Besides, this is what my first memories of Camaro ads told me......

http://www.camarosource.ca/new_site/...phics/1968.jpg

 

If cost is the real enemy here, I'll ask this once again...

How can it be more economical to A) adapt a platform to another set of suspension components and B) perform another round of crash test certifications?

Wouldn't it be far cheaper to use what is already on the platform? Economy of scale and all that. Shock calibrations, bushing durometers, and spring rates could all be unique with minimal outlay.

I'm just not buying the fact that a live axle / strut set up would be cheaper here. I may be ignorant but it strikes me as completely illogical. Convince me...


I have no idea what it would cost to morph Sigma into a suitable Camaro.

How much actual development work has been done on a larger Kappa? (Torana). Is it still too far away from an engineering / cost standpoint to be used?


As a side issue and a bit off topic, if a larger Kappa is still a nonstarter...what is going to fill out Wilmington's production capacity? I've not seen anything mentioned about this for some time. There's sizable gap there that could be filled just about perfectly by a certain model.

 

The times, they are a changin' my friend.

When the first Camaros came out, you could buy new Jaguars and Ferraris with suspensions which weren't a whole bunch more sophisticated than the setup under Camaro.

Today, sub 20K econo/commuters come with top shelf suspension pieces. Mazda 6 for example.

Of course a future Camaro will share lots of parts from the GM parts bin. Lucky for us...lots of great pieces will already be engineered and certified.

Trailblazer SS may be nice....but I think I'm looking for abit more (an understatement ) out of the the dynamics of my 5th gen Z/28.

The parts are there...let's use them. Oh, and lets save the truck parts for the trucks.

 

My favorite Camaro ad of all time. Bless thee kind sir.

However, I tend to agree with guionM on this one.

 

1. Stretch/strengthen Kappa to fit a V8. Use a solid axle rear and fixed roof. If the solstice comes in under 20k base, then making these modifications should make it even cheaper.

2. This idea is really off the wall: Lower the colorado frame and put a coupe body on it. It has already been shown to fit a V8. The S10/Sonoma frame was based off of the G-body, why not go the other way around?

Randy

 

Switching the Kappa to a Live axle would have the same cost problems as putting a live axle on sigma.

My idea for a base V6 (the bread and butter of Camaro survival):

Start with the extended Kappa that was used for the Nomad and Curve 107" wheelbase, track is 60 inches up front and 61 in the rear.

Copy the engine cradle modification (if it was changed from the other kappas) from the Torana TT36 concept. If it can hold a Twin turbo 3600 V6, it will hold a LSx engine for performance V8 versions. I can't see how a car with a 60" track width would need much modification to accept a V6/8.

Use Kappas current suspension set-up. No reason to send extra money trying to put a Live axle in a place where it was never intended to be. This would also give the base Camaro an advantage over the base Mustang in the eyes of the average consumer.

Transmission: Standard Aisin 5-speed manual transmissions and optional 4L65-E 4-speed automatic. EDIT: If cost allow, use the 6 speed manual from the GTO as the standard transmission. Another advantage over Mustang.

I'm not sure how much testing was done or would need to be done on the Extended Kappa.

This would be built in Wilmington which will fill much needed capacity.

The biggest part is cost. It needs to start under $20k to be successful and it Must be better than the mustang at the same price.

 

now that would sell.

 

Colorado framed car has already been done it was called the bel air

I would like to let it be known that Kappa already uses a version of the CTS's rear suspension. The V6 cars and the V series may have different rear ends but both should fit with NO problem. I think GM may be rethinking the Kappa+ concept. They certainly need to do something to fill up Willmington. We really need to find out what that will be before people start running around saying it is confirmed and gets put into the auto mags, so don't take it as fact that the Camaro is on a modified Kappa (which I suggested the first time we heard about the Tubular platform and Rumble.

PS was Rumble Zeta or was that something else? I would really like to know.

 

I thought that was the case.



What is Rumble???

 

link

Damn just answered my question, Rumble=Zeta. I was kinda hoping it was a 2nd unknown RWD chassis.

 

Thanks. I never heard it refered to as "rumble".

 

It wasn't referred to that for very long. Actually we heard a few things and then it went dead until the Zeta name as applied to it.

 

Maybe "World Class" is the wrong term, as we really mean "Class Leading"! We realize world class would also mean expensive. What we mean is a car that is the leading car in it's class, beating the Mustang in every category, plus the leading bang-for-the-buck car! It should be attainable using the parts bin, assuming they use the correct parts from the bin. I don't car whether it has a live axle or IRS, as long as it handles better than the rest of it's class (and why couldn't IRS be an option?). It should be styled to take your breath away, have a class-leading interior, and be rattle-free. It's time for GM to be a leader again, instead of continually playing catch-up and making vehicles almost as good as the competition, they should be leading by example!!!

 

Actually, I said "Rumble" was based on the Zeta:

Rumble wasn't exactly a Zeta.

 

[Horshack voice] Ohh, Pick me. PICK ME!!![/Horshack voice]

SPORT BIKE!!!

edit: because the quote button ownez me