Motor Trend Responses
11/1/08, 08:50 AM
#1
Cobra R Member
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Motor Trend Responses
I Found This Over At Camoro5.com, It Seems That Some Readers Of Motor Trend Agree, Chevy Should Have Had Some Foresight And Been Targeting A Newly Refreshed 2010 Mustang Not A Model That Came Out Almost 5 Years Ago.
I Just Love This Part of That Last Line "There’s only one reason there’s going to be a new Camaro- the success of the Mustang." 
1. Why is Chevy so proud it can outrun a four year old mustang design, especially since that was exactly what it is set out to do? The mustang is supposed to be a bargain bin muscle car, what is so awe inspiring about strapping a corvette engine into a four seater and saying it can go faster than the ‘stang.
2. Why does the new Camaro, which is supposed to evoke the cars glory days (I’m assuming 1967-1969, not the “mullet era”.) look more like a 1969 mustang then a 1969 Camaro. Pointed nose, straight lines on the front fenders, the raised edging on the rear fenders, that flat deck- in what world did a 1967-1969 Camaro have a pointed nose? If you can’t beat them join ‘em, Chevy
3. Has Chevy finally designed an interior that won’t shake and rattle when performing dangerous driving maneuvers like entering a parking lot at five mph?
4. Why didn’t the Chevy team learn that speed isn’t everything and apply that knowledge when it built this car? The old z/28 and SS Camaros of the late 1990’s and 2000’s were certainly faster than their contemporary mustang gts but last time I checked they were still discontinued
-Rob
After reading your September feature on the new Camaro, it strikes me that Al Oppenheiser should be up for the next “Constipation of the Mind, Diarrhea of the Mouth” award. No wonder American auto companies are languishing. Apparently, Oppenheiser hasn’t figured out that his real competition is the next mustang update-not its six-year old design. He should have been reprimanded for wasting GM’s development money if it required more than one competitive ride to figure out hose to make a good pony car. And if he really understood the mustang’s Philosophy (a mustang for everyone) he would appreciate why mustang survived when the Camaro didn’t and wouldn’t be waving his narrow-focus flag. (Making the last Camaro look like an outdated spaceship with a buckboard ride narrowed the customer base to a few wannabe males who didn’t have the bread for a corvette.) It looks like Oppenheiser is just the guy to do for the Camaro what Bob Lutz did for the GTO. Oppenheiser seems to overlook the fact that there’s only one reason there’s going to be a new Camaro- the success of the mustang. He should send ford a personal thank you for giving him a job
-Ronald.
2. Why does the new Camaro, which is supposed to evoke the cars glory days (I’m assuming 1967-1969, not the “mullet era”.) look more like a 1969 mustang then a 1969 Camaro. Pointed nose, straight lines on the front fenders, the raised edging on the rear fenders, that flat deck- in what world did a 1967-1969 Camaro have a pointed nose? If you can’t beat them join ‘em, Chevy
3. Has Chevy finally designed an interior that won’t shake and rattle when performing dangerous driving maneuvers like entering a parking lot at five mph?
4. Why didn’t the Chevy team learn that speed isn’t everything and apply that knowledge when it built this car? The old z/28 and SS Camaros of the late 1990’s and 2000’s were certainly faster than their contemporary mustang gts but last time I checked they were still discontinued
-Rob
After reading your September feature on the new Camaro, it strikes me that Al Oppenheiser should be up for the next “Constipation of the Mind, Diarrhea of the Mouth” award. No wonder American auto companies are languishing. Apparently, Oppenheiser hasn’t figured out that his real competition is the next mustang update-not its six-year old design. He should have been reprimanded for wasting GM’s development money if it required more than one competitive ride to figure out hose to make a good pony car. And if he really understood the mustang’s Philosophy (a mustang for everyone) he would appreciate why mustang survived when the Camaro didn’t and wouldn’t be waving his narrow-focus flag. (Making the last Camaro look like an outdated spaceship with a buckboard ride narrowed the customer base to a few wannabe males who didn’t have the bread for a corvette.) It looks like Oppenheiser is just the guy to do for the Camaro what Bob Lutz did for the GTO. Oppenheiser seems to overlook the fact that there’s only one reason there’s going to be a new Camaro- the success of the mustang. He should send ford a personal thank you for giving him a job
-Ronald.
Last edited by TampaBear67; 11/1/08 at 08:52 AM.
11/1/08, 11:18 AM
#4
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Exactly - the **** bean counters at GM killed two nice car - Camaro and Friebird - and the real car guys were unable to stop that. Ford managed to keep the dream alive and re-invent the idea of a great sports car we all could afford and then modify to make it truely 'our car.'
