The Camaro
 

Is it just me or has Chevrolet already slightly modified the front end of the new Camaro? Obviously being really busy, I was killing time looking at the Camaro pages on the Chevrolet web site. It seems to me that when they brought out the original orange, hardtop concept Camaro last year that the front end was extremely pointed -- so much so that it looked silly. Now, though, the web site features a silver hardtop and an orange convertible, and neither front end looks quite as bad as it originally did.

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/

RE: The Camaro
 

I've got some copies of very first Camaro concept pics released by Autoweek and can not really see the difference you mentioned.

RE: The Camaro
 

Now I do have these concept pics with a totally differnt front end but I do no believe these are GM pics.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1542...Uk?vhost=rides


http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1542...yv?vhost=rides

RE: The Camaro
 

Here compare it to some of the pictures I have taken:

https://dodgechallenger.com/forums/fb.asp?m=7520

RE: The Camaro
 

Well, Jeremiah, the front end is DEFINITELY pointed in the pics you took. It doesn't appear that extreme on the Camaro web site, but, of course, what they show actually are illustrations -- not real pictures. And the front end in the illustrations isn't as pointed. Maybe someone took artistic license so as to not make the car look so silly.

RE: The Camaro
 

I honestly can't really tell any difference... but it's not uncommon for prototypes to be a little different than an actual production version.

My thoughts on the new Camaro are thus:

I really like the exterior, although I wonder if the designer (a Korean, by the way) was staring at a 68-70 Dodge Charger when he designed the quarter panels and gas cap location - notice how the 2 are similar? The biggest thing I don't like about the new Camaro is its dashboard - my god that dash is hideous. Naturally those who bow to the alter of all that is GM will love it (hell, it could have the dashboard of a Yugo and they'd still love it), but there's not one thing I like about it. I don't like the console gauges - I know they're copying the 69 model that had those, but that was a bad idea back then too. Plus the speedo and tach look like something out of a 1950's Buick, and those HVAC controls... yuck. [:'(]

The Challenger's interior, on the other hand, is a work of art by comparison. I definitely hope they keep that telemetry gauge (or whatever it's called) - everything else is spot on in my book.

OK, rant over.;)

RE: The Camaro
 

Although I disagree about the exterior appearance with you, I must agree with your critic of the interior analysis. The dash is hideous and those gauges are what offend me the most. I think someone needs to explain this to GM and Ford, retro gauges are a bad idea. If old gauges were so great, you guys would have never changed them. Exterior retro looks good, interior retro (especially in the gauge department) looks terrible.

The photo links that Paladin posted look absolutely nothing like the production model. Those must have been earlier concept ideas that were unfortuneatly not implemented.

As far as the pointedness of the photos, it probably depends on the angel it was shot from. The pictures that look pointier are positioned to emphasize the front end's pointy design, the other photos are taken looking directly at the front end; therefore, the pointiness is not as obvious.

RE: The Camaro
 

With gauges being retro, this sometimes is cool if done properly. You could say the 300M has "retro" gages. To me they look like early gages from the 1920-30s Also, to add a bit a retro to the interior is almost need for these cars that are retros of older. However, as stated before there is a fine line between cool retro and just plane ugly retro.

RE: The Camaro
 

I am not sure but what a cool website. Why can't Challenger have a sweet site like that? Heck, the Camaro is getting more marketing and comes out a year later!!!

[:@]

RE: The Camaro
 

Because the Camaro needs all the marketing it can get to overshadow its ugly looks. Plus I'm sure Chrysler's on a tight budget right now with the Pheonix engine, dual-clutch transmissions, 6-speed autos, new plant for interior and axles, etc. Unfortuneatly marketing is what suffers.[:@]

RE: The Camaro
 

Well, an unfortunate fact is that marketing can make or break a car, no matter how good (or bad) it might be. The 04-06 GTO was a perfect example of that (I oughtta know, I had an 04) - yes, the car had bland looks and looked like a Grand Am/Grand Prix/Cavalier/'59 Edsel - whatever, but I'm convinced that if that car was better marketed it might not have been the sales dud that it turned out to be. Remember the Merkur XR4ti back in the late 80s? Another marketing disaster, even though it was a half-decent car.

Dodge will already have an advantage by having the Challenger beat the Camaro to the market by a year... it HAS to find that perfect balance of asset investments and proper marketing for the car to succeed - otherwise the car could tank, and tank HUGE.

RE: The Camaro
 

Chevy had years to put in the retro look and they never did. The drive train was always there, you could get a six speed. But the sales still continued to fall. So they drop it a few years and come back with with it, only to not listen to what their base asked for. Hot Rod Mag. had the perfect retro Camaro in an article. Based on the 67-69 it was awsome. Did GM listen to their base...nooooo! They brought out another car with Cadillac styling and yet similar drive train. GM the door is still open to give the Camaro fans the car they want or you could plod ahead and give them a Camarillac. The retro fad will not last long, it comes in cycles.

RE: The Camaro
 

I agree...a perfect example of marketing is the Plymouth Laser / Eagle Talon versus the Mitsubishi Eclipse. Same car right? HUGELY different sales results. Why...? Marketing approach.


Noone can convince me Chrysler just does not have the marketing dollars...please. It does not cost much to throw up a cool website.

RE: The Camaro
 

I know all about the importance of marketing. I'm a marketing major for crying out loud. Take a look at the new Tundra. They went nuts with marketing it, and they have to offer incentives to get them off the lots. Sometimes, some models sell and others don't. The Challenger gets plenty of attention in the media simply because it has been received so well; meanwhile, what some would consider the backbone of Chrysler for the last 23 years is being replaced shortly, if you were going to promote either the backbone of your company or an attempt to get back in a seasonal market place, which would you put more effort and time into. I don't recall the 300, Magnum, or Charger really having much more marketing support than this pre-production and those have been successful for the most part.

The case of the Laser/Talon, although they might not have had as much advertising, the simple fact is there is more to their failure than just the marketing approach for that specific model. The problem with the Laser was that Plymouth itself had lost its desirability identity at that time, (how bad is it when an almost unheard of brand with less dealership support is able to outsell you making the same model). Part of the problem with the Talon had to be Eagle itself. Eagle was known for offering mostly cheap and undesirable Mitsubishi models like the Summit. Plus why would you buy an Eagle when you can get the same car under the Mitsubishi badge? The audience that likes Japanese cars will normally buy the brand that it was originally. Besides the Stratus coupe and Sebring coupe still were not smashing successes in popularity despite being a rebadged Eclipse as well. It could partly be the product offering and that some people like myself will not buy a rebadged Mitsubishi, Mercedes, Chery, or any other non-Chrysler product just because it has the Chrysler labeling.

Some models just sell pretty naturally. The PT Cruiser was an over night success. The G6 took a lot of marketing before it finally took off.

RE: The Camaro
 

The Camaro looks like Pokemon, to me.

RE: The Camaro
 

I love the 1978 Gold Trans Am.
I think that's the best looking of all the trans ams, camaros, and firebirds.
It'd be great if they made a new one of those.