A Failing GM Still Wants To Produce A New Camaro
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In Midtown Manhattan recently four brand new shiney 2010 Chevy Camaro’s drew attention when they were paraded before news folks and consumers alike. The new Chevy’s are the work of the masters of design from GM who have been trying to come up with a model since the Camaro was originally discontinued in 2002. Which brings up some questions.
First GM most likely dropped the Camaro because of poor sales. So why does the company feel that a new Camaro won’t fail as well? GM states they have 14,000 orders for the new car but that just doesn’t seem like a lot of cars. Maybe 140,000 orders would make more sense. What is going to be interesting is to see if the government will allow the production of the new Camaro. The new car comes with a V-8 with a whopping 426 HP or s smaller V-6 that gets 20 m.p.g.
The article also states that:
“Look at the headlight and the eyebrow,” he said. The ringlike lamp and metal overhang suggest an air of intense concentration. “There is lot of detail and jewelry to the car.”
He ran his hands over the wide rear fender, or shoulder, of the black car. “This is the deepest stamping General Motors has ever done,” he said. “It is deeper than anything Porsche ever did.” Mr. Lee pointed out a set of creases in the metal just behind the door. “We call them gills. They are a reference to the 1969,” referring to the model year that inspired the Camaro revival. “We wanted to make them functional, to cool the brakes, but they are just symbolic.”
I’ve owned three Camaro’s in my lifetime, A 1971, 1976 and a 1988. All served me very well and I had no issues with any of them. In fact they were some of the best cars I have ever owned. But that was than and this is now.
I must admit that the new Camaro looks good. But is it to late for GM to produce a muscle car? What do you think.
Comments welcome.
8 Comments
Buffet
April 1st, 2009
at 4:08pm
“That was then and this is now” sums it up. The camaro was a car for the 60’s and 70’s when everyone was in school and gas was cheap. No longer the case. To find a reliable, classy vehicle nowadays, one must look abroad. I too have had several. NO ONE drives a camaro anymore (except for….never mind). Everyone grew up and got a REAL car.
Ron Schenone
April 1st, 2009
at 4:43pm
“Everyone grew up and got a REAL car.” LOL
SS
April 22nd, 2009
at 1:28pm
The new camaro is nicer that anything in its class… Mustang… Dodge whatever it is??? etc. Plus the Camaro is years ahead of all in the engineering dept.
The Camaro is a cooler version of the worlds fastest production sedan, The Cadillac CTS-V. So do the math .
I really dont understand why a large percentage of tech savy people dislike GM ? What did they ever do to you.
The facts speak for themselves Please dont confuse peoples perception with reality.
There are more GM cars on the road every day… today !!! than any other car! Look around you.
Trading my wifes Junky Subaru for This Camaro!!!!!!!
Being pro foreign cars is the same as being anti American.
Dgate
May 7th, 2009
at 12:32pm
Comment from SS… I really dont understand why a large percentage of tech savy people dislike GM ? What did they ever do to you.
Tech savy ? you don’t know what it means. If GM were aware of this they would be producing efficient cars instead of the same tired old formula which is what this Camaro is. Lifestyle vehicles are GMs forte and their advertising leads the gullible into purchasing their products. This is why they are on the brink of extinction and we have no American products to meet todays needs.Tech savy customers buy foreign because thats where the technology is,ie fuel efficiency ,quality,handling,performance etc. There is no such thing as a cool car and styling has been recycled so many times its becoming like reruns on TV…sickening….get a life SS and realise we are on the brink of a new era in transport which calls for a drastic rethink not the same old regurgitated crap thats added to the problems we have today.
laxoriginality
May 7th, 2009
at 6:47pm
GM is not in trouble because it is not savvy, but because it is not nimble. As recently as two years ago GM was immensely profitable producing the vehicles consumers flocked to. Our national lack of foresight kept fuel prices low and GM provided a comfortable, safe, reliable product suitable to those conditions. The failure stems from their inability to adjust quickly enough to current conditions. Conditions which duplicate those imposed decades earlier by government mandates in Europe and Asia. GM has the talent to adjust–this is, after all, merely highly-refined 19th century technology. The question is: Does GM have enough time?
To address another point: Styling is largely dead because fuel-efficiency dictates cars take one of two shapes: Bubble or wedge. This explains why the two companies at the apex of high-volume hybrids created the Prius and the Insight which, excluding size, have remarkably similar shapes. The Prius is considerably larger.
Bruce
May 13th, 2009
at 7:34pm
You guys need to get a grip! Can you get more “real” than Porsche C4S? I own one now and it’s my 3rd. I grew up “building” Camaros and as soon as this one hits the street I’ll buy it. This car is ALL REAL!. Camaro is more than the sum of it’s parts - it always has been. You have to have grown up chasing ’stangs from one parking lot to the next to understand. Smoking tires and raw horsepower - incredible lines and the ultimate chick magnet (for those that couldn’t afford the Vet). They aren’t German Tech like the Porsche but when it comes to hitting a holeshot nothing is finer than Camaro. Don’t over-analyse it - don’t talk about markets and fuel efficiencies - talk about something purely american - something to still be proud of.
ED
June 8th, 2009
at 5:25pm
Simply put, GM, like Chrysler and Ford was behind Toyota in designing a fuel efficient car, or any real good car at that. Its takin the American Auto industry too long to put out cars that could compete with foreign automobiles. Which is why the Big 3 are struggling. Ford seems to have been slightly faster at making a competitive car which may have helped it stay alive. Whether or not the bankruptcy is the best thing for GM and Chrysler, I dont know. I do know that if you read indepentent reports, the Camaro is a beautiful car that can perform and is well made. I liked the V6 I test drove at Jimmy Johnson Chevrolet in San Diego. If I can’t buy one by the end of the year, I am hoping it will still be offered mid-next year as I will buy one by then. And it will be a V8 cause that is how it should be!
And if you note, ALL AUTO SALES have tanked. Not just GM, Ford and Chrysler, but Toyota and Honda as well.
In my opinion, GM has made a lot of mistakes, they have lost a lot of hype when the first transformers movie came out regarding the camaro, it should have been released at the time that movie hit theaters. Whatever the setback was, a few bad decisions cost GM a lot. Same with the volt. Too late.
But the number of pre-orders for camaros should be a good sign to GM to continue to make the camaro. As a lot of buyers, including myself, are waiting to see more of them on the lots as I would like to see it in the color of my preference before I buy.
As I said, I will be able to buy inside of 10 months time frame. V8, Inferno Orange, 2 black stripes down the middle. Sunroof. RS sport package. Ground Effect Package.
I was planning to buy the Mustang, but the Camaro one me over.
Ron Schenone
June 9th, 2009
at 6:41am
It should be interesting to see, per the current Chrysler deal being placed on hold, whether or not we will even see a GM or a Chrysler.
Instead of hoping that GM will make a Camero, you may wish to hope that there will still be a GM! Creditors could force the liquidation of both companies.