Fair call. I'm sure that if GM were serious about a TT LSX, Corvette would most likely be its main benefactor.

 

Turbocharging was expiramented with for the ZR1 before the supercharger was ultimately settled on . I don't think your gonna see any type of turbo system plumbed to gm gas powered V8 , if ever .

 

If GM were to do a turbocharged gas V8 wouldn't they use the tech that was developed for the baby Duramax, with the turbo in the valley of the engine? Seems like a much better design, size wise, than external turbos.

 

They could , but due to the drastically different plumbing I don't it being practical unless it was deemed the next gen v8 would turbocharged in many applications outside the corvette . BMW has jus done this with their new V8 , ford explored this for the gt500 , as in the valley was the only way to practically get a turbo to work in a oem setting , and ultimately passed .

 

Say what? Try it again with you helmet on.

 

I still think that 3 engine choices for the mainstream Camaro would be best, with the 4th choice for the yet unreleased Z/28:

1. 300 - 350 HP V6
2. 360 - 390 HP small V8
3. 420 - 450 HP naturally aspirated V8 (I don't see the need to go beyond 450 HP, heck, even 400 HP seems like a lot).

4. 500+ HP Z/28. Probably would have to be supercharged.

edit: I love the sound of the V8, its torque, etc..., and I'm not necessarily interested in the mid-12 second quarter-mile. Mid 13's would do just fine.

 

There's a guy who's 6'10" who said he had more than enough room to get comfortable.

I'm only 5'8", and I certainly didn't have any issues. I know I would have been fine in my helmet too.

 

I'm fascinated by which powertrain options a 6th gen Camaro might get. Alot can be gleaned from where Mustang may go. By 6th gen time Mustang's SC 5.4 will probably be gone, with the "Road Runner" 5.0L as the top Mustang motor. And if Ford can market a 4 cylinder Ecoboost effectively, perhaps that may even replace the V6. That's one scenario. So, what would Mustang pack circa 2014? Maybe a turbo 4 cylinder, a base V8 and a high performance V8.

Sounds like a line up a 6th gen Camaro could compete with.

Base Camaro: a fuel sipping, yet fun to drive, 250-270 turbo Ecotec.

Camaro SS : a GenV 6.2L tuned for max FE, but still with around 400 hp.

Z/28: a GenV 6.2L tuned for more power. Enough to beat Boss Mustang. Let's call it 470-ish hp.


The other thing, the 6th gen had better start capturing the attention of people under 35 which the 5th gen hasn't. And by that I don't mean stare and point at the "new Camaro", I mean going to buy one. Could be that a fun to drive, easy to tune, turbo 4 banger in the base car might help out with that.

 

I'm not sure about canceling V6, even if turbo 4 is offered. I was skeptical about such a small engine driving such a big car, until I realized that there are at least 2 heavy cars powered by blown 4: Genesis Coupe and Audi A5. And those cars are actually selling with 4 cylinders. Although to tell you the truth, it's rather difficult to picture a muscle car with 4 cylinders.

 

Interesting thread.

Hardly. I love my 4G but it was the longest and nearly the widest Camaro ever built to that point. And it's 3 inches or so longer than the 5th Gen.

High beltlines and cowls are hardly what I would call "unique" in the auto landscape these days. The Chrysler LX cars really brought that annoying trend into the mainstream.

 

23 years old, bought a 2010 2SS/RS...lots of young people love them...not a whole lot of you people have stable jobs to afford one. If I hadn't saved up $20k in the 3 years of development I wouldn't have bought one having to finance the whole price. I still only bought one because I got my payments below a level that I could work at a grocery store and still make the payments with ease.

 

The assumption is that the next Camaro won't be big and heavy.

 

Sounds like you did all the right things to get your financial house in order to buy the car you wanted.

With that said, the last data I saw says that only 20% of Camaro sales have gone to people under 35. That's under 35! We're not just talking teenagers here, we're talking peope in their late twenties and early to mid thirties who have not yet embraced this car with a payment book. This is a Camaro afterall - and that's scary.

 

Why is anyone surprised by this? The majority of Camaros sold have been SSes, correct? Close to 80% the last I read. That jives with the 20% being under 35 when you consider the purchase price and insurance costs. I remember back in the late 80's I wanted to purchase a new Camaro Z/28 when I graduated from college. The insurance was going to be about $5k a year even with my good driving record. It was my age at the time (24) and being a young male that set the price. My insurance agent said my next big price break would be when I turned 30. So I waited until I turned 30 to buy a new V8 Camaro. Furthermore, the prices are just now finally starting to come down to reasonable levels as dealers are starting to remove their "market adjustments."

Give it some time. Let the economy recover and all the older enthusiasts buy theirs, and then see if younger buyers start warming up to it. If by 2012 that number hasn't swung closer to 30-35%, then you can start worrying. However I seriously doubt if it ever gets much larger than that.

 

< advertiser's voice >

"CAMARO. Why not drive a performance Buick to your Bingo game this week?"

< /advertiser's voice >