faithful, to be at NAIAS in 06 if there wasn't something there that we, the camaro faithful, would be interested in seeing. i still have faith in red and all we can do is wait til january.

 

Agreed, after we've been led to believe that there will be a Camaro at NAIAS, if there isn't... it's boycott GM time.