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

[slownova]

i think the new camaro is amazing and a really nice car but........ take off the scoops and vents and make it a caddy xlr or something. i wish they would of either gone retro or turned the page. i mean the 2nd gen had no real style cues from the first and so on. i mean if retro is in, then apply it. i wish they would of put on thier thinking caps and made a new design. oh well, im no GM tech.

[rockdogz]

I think they gave us the best of both worlds - a forward thinking design with design elements that harken back to the '69. I don't want them to re-make the '69, I want to move on and have somewhere new to take the design. I'm glad to be free of the 3rd/4th gen look. I hope they build this car as I'm in...

[96z28ss]

i posted this over at pro-touring also.

Charley, I agree with you fully on that, I have been saying it even before he leaked photos, it needs to be a 69 retro design.
As far as having no where to go with the design to build from. I'm not buying it, come on the 1969 camaro was a 1 year only style. If
they built a more retro style in line with the Mustang and Challenger they can leave it alone for over 5 years, then change the bumpers and headlight and tail light treatments and get another 5 years. look at the 3rd gen 1982 to 1992, 4th gen 1993-1997 change the headlight and front bumper 1998-2002.
I agree that this is the time to make a retro looking camaro let it run its 10 year span, then come out with something different like the latest concept. Everything has a way of evolving there are plenty of ways to build on a retro design.
Whats going to happen when Dodge make the Challenger and the sales of the Mustang & Challenger beat the Camaro sales, Are they going to kill the Camaro again?

I think that GM needs to keep the edge styling to Cadillac and not let it influence other divisions.

[Mecom Racer]

Originally Posted by 96z28ss

i posted this over at pro-touring also.


Whats going to happen when Dodge make the Challenger and the sales of the Mustang & Challenger beat the Camaro sales, Are they going to kill the Camaro again?

I think that GM needs to keep the edge styling to Cadillac and not let it influence other divisions.

I predict the opposite. The retro game is appreciated by the media (car mags), gear heads and older guys like us because we love the old cars. If you want an old musclecar - go buy one! They're all over the place out there. GM can't sell enough 'retro' Camaros to warrant continued production. They also need to be able to attract younger buyers, male and female, or the Camaro will disappear once again. How many of those Foosed-out 40 year old Challengers do you think they can sell once the old gearheads all have one? It'll die like the Prowler and the PT Cruiser because the design gets old real fast and people lose interest. You have to remember that we aren't the only ones GM is marketing this car to. There aren't enough of us. The fourth gen we all loved so much wasn't retro. We loved it because it was great looking and performed beyond our expectations. That's all I want out of the fifth generation.

[markss28]

I think the 5th gen is a great style. It looks and feels very much like the 69 of old. I personaly would like to see the doors come down a little more like they used to, This way you dont have to stretch your foot so far to get over the rocker pabel. The tail lights should be like one unit instead of 2 just like in 69 with some form of chrome triming. I know a few people have questioned the front end being to pointy and they would like to see it more blunt. I dont mind it either way it was probably done like that to give it more Aero Dynamics and cut through the wind better. One more thing, the car does look a little chop toped which is cool but my sister has a 05 Hemi Charger and the windows on that thing are small and difficult for viewing. This might seem like a lot of things but dont mind me I am just a consumer.

[XcYZ]

Personally, I love it, although as I've pointed out in the other thread, I'm concerned how the styling will look with real world sized wheels and tires.

If you go over to CZ28.com, you'll see that most of the younger crowd (under 30 I'd say) think it's far too retro. Over at Camaros.net, they don't think it's retro enough.

[Ummgawa]

I have 2 69 camaros and love 'em both. Chevrolet is heading in the right direction. But remember that heading North means also going a whole lot of East and West. I think GM realizes it need to hit a Grandslam with this one and right now its an in the park Homerun. I will own one of the retro Challengers if built. I'd love to buy a Mustang but I will wait on my first Love to make its decision. It definately needs more 69 Camaro influence than it has now. Its a homologation of all the first gens. The 69 is the one every body is hollering for. To use NIKE "Just do it".

Good topic Charley. Thanks for your input and sharing your trip YOU LUCKY BASTARD.

[JohnnyGMachine]

I've already put in enough 2cents on this car to make spare change now. I won't ramble on about what I like or dislike. I DO LIKE IT! Overall I think they're very close to what people are wanting. My only real issue with the car is the squareness of the front end. I honestly think the car needs to have a little peak in the front. I think it makes the front look a little more dynamic and interesting. I think they grill opening is perfect. But the way the sides of the front fenders "transition" into the front fascia - just too square. And this is just my opinion and all it is but the car is very over-the-top-macho. What i mean by this is yeah THIS is a street fighter. Which on one end is good but on another end could be bad.
One of the things that makes the Mustang successful and always has is that the Mustang is popular to men AND women. I read somewhere that about 50% of the sales for the Mustang are women. And most women who buy it don't care what it runs in the quarter mile or what the lateral g measurments are (like that Scott - tie in to the site) they just want it because it's sporty, has a little wing-thingy on the back and they look good in it. So they usually buy 6 cylinders. So I guess that's another thing to think about when you look at the new Camaro - is it too aggressive? Maybe, maybe not. Just a thought on that. That's why when I did my 5th gen (somebody posted above) the thinking was to make it look tough AND sexy. It needs to have a balance of hard edges and curves. I'm not saying that mine is the solution and I nailed everything - not at all. It's just what my idea of it was. Maybe the new Camaro could maybe be just a little more curvacious yet still have a strong edgy look?
I think the overall is a pretty good mix of modern and retro. I think the Challenger is way too much of a "direct copy" of the old. It looks cool and all but I think it's not even really retro - it's just a recreation of the same exact thing. After a while of comparing the Camaro and Challenger concept, I did like the Challenger a little more but then now it's the Camaro. The Camaro just has more interesting styling, more character in my opinion. It's retro and fresh.

John

[Derek69SS]

I like it. It's a good balance of retro and modern.

A full-retro '69 camaro would sell great... for 2-3 years. After that you need to update it, which literally can't be done to a retro design without looking stupid and out of place.

I'm glad they didn't do it. I like '69 Camaros. I don't want them to be the next PT Cruiser. When I see a '69 Camaro on the highway I gawk & stare at it. I'd hate to see a classic like that dilluted to the point that they don't even stand out on the road from the ones with V6s driven by middle-aged women.

[steemin]

I agree with Charley and many of the other comments as well.
The front end and back end of that car is Fugly..
The interior on the other hand from what I have seen is very cool..
Before I bought my 65 Mustang Fastback I was on a mission to buy a 69 Camaro. I just could not find the right one. This is coming from a Ford guy that has owned many Mustangs over the years.
The styling cues of the 69 Camaro are so popular and in demand that Dynacorn took it upon itself to produce and sell "new" 1969 convertible body shells. I am sure that the coupes will be available soon as well.
Why do retro cars sell? I believe that it is because many of us want the old school look (that we dreamed of owning back in the day) with modern
performance,conveniences and reliability. HEY that sounds like the same reason many of us build our Pro Touring/G machines
Scott