The new CTS is almost 3900 pounds, and the new 135i is almost 3500 pounds. The new G37 coupe is 3700 pounds. It seems the only way to drop weight is to use lots of aluminum. Even with that, the Jag XKR is 3800 pounds.

If there is a way to make a 400 HP 4 seat car, no one seems to have figured it out yet (and I don't count the 911 as a 4 seater), aluminium or no.

At least the 135i is a good 150 pounds lighter than the 335i.

Will people really be disappointed if a 400hp 2009 Camaro is 100 pounds heavier than a 330hp 2008 G37?

 

Well, I think you know where I stand...

 

These cars are getting way to heavy. If the stripped down new Camaro is over 3500 pounds, I wont buy one.

 

Do you expect it to be 3500 pounds or less?

 

Are you disappointed in nearly all modern cars?

I'm more asking whether it's a disappointment that you see as nevertheless inevitable (like realizing you won't be 20 forever), or whether it's like a surprise disappointment.

I.e. do you actually expect the Camaro to be significantly lighter than all of its RWD peers with equivalent HP and TQ? Or do you expect it to be in the same ballpark, but nevertheless would like it to be lighter?

I was disappointed, though not really surprised, that the new Jaguar XK was as heavy as it was, considering that it switched from a steel to an aluminum body -- not because I wanted to buy one, but because it tells me that it must be really hard to make a car like that lightweight. I also noted that the figures given by Jaguar were quite a bit less than the numbers measured on the scale once the testers got their hands on one.

 

It is when you have to keep the product in a competetive price segment. I think to be fair, we need to see the final product. I wouldn't dismiss the car just based on weight.

Lets wait and see what kind of lap times Heinricy does in a production mule at Nurburgring.

 

Yup. Personally, I think GM will do a bit better than that, but how much better.....I don't know.

 

Let's just throw out all the modern day safety requirements so we can save weight!

Seriously guys, this is getting rediculous. If you just add stuff to a base car, then weight becomes an issue. However, if you engineer a car with a certain target weight in mind, you can address certain issues in the design process, account for them, and limit their impact to overall performance.

Aluminum panels? Maybe for a one off hot rod, but for a daily driven street car? Please no. However I can see some carbon-fiber worked into a slightly higher priced "performance" model.

 

Buy an old IROC and drop an LS3 into it.

Or a 280Z, BMW 318ti, etc.

 

I certainately wouldn't throw out all of them, but IMO we've gotten a little extreme.

Is anything really nessesary beyond crumple zones, ABS and front airbags? I'm certainly not dismissing the benefits or curtain airbags, increased door bar strengths (I am dismissing the euro pedestrian crash requirements, but that's on purely styling and aesthetic grounds), but the negatives are they add weight and size to cars. Plus, again my opinion without seeing hard statistics, the frequency of those accidents doesn't warrant them being standard issue.

The other weight issue, size. Name a car in the past 10 rears that has not grown in size in some way. I work with marketing and understand the need for a story to sell the product, but....when the last gen Grand Am is as big as my old '94 GP, a Cobalt (i.e. Cavalier) is almost as big as a G6, the New Silverados are widers for who knows what reason, and you have to introduce new models at the bottom to fill that market vacancy, where does it stop?

 

Well, yes. The weight increases I've seen in the past few years is disconcerting. As far as the Camaro, honestly, my interest in it has begun to wane in the past few months, mostly based on what I hear regarding size.
After letting the 4th gen languish and then getting an additional 7 years of "hiatus" time, I was really hoping for a fresh, clean sheet start for the Camaro. Unfortunately, the donor Zeta architecture is a large, heavy, sedan architecture - and that's the baggage that our ponycar will have to carry.

The ship has long since sailed on a tidy Camaro. We're getting a large one. That's why I laugh when people keep bringing up a new GTO. The Camaro IS a new GTO. That is, on size...

As far as weight, we'll see. Some have told me of very optimistic weight targets - others are FAR more pessimistic.

 

Oh, and getting back to a 3,800 pound Camaro - count me out, I have ZERO interest in one. I'd rather buy an 135i or something else.

 

Corvette is the only car I can think of that really hasn't grown or gained wait over the last 10-15 years.

 

Disappointed? Yes.

Deal breaker? No.

 

id think its plausible for a 3500 i would expect it to be more around 36-37 maybe a little more. I mean this is a performance car gm is going to look into ways to lighten it up. Technology is always evolving so that might mean lighter safty equipment no materials to make parts for the car.

i have a question. did any one have any problems with the plastic fenders and doors on the 4th gens ? second did they actually save any weight?

i wouldn't jump to conclusions on how much a car is going to weigh until its built. Im sure no one expected the z06 to weigh as much as it did when it was first brought learned that it was going to be built.