"To date we have accepted over 6000 sold orders, 84% of which are SS. We will not be able to build in this model mix, so make sure you are setting your customer's expectations correctly to avoid the high potential for dissatisfaction. But keep taking sold orders !!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, the allocation number we have given you is for the first 20,000 built covering production thru September. If things go right we will far surpass that number by year end."

Orders to date:

LS: 2%
1LT: 4%
2LT: 10%
1SS: 7%
2SS: 77%

This is supposedly a letter from GM to a dealer. Not sure of the validity. Any one have any thoughts?

 

Hopefully once the word on public street gets out and people can drive it,
more people will go towards the V6 side.
Vert will help that as well.

(IIRC the Mustang GT had a lot of pre-orders as well which is to be expected)

 

So they want dealers to tell people not to order the SS model..... what did they expect in pre-orders, base model V6's? Thats not what people are going to pre-order, thats not what they were waiting for for... 6+ years... They should make what people want... as usual though thats something difficult for GM to understand?

The V6 models will sell on their own merit once they are hitting lots...

 

that fully explains GM's problems..if that is not socialism i do not know what it is...some idiot at GM telling dealers to stear potential customers into a V6 because we just cannot have that...geez...what idiots is GM employing...i would be happy as hell for those sales numbers regardless if the vast majority of buyers wanted a honking V8 and not a miserly V6....yep that letter sums up the current state of GM nicely

 

I can see why the 2SS would be in demand... All the enthusiasts are aware of the early order program and have placed orders. All the rest of the world is blissfully unaware and will buy off the lots.

 

There's also a number of dealers that are waiting to place their orders until open ordering begins. This is mentioned on GMlaunches.com where they say there is no difference between ordering now and holding them until open ordering. The only reason they are accepting orders now is to get an idea of build potential. Which is kind of ridiculous considering what has already been pointed out about enthusiasts being the only ones that are very aware of the Camaro and where it is in production phase.

 

"we will not be able to build this model mix" what does that mean?

 

They can't build that many V8's versus that many V6's based on whatever reason they have.

CAFE reasons, manufacturing process reasons, parts inventory reaosn, etc etc etc etc

 

I'm sure it has to do with logistics and inventory. I thought they were prepared for a 50/50 run but were expecting the V6 to sell more. If they don't have LS3's, SS facias and 6L80's at the plant then they can't build SS's. It's as simple as that. I'm sure they are now trying to fill these orders and make provisions but there maybe a delay on SS's. You have to except some hiccups with a launch of a such a vehicle.

 

Of course they cant build a mix of 84% SS. That would be crazy. The V6 will be our best seller. The ratio of V6 to V8 wont be as high (e.g. 70%V6/30%V8) as for the mustang because Camaro guys are performance guys(=V8. Even though you get great performance with our V6 also) And Mustang guys are actually high school girls. Im just wondering if those of us who already ordered an SS will have to wait a little longer to get it. Im thinking they knew that most of the enthusiasts that are pre-ordering were gonna go with the SS.

 

Starting to sound like there will be restraints on V8 orders. Glad I ordered the LT/RS.

 

Yikes, calm down Sparky. Nowhere in that letter does it say "steer customers toward the V6", quite the contrary, it is encouraging dealers to continue taking SS orders. It is only telling dealers to warn their customers ordering SS models that they may need to wait longer to receive their cars because Chevy cannot built that many V8 cars right off the bat.

If the letter and ratios are authentic I am not surprised. The people who have been saving cash expressly for the purpose of buying a new Camaro are the people who want the V8. Much like the Mustang in 2005, V6s will begin to gain traction after launch.

 

sounds like fuel for dealers to spike the price of any SS.

i'm glad i have it in writing as to MSRP + t.t.t. , plus i am the first on my dealers list on 10/13. so the sooner, the better.

 

If they could not anticipate an overwhelming demand for V8's off the bat, they are truly idiots. They better re-tool their game plan to accomodate, because if I have to wait until August to receive my car when I ordered it on 10/13, I am going to be beyond pissed.

Its totally unacceptable to have such an unfavorable split for V8's off the bat, I don't care what the reason is.

 

OK..once again - calm down.

(and I NEED TO CALM down because I want to wring the person's neck that put this message out to dealers -- and the person within the dealership that put the message out to YOU.......)

FIRST -- the number of units mentioned that we will produce is WRONG........we'll build more units than that barring any unforseen circumstances or work stoppages. (and I put that last line in there because NO ONE knows what will happen tomorrow.......)

SECOND -- we want each of you behind the steering wheel of your new Camaro........MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT..........LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN -- MAKE --- NO -- MISTAKE -- ABOUT -- IT...............
(...now go read it again!)

THIRD-- anyone who has any production planning management experience will understand that you do NOT tool to build 100 percent of anything when you offer choices -- NO ONE DOES . Let me say that again NO -- ONE -- DOES.............

The hardest thing (In my opinion) that we have to do is to forecast option load.........and I dare anyone on here to predict what the car will sell in terms of option load in the 2011 model year -

We are in FINE SHAPE right now. IF -- and that's a HUGE 'IF" the orders HAD come in at 100% SS -- and EVERY allocation had been spoken for (and that has not happened....) then we'd have some concern..........

So -- calm down.

Not everyone at GM is a walking moron.

Don't believe everything you read --esp. when you have no idea of the source.

REPEAT AFTER ME: WE WANT YOU BEHIND THE STEERING WHEELS OF YOUR NEW CAMAROS...............

Now -- one more favor:

DURING THE NEXT 'PANIC DU JOUR' -- (which, I'm confident will happen within the next few minutes........)

..........would you PLEASE just STOP for a minute and think:

"........Perhaps -- just perhaps -- GM has done this for many years -- and perhaps - just perhaps -- they know what they're doing -- and perhaps --just perhaps they DO care about us as evidenced by Fbodfather coming out here and calming us down every other day............."

and then think:

" I'd better be careful or Fbodfather just MAY have a stroke and die and IF he DIES he's gonna come back to haunt me with an entire fleet of black Suburbans...........and my life will be 'kaakaa'......"

So......let's PLEASE -- (I'm begging you......) STOP with the "Panic Du Jours"..........please?????


Thank you!

Now -- back to our regularly scheduled programming..........