My 2 cents on the new Camaro...gotta say it

[Charley Lillard]

My thoughts on the new Camaro concept.

I was lucky enough to be one of the 250 to be invited by Scott Settlemire to see the new Camaro concept debut at the Detroit auto show. The whole weekend was a treat and I really want to thank Scott and the folks at Chevrolet for doing what they did. The night before the auto show we had a gathering at the GM Heritage center and most of the team that put the new Camaro together was there. They said they would listen to our comments and wanted to hear them so here I am.
While the new Camaro is neat and I think neater than the 4th gen it replaced, it is not what I was hoping for. I can remember talking with friends years ago about how cool it would be and how many cars Chevy would sell if they made the 69 Camaro again. We knew it was pipe dreaming but it sure was neat to think about. I never expected it to happen. Then comes along the new Mustang and it looks very much like a 67 Mustang. Then there are rumors of a retro Camaro and I'm pumped. Then there is a retro Hemi Challenger and it appears we are back in our youth. This is getting exciting. I will buy a new 69 Camaro. I'll buy 2 ! How many people are out there that would jump at the chance to buy a new 69 Camaro ? How many out there that like the old 69 Camaro's but don't buy one because they can't work on cars and old cars need to be worked on ? Would they buy a 69 Camaro with a warranty ? With the other makes doing the retro theme this is the perfect time and probably our only chance to do a 69 type Camaro. The market is there. There is worry that retro is not long legged enough to pencil out for the bean counters. The 69 Camaro is over 35 years old and the design still looks great. A new version of it can look just as great. I'm 52 years old and I want one. I have met many younger than me that also love the looks of a 69 Camaro. It's like we are invited to a retro party with Ford and Chrysler but have decided not to come. I know the retro T-bird didn't do well but guys like me were about 4 years old when they first came out. The guy that missed out on buying a 57 T-bird back in 57 is now probably close to 70 years old so I wouldn't expect him to buy too many cars of his youth. I missed the chance to buy a Camaro in 69 and would sure like another chance .I don't think there will ever be another chance like right now to capture the audience that is out there waiting You have a chance to capture the youth market and the baby boomers at the same time. Maybe I'm just in the minority and don't know it. GM really does want and need to know what the public will buy so they can decide on what to build. You may or may not agree with me on wanting the new Camaro to look more retro like a 69. Whatever it is you prefer please let Chevrolet know. If you don't voice your opinion don't bitch later on if they didn't do what you wanted.
-Charley

[JChlupsa]

A new 69 HECK YEAH, esp if they make a Convt which I would think would be hands down choice for yet another Indy Pace car

[redbaron]

I know where you are coming from Charley, as I wanted a new 69 Camaro also. I'm the lucky owner of all four of the past generations of F-Bodies and still own a few 69s. But as I sit here and look at the new Camaro concept I believe this the right direction for GM to go for these reasons. First, a company must be progressive and look ahead not back. The new Mustang and concept Challenger take something away from the originals. I certainly don't want that to happen to our beloved 69s. The Camaro concept has a hint of the past, but with a modern twist to it. The more I study the pictures of the new Camaro the more I love this car. Sure would like to see it in person though. I hope GM brings back the Camaro and more rear drive SS models, this would not only turn GM around but also give us what we want. Oh by the way put a check box with LS7 next to it for mine. If Chevy builds the new Camaro I will buy it.

[Jeff Murphy]

Charley, thanks for the opportunity to post on this topic for the benefit of Chevy. You might suggest to Scott that he has a pretty good cross section of people on this site (age, geography, income brackets, etc.) that are all likely buyers of this car. I bet if asked, he'd get plenty of people willing to participate in focus groups, etc. to help refine the design and marketing strategy for the Camaro.

Anyway, here's my piece:

I was 3 in 69 so I didn't qualify as a first time buyer then. But the shape of the 69 has always appealed to me and I wanted one ever since I became interested in cars. I'm luck enough to have two now. My first real car was an '84 Z-28.

It's funny how the evolution of cars takes place and how our feelings change about each of the evolutionary stages. I love the 60s Camaros. I hated the 70-81 cars originally, but now like the early years of these cars. I think the 3rd gens were closer to the spirit of the 60s cars. I never liked or understood the styling of the late 90s cars. Dare I say that the evolution of the Camaro was very disjointed from era to era, unlike the smoother changes of the Corvette, for example.

Like others on this site and elsewhere, I think Chevy has a wonderful opportunity to capitalize on one of its most successful designs ever, by recapturing the spirit of the 1st gen Camaro in an updated design reflecting current manufacturing practices, technology, performance and styling. What is important, I think, is to pay greater heed to the styling cues of the original car than the current design does. The efforts of Ford, even including the woeful T-Bird (not a performance car really - that was the problem), and Chrysler with respect to these updated retro models have worked (both from a design perspective, and I suppose in the showroom) because they have updated the cars appropriately while making very strong visual ties to the past cars. The combination of feelings of regained youth, available modern performance and an attractive price point is a powerful mix that appeals to both emotion and wallet.

