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The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

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Old May 12, 2006 | 05:05 PM
  #46  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by BigDarknFast
Well thanks for asking! I had a 1990 IROC-Z and have missed its sharp angular lines since I sold it. The new Camaro concept made me miss it worse. I know it's been debated to death... but the new Camaro concept does remind me of the 3gen's due to its sharp edges. Finally I talked it over with the wife and she ok'd me to get a clean used 3gen Z28 if I didn't go wild trying to mod it. I started hunting around and found a very clean one-owner 84, 44k miles, in Altoona PA. Don't laugh... it's got the base 4BBL 305 V8 (but somehow I can get a little 1-2 shift bark of the tires anyway ). I love my Z28! (More pix in sigblock link)


My favorite 3rd gen is the post 88 IROC in that metallic blue. I like the fake louvers, but that one is pretty nice.
Old May 12, 2006 | 06:11 PM
  #47  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

My favorite 3rd gen is the post 88 IROC in that metallic blue. I like the fake louvers, but that one is pretty nice.
Thanks!
Old May 12, 2006 | 06:48 PM
  #48  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by flowmotion
Are you are saying "Styling Sells" or "Engine/Drivetrain sells"? The Commodore does sound a million times more fun to drive.
I'm saying the package sells. That is a combination of the above two factors. As image evolves from styling and performance pedigree. In the large sedan market here in Australia, the Camry is still seen as a point A-B car where Commodore is a car you can have fun with (powerful RWD ). As I said, the youth market is an area where Holden have done extremely well in (in the large car class) whereas Toyota have struggled.
Old May 12, 2006 | 09:01 PM
  #49  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by flowmotion
Are you are saying "Styling Sells" or "Engine/Drivetrain sells"? The Commodore does sound a million times more fun to drive.

But as for pure styling (ignoring what's under the hood), I honestly don't see it:
http://www.southgate.com.au/vz/VZacclaim_079.jpg
http://www.motorsblog.com/uploads/2007ToyotaCamry.jpg

Even if you dislike the Camry, I think one could make the argument that it has "more styling" than the rather generic and gumdroppy Holden.

Perhaps I'm just bristling at domestic bias, where well-executed designs like Camry/Accord get slammed as "mundane" and IMO very generic cars like Impala/G6 get a pass. (And FWIW I think the Ford Fusion is very well done as well, so the domestics can do it in this segment.) I think it would be great if GM had a killer heritage-style Impala, but I would also like to see them do a much much better with the styling of their FWD People Movers.

Of those 2 pics the Camry is MUCH better looking. The other is extremely bland.
Old May 13, 2006 | 04:23 AM
  #50  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...a-aurion-3.jpg

Holy crap....Id swear that was a Holden car, photoshoped to be a toyota. Looks more like a monaro than a GTO does.

POSERS!!
Old May 13, 2006 | 05:14 AM
  #51  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by EllwynX
Of those 2 pics the Camry is MUCH better looking. The other is extremely bland.
Each to their own... but when you pull up at the lights, one is a genuine performance sedan with scintillating performance, the other is just a Japanese sedan with spoilers that confuses its ambitions with reality.
Old May 13, 2006 | 06:24 AM
  #52  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Each to their own... but when you pull up at the lights, one is a genuine performance sedan with scintillating performance, the other is just a Japanese sedan with spoilers that confuses its ambitions with reality.
Agree 100%.
Even if you dislike the Camry, I think one could make the argument that it has "more styling" than the rather generic and gumdroppy Holden.
It does have 'more styling'... but it's more of the WRONG styling elements. Styling is a personal, subjective matter. But (IMHO) Toyota has made some of the same mistakes with the new Camry, that they made with the Lexus SC430. The over-inflated fascias... strange tophat-style taillights/trunklid... and awkward-looking 'drooping' concave rocker panels just don't work for me.
I'm saying the package sells. That is a combination of the above two factors. As image evolves from styling and performance pedigree. In the large sedan market here in Australia, the Camry is still seen as a point A-B car where Commodore is a car you can have fun with (powerful RWD ). As I said, the youth market is an area where Holden have done extremely well in (in the large car class) whereas Toyota have struggled.
Agree 100%
Old May 13, 2006 | 12:16 PM
  #53  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by L.A. Z
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...a-aurion-3.jpg

Holy crap....Id swear that was a Holden car, photoshoped to be a toyota. Looks more like a monaro than a GTO does.

POSERS!!
I actually think that Toyota looks pretty good. Better than the GTO did.

I haven't seen a pic of a Holden vehicle yet that was the least bit visually interesting. Are all cars designed in Australia as bland as Holdens? Are Australians tastes all as 'subdued' as the cars suggest? I like a car with performance to have some stunning looks as well (such as the Corvette or new Camaro). Good performance or not, Holdens are a yawn to look at.
Old May 13, 2006 | 02:33 PM
  #54  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by EllwynX
I actually think that Toyota looks pretty good. Better than the GTO did.

