Motor Trends Alpha facts"
02-07-2010, 06:58 AM
#46
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Given the standard LS (with 18" steel wheels) still looks well proportioned, I'd have to disagree. By the time Alpha rolls around, 22" wheels will be optional. Btw, all cars look better with bigger wheels. I think the high waistline and cowl is what makes the car unique and desirable.
Though, I'd say the Alpha Camaro would need to be substantially smaller than the current 5G to get any sizeable weight reductions from current levels. I doubt cutting 1" from the width and 2" from the length would achieve much... so I assume it will be smaller again.
One thing that I shouldn't do is prejudge the Alpha 6G. The notion of a smaller, lighter car on a new RWD platform sounds exciting. At least now that talk is out for a smaller, lighter 6G Camaro, GM can apply some lessons learned from the 5G to the 6G as well as accommodate the constructive requests from those with specific, non-mainstream requirements.
Having said that, I still love the 5G and don't care enough about the 6G to make me want to wait it out...
Though, I'd say the Alpha Camaro would need to be substantially smaller than the current 5G to get any sizeable weight reductions from current levels. I doubt cutting 1" from the width and 2" from the length would achieve much... so I assume it will be smaller again.
One thing that I shouldn't do is prejudge the Alpha 6G. The notion of a smaller, lighter car on a new RWD platform sounds exciting. At least now that talk is out for a smaller, lighter 6G Camaro, GM can apply some lessons learned from the 5G to the 6G as well as accommodate the constructive requests from those with specific, non-mainstream requirements.
Having said that, I still love the 5G and don't care enough about the 6G to make me want to wait it out...
02-07-2010, 09:03 AM
#47
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Given the standard LS (with 18" steel wheels) still looks well proportioned, I'd have to disagree. By the time Alpha rolls around, 22" wheels will be optional. Btw, all cars look better with bigger wheels. I think the high waistline and cowl is what makes the car unique and desirable.
02-07-2010, 09:06 AM
#48
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02-07-2010, 09:26 AM
#49
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Given the standard LS (with 18" steel wheels) still looks well proportioned, I'd have to disagree. By the time Alpha rolls around, 22" wheels will be optional. Btw, all cars look better with bigger wheels. I think the high waistline and cowl is what makes the car unique and desirable.
Though, I'd say the Alpha Camaro would need to be substantially smaller than the current 5G to get any sizeable weight reductions from current levels. I doubt cutting 1" from the width and 2" from the length would achieve much... so I assume it will be smaller again.
02-07-2010, 10:01 AM
#50
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Some cars look "better" with larger diameter wheels, but only up to a certain point.
I want wheels to be large enough to clear an excellent braking system and accomodate a wide enough tire to allow the best possible handling.
I loose interest when a styling choice trumps a functionality choice.
When it comes to the 5th gen Camaro, the choice was to listen to the vast majority of intenders who repeated over and over that the production car had to stick to the look of the concept. Sales so far should suggest that was the right thing to do.
02-07-2010, 10:38 AM
#51
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02-07-2010, 10:50 AM
#52
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No surprises there.
But consider that even the base steel 18" wheels require a tall 729 mm tire to fill those massive wheelwells. There are alot of visual tricks going on in order to keep the current car looking proportional.
02-07-2010, 11:43 AM
#53
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I disagree with the notion the base LS looks proportional. I think it looks fat, massive. i think the wheels look like they're not proportional to the overall bulk of the car which becomes much more noticeable in base from. with the smaller wheels the large size of the Camaro really stands out.
aside from that some of the details that look expensive on the higher trims, look very cheap and unattrative on the base model [as it is with base models of most GM cars]. i get that the bumpers have to be plainer to distinguish the cheaper models, but they could have some richer detail to them and it wouldn't be a crime.
aside from that some of the details that look expensive on the higher trims, look very cheap and unattrative on the base model [as it is with base models of most GM cars]. i get that the bumpers have to be plainer to distinguish the cheaper models, but they could have some richer detail to them and it wouldn't be a crime.
02-07-2010, 12:38 PM
#54
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We're making progress...
We've gone from, "Z284ever, you are such an &$@$%&**(()*^% for even saying that GM is planning an Alpha Camaro you ^%$#@#er!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ", to how can a smaller Camaro have good proportions?
It'll be fine guys, in fact even better.
You don't think it's a design albatross around your neck, to REQUIRE 20" wheels in order to balance your proportions around a nearly chest high cowl?
We've gone from, "Z284ever, you are such an &$@$%&**(()*^% for even saying that GM is planning an Alpha Camaro you ^%$#@#er!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ", to how can a smaller Camaro have good proportions?
It'll be fine guys, in fact even better.
You don't think it's a design albatross around your neck, to REQUIRE 20" wheels in order to balance your proportions around a nearly chest high cowl?
Last edited by super83Z; 02-07-2010 at 12:41 PM.
02-07-2010, 01:14 PM
#55
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02-07-2010, 04:48 PM
#56
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Wow, I should have qualified my statement some more... I didn't know there were such overly sensitive types here.
What I meant to say was bigger wheels but not oversized wheels. The Camaro with 20" wheels looks better than the Camaro with 18" wheels, for example.
If you look at concept cars, they all have bigger hoops to make the cars seem more stylish than with the standard smaller spec wheels. See the concept Camaro had 21"-f/22"-r wheels. That's because it was substantially larger than the current production 5G and in perfect proportion.
That's all I meant to say!
You can disagree if you like but let's get one thing clear... I did not imply oversized, urban, pimp my ride, spinners. OK?
What I meant to say was bigger wheels but not oversized wheels. The Camaro with 20" wheels looks better than the Camaro with 18" wheels, for example.
If you look at concept cars, they all have bigger hoops to make the cars seem more stylish than with the standard smaller spec wheels. See the concept Camaro had 21"-f/22"-r wheels. That's because it was substantially larger than the current production 5G and in perfect proportion.
That's all I meant to say!
You can disagree if you like but let's get one thing clear... I did not imply oversized, urban, pimp my ride, spinners. OK?
02-07-2010, 06:51 PM
#58
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The 18" with bigger sidewalls still give the car a nice proportion from side on.
The tire size is part of the car's overall gearing. There's no tricks there just good design.EDIT: Moving on... I'm curious to know how small the Alpha platform can go while accommodating the GM smallblock in the engine bay? If BMW can squeeze the 4.0L DOHC V8 into its M3, I dare say you could probably fit a smallblock into its engine bay as well!
Last edited by SSbaby; 02-07-2010 at 06:58 PM.
02-07-2010, 08:22 PM
#59
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I'd say pretty small. Ford managed to fit OHV V8's in Fox body Mustangs and they are quite small.
02-07-2010, 09:39 PM
#60
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