The current prototype doesn't quite capture that mix correctly. I think the pointy grill/bumper treatment is the culprit. Too much a "me too" with the Cadillac stable and some other cars. Flatten the nose off while keeping a good sized grill opening and you end up with a meaner looking car evoking the 1st gen front end that I'm sure will be a winner. It worked for Ford on the Mustang and is apparent in the new Challenger too. Don't worry about being viewed as pursuing a "me too" strategy, you need to sell cars. People don't want a rocket ship design, they want a muscle car that runs like a rocket ship. With that in mind, you should make an LS-7 version of the car. Mercedes, Audi and BMW aren't afraid to stuff 500hp+ in their mid-size coupes.

I had the chance to buy one of the 5 ZO-6 Corvettes destined for the UK, but ended up passing on the car as impractical for London. But an LS-7 powered, flat nosed Camaro - sign me up.

[Jeff H]

While I like the look of the 67-69 Camaro, I really don't need a new Camaro to look like an old one. Like I posted in the other thread, if I want a 69 Camaro, I can go out and buy a 69 Camaro. I didn't like the 3rd gen Camaro but it grew on me. Same thing for the 4th gen. A new car isn't as much about the appearance as it is about what's under the skin and how it runs/drives/performs/handles. I think the new platform has a ton of potential and being a 2 door rear wheel drive V8 pony car is all that really matters. Sure, it needs some tweaks here and there to give it a better appearance and identity. But I'd rather see a new style than a retro thing. The Mustang looks good and the Challenger looks great, but that's from the point of view of cars guys and majority of the buyers will not be like us. But it will really come down to pricing regardless of what it looks like. I sure hope they can keep it in the $30K or under range. Anything higher than that and you lose a lot of potential buyers. If that Challenger comes out at $40K, there won't be a lot of people lined up to buy it because there aren't a lot of people with that kind of money for a 2 door sports car. I think by the time the new Camaro is ready to be released it will have much more of an identity. And if all the mechanicals under the skin are better than the 4th gen, then it will be one heck of a fun car!

[Born30YrsLate]

Here's thoughts from one of the "younger" generation...retro the design a little bit more towards the '69 style (mostly the front end), give it a more aggressive hood scoop and drop in the latest and greatest Chevy Hi-Po engine and I'll knock over the "old farts" to get one...no offense meant to the guys that were around when the "first" '69 Camaro was introduced...

[Mr70]

I was enthusiastic when I heard Chevrolet was reconsidering releasing the Camaro model again after they made it clear they would not,and even went so far as to close down the St.Therese Quebec Canada Assembly plant.But after seeing it this week,it falls way short of what I thought it would have been.The best way I can explain it is it has no creative imagination where it should,and too much creative imagination where it shouldn't.I'm not asking them to reinvent the wheel,but they sure could have redefined it better.
If I was in the market for a new Camaro,I would levitate towards the Dynacorn mailorder bodies now more then ever.

Charley your 52?

[Born30YrsLate]

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There's the "old fart" icon I needed...

[Bill Pritchard]

As others have said, my strongest dislike about the new Camaro is the front end. Needs to look more like the original 69. The rest is not too bad. I like everything about the Challenger.

[ORIGLS6]

I guess when I read Charley's first comments from the Detroit show I thought it was pretty much an across-the-board approval of the concept car. Now that I read his statements above I have to say I agree with him. Although Joey Barr made a good point about future upgrades to a true retro design for the cars, I still feel the current concept is far too futuristic and leans too heavily on the current Cadillac styling.
Earlier artists renderings gave me hopes to see the '69 return again. Yes, I see hints and influence of the '69, but they're weak. Everyone has their opinion so here we go.
The lower body is out of proportion to the roof area and side windows. To use an old rodders term, it needs to be 'sectioned'. 21" & 22" wheels are cool...............if you put them on a Hummer! Drop them back to 17" or 18" and show us a little rubber on those rollers. (Hmmm, how 'bout bringing back a red stripe tire?) Extend the front fenders a little from the wheel forward and give us a little more First Gen grille treatment (less pointy and maybe even an RS option!).
My initial reaction when I saw the car was serious disappointment. Admittedly, I felt the same when I first saw the '68 Corvette. Later, when I bought my '68 427 Corvette, I had obviously changed my mind. Wish I had that one back! Now I can also say my feelings against the new Camaro are dimishing somewhat. I still can't say I like it, but I can see possibilities for it. At least it appears the Camaro is coming back!

And yes Bill, I agree..... from what I've seen, the Challenger gets a big

Dennis