I haven't seen a pic of a Holden vehicle yet that was the least bit visually interesting. Are all cars designed in Australia as bland as Holdens? Are Australians tastes all as 'subdued' as the cars suggest? I like a car with performance to have some stunning looks as well (such as the Corvette or new Camaro). Good performance or not, Holdens are a yawn to look at.
The HSV cars recieve more visual exciting facias and wheels. Also I think the Utes look pretty trick. Ford seems to have a bit more chrome and in your face attitude on its Aus cars, much more so than in the US.

http://hsv.com.au
http://www.ford.com.au/
Old May 13, 2006 | 04:05 PM
  #55  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

I haven't seen a pic of a Holden vehicle yet that was the least bit visually interesting. Are all cars designed in Australia as bland as Holdens? Are Australians tastes all as 'subdued' as the cars suggest? I like a car with performance to have some stunning looks as well (such as the Corvette or new Camaro). Good performance or not, Holdens are a yawn to look at.
Your statement is perfectly valid as your opinion... but doesn't reconcile with this:

http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/vz/wallpa...dition_800.jpg

IMHO, a person has to be pretty strongly biased in general against Holdens, to think the above is bland
Old May 13, 2006 | 04:35 PM
  #56  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by BigDarknFast
http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/vz/wallpa...dition_800.jpg

IMHO, a person has to be pretty strongly biased in general against Holdens, to think the above is bland
A better pic:
http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/vz/wallpa...bsport_800.jpg

IMO, a dull car with a nice body kit. Looks a little similar to various mid-90s GMs -- very "10 years ago". I'm sorry, but you bring this car over the US and it won't be turning any heads.

And I live in the US and was totally ignorant and bias-free about Holdens until I started reading this thread.

It does have 'more styling'... but it's more of the WRONG styling elements. Styling is a personal, subjective matter. But (IMHO) Toyota has made some of the same mistakes with the new Camry, that they made with the Lexus SC430. The over-inflated fascias... strange tophat-style taillights/trunklid... and awkward-looking 'drooping' concave rocker panels just don't work for me.
No, I think that's perfectly fair assessment -- you don't have to like the Camry. But it does prove that the midsize market leader (in the US) does not have to be overly conservative about styling and can afford to take design risks.

What does this have to do with the topic? Nothing except for the idea that there's a lot of room for modern car design between 90s-Bubble styling and Retro Camaros/Impalas.

Last edited by flowmotion; May 13, 2006 at 04:53 PM.
Old May 13, 2006 | 06:15 PM
  #57  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by EllwynX
I actually think that Toyota looks pretty good. Better than the GTO did.

I haven't seen a pic of a Holden vehicle yet that was the least bit visually interesting. Are all cars designed in Australia as bland as Holdens? Are Australians tastes all as 'subdued' as the cars suggest? I like a car with performance to have some stunning looks as well (such as the Corvette or new Camaro). Good performance or not, Holdens are a yawn to look at.
It surprises me that certain people feel qualified to comment on respective designs when they have relatively little background on the subject... put simply, you are comparing a 10 year old design to a recently released design.

How about comparing VE (to be released in July) to the latest Toyota design.
Old May 13, 2006 | 07:38 PM
  #58  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by SSbaby
In Australia, styling sells. A mundane design (like Camry) just doesn't cut the mustard.
put simply, you are comparing a 10 year old design to a recently released design.
I'm having trouble reconciling these two statements.
Old May 13, 2006 | 08:13 PM
  #59  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by BigDarknFast
Your statement is perfectly valid as your opinion... but doesn't reconcile with this:

http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/vz/wallpa...dition_800.jpg

IMHO, a person has to be pretty strongly biased in general against Holdens, to think the above is bland
No, that's not bland. But is that a readily affordible model?

If the bland ones are the affordable ones, then that ONE nice looking one won't redeem them for me.
Old May 13, 2006 | 08:17 PM
  #60  
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Re: The new Impala. Bigger impact than Camaro.

Originally Posted by flowmotion
A better pic:
http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/vz/wallpa...bsport_800.jpg

IMO, a dull car with a nice body kit. Looks a little similar to various mid-90s GMs -- very "10 years ago". I'm sorry, but you bring this car over the US and it won't be turning any heads.

And I live in the US and was totally ignorant and bias-free about Holdens until I started reading this thread.
I agree. That is a MUCH better looking version of the car. But it IS a bland car that was made more exciting with a body kit. You can do that to anything. The base car needs to be attractive, not just the top of the line.

And, no, I'm not biased either way. Until I joined this site, I'd never heard of Holden so had no reason not to like them.



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