The Challenger looks great but is over priced (and has no spare tire). So what will happen when the Camaro comeso ut - lots of attention, hugh sales and then, like the Mustang, sales will even out and then quality will tell the finish.
The Challenger looks great but is over priced (and has no spare tire). So what will happen when the Camaro comeso ut - lots of attention, hugh sales and then, like the Mustang, sales will even out and then quality will tell the finish.
11/1/08, 11:40 AM
#6
Cobra R Member
Thread Starter
I Was Just Thinking About That Last Line...
Hell, Isn't The Reason There Is A Camaro In The First Place Because Of The Mustang?
"There’s only one reason there’s going to be a new Camaro- the success of the Mustang."
Hell, Isn't The Reason There Is A Camaro In The First Place Because Of The Mustang?
11/1/08, 01:40 PM
#7
THE RED FLASH ------ Master-Moderator
Exactly - the **** bean counters at GM killed two nice car - Camaro and Friebird - and the real car guys were unable to stop that. Ford managed to keep the dream alive and re-invent the idea of a great sports car we all could afford and then modify to make it truely 'our car.'
I really hate to disagree, but your quote concerning the bean counters killing off the F-body Camaro/Firebird, is completely inaccurate.
The reason why the F-body's were discontinued, was GM wanted to move F-body production to another plant, which had the required tooling and equipment facilities to save GM money on both tooling and production costs. However due to the fact that GM still had a 6 year contract with the United Autoworkers Union. GM was unable to relocate to another plant/location, as a direct result.
Therefore, GM then decided to put Camaro on hiatus, until their 6 year contract with the U.A.W.U expires !
Last edited by m05fastbackGT; 11/1/08 at 02:10 PM.
11/1/08, 02:36 PM
#8
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Wow. That's a FANTASTIC article. I think that's the best Camero article I've ever read. I've never heard a single Camero guy EVER say that many nice things about the Mustang. Even if they weren't meaning to! 
11/1/08, 03:40 PM
#9
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I really hate to disagree, but your quote concerning the bean counters killing off the F-body Camaro/Firebird, is completely inaccurate.
The reason why the F-body's were discontinued, was GM wanted to move F-body production to another plant, which had the required tooling and equipment facilities to save GM money on both tooling and production costs. However due to the fact that GM still had a 6 year contract with the United Autoworkers Union. GM was unable to relocate to another plant/location, as a direct result.
Therefore, GM then decided to put Camaro on hiatus, until their 6 year contract with the U.A.W.U expires !
The reason why the F-body's were discontinued, was GM wanted to move F-body production to another plant, which had the required tooling and equipment facilities to save GM money on both tooling and production costs. However due to the fact that GM still had a 6 year contract with the United Autoworkers Union. GM was unable to relocate to another plant/location, as a direct result.
Therefore, GM then decided to put Camaro on hiatus, until their 6 year contract with the U.A.W.U expires !
11/1/08, 08:19 PM
#10
THE RED FLASH ------ Master-Moderator
That being said, if you have a dispute with GM's claims, then you take it up with them, and while you're at it. Why don't you also accuse them of trying to score cheap points on deflected blame, instead of attempting to blame me for something, in which I had absolutely nothing to do with in the first place...Stop it !
11/1/08, 09:34 PM
#11
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That being said, if you have a dispute with GM's claims, then you take it up with them, and while you're at it. Why don't yu also accuse them of trying to score cheap points on deflected blame, instead of attempting to blame me for something, in which I had absolutely nothing to do with in the first place...Stop it !
11/2/08, 01:40 AM
#12
THE RED FLASH ------ Master-Moderator
At any rate, I now have something even more to be pissed off at GM. And that is: I hold them responsible for causing this entire misunderstanding for taking place to begin with.
In the meantime, thanks once again for clearing up this entire mess, and for being so understanding.
-Rocky
Last edited by m05fastbackGT; 11/2/08 at 09:32 PM.
11/2/08, 09:37 PM
#14
THE RED FLASH ------ Master-Moderator
11/3/08, 02:01 AM
#16
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I don't know if that's a good thing. The arrival of this new Camaro (and Challenger) gave Ford reason to improve the 2010 Mustang significantly. Had there been no competition, Ford could have rested on its laurels.
11/3/08, 09:38 AM
#17
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Maybe so, but they are some pretty nice laurels to rest on....
11/3/08, 11:06 AM
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There was no competition all. Camaro and Firebird were dead for 3 model years, and there had been nothing remotely resembling a rwd pony car from Mopar for about 30 years.