Since everyone is second guessing GM and some of the choices made in the Camaro development lets put the CZ28.com poster in their shoes for a minute.

It's March 2006 and the Camaro concept has been a huge hit. GM is looking into proposals for a production car that mirrors the concepts looks and dimensions.
Let’s assume you’re the chief engineer and handed $350 million for this project. You're stuck to the concept looks and style. GM Design has a winner on its hands and you can't change it. It's a Camaro so it has to be RWD. GM wants class leading power and handling. They also want class leading fuel economy and a true modern vehicle when it comes to electronic interface.
You have the choice of some of GM's best power trains. You have the choice of RWD platforms currently in production or development. GM wants the car on a faster development track as they don't want the concept style to get stale before the car arrives. GM also wants to focus on base models to gain the bulk of the sales. Make sure they lead the class in many areas.

Class competitors: Mustang and Challenger.
Costs:
-Engine integrated into Camaro; LS3/L99 - Auto $30 million. L76 $20 million, LS9 $50 million. LSA $35 million. LS8 $50 million. 3.6DI $20 million. Turbo 2.0L Ecotec $30 million
-Platforms: All costs are to bring the platform to production at a price point on par for the class.
Zeta, if shared with other planned GM NA vehicles $100 million.
Sigma, any variant $180 million (Fast track not available)
Alpha, $220 million. (Extreme development needed)
Stretch Corvette/XLR into 2+2. $300 million.
Camaro specific platform: $550 million with fast track for 2011 MY.
-Engineering Development. Handling: Race car for street $45 million. Lead class. $20 million. Par for the class $15 million. Worst in class $5 million
-Interior appointments. Materials and electric data interface to for a 21st Century. $20 million. Non-class leading materials and interface. $10 million. Par with 4th gen $5 million
-Safety, 5-star crash ratings: $20 million, 4-Star $10 million, 3-Star $1 million- But expect GM Legal to request $75 million to cover lawsuits from excess injuries.
Airbags: Class leading $10 million. Match competitors in airbag safety $5 million. No airbags subtract $20 million. But expect a call from GM Legal see above. "Unsafe at Any Speed" might also be thrown on your desk to read. You don't want Ralph Nader getting popular again.
-Time to market: 2008 MY (Fast track) $65 million. 2009 MY $40 million. 2010 MY $10 million. 2011 MY $5 million
-Transmissions V6/V8: 4speed auto $15 million. 6-speed auto $20 million. 6-speed manual $20 million. 5-speed manual $10 million.
-Materials and platform development: Class leading structural rigidity: $20 million. Par for the class $10 million. Worst in class $ 5 million
-Curb weight V8: Under 4K lbs $20 million. Under 3800 lbs $40 million. Under 3600 lbs $80 million.
-Curb weight V6/base model: Under 3800 lbs $15 million. Under 3600 $40 million. Under 3400 lbs $90 million.
*Special Model Development: Z/28 (LSA) $25 million, (LS3) $20 million, (LS9) $60 million, (LS8) $50 million. ZL1 (LSA) $25 million, (LS8) $50 million, (LS3) $20 million, (LS8) $50 million 1LE suspension upgrade. $15 million any engine.

* IF Special Model uses the same base V8 engine subtract $10 million from development costs.

Pick and choose what you think are the most important options and put them down on a list with the cost totals. The whole process can’t pass $350 million. Mr. Wagoner is waiting for your results.

 

LS3/L99 - Auto $30 million
Zeta, if shared with other planned GM NA vehicles $100 million. (add more for diet plan)
Race car for street $45 million
Materials and electric data interface to for a 21st Century. $20 million
4-Star $10 million
Match competitors in airbag safety $5 million
2010 MY $10 million
6-speed auto $20 million
Class leading structural rigidity: $20 million
Under 3600 lbs $80 million
Z/28 (LSA) $25 million

365 million

 

Engine integrated into Camaro; LS3/L99 - Auto $30 million. LLT 3.6 $20 million.
Zeta, if shared with other planned GM NA vehicles $100 million.
Engineering Development. Handling: Lead class. $20 million.
Interior appointments. Materials and electric data interface to for a 21st Century. $20 million.
Safety, 5-star crash ratings: $20 million.
Airbags: Class leading $10 million.
Time to market: 2009 MY $40 million.
Transmissions V6/V8: 6-speed auto $20 million. 6-speed manual $20 million. Materials and platform development: Par for the class $10 million.
Curb weight V8: Under 4K lbs $20 million.
Curb weight V6: Under 3800 lbs $15 million.

Should be near $345k. But I think I should get an extra amount to for coming out in MY09 instead of MY10, thus beating the Challenger and new Mustang by a whole year.

 

The good news is your Camaro will challenge the GTR and ZR1 at the Ring and take down Z06's at the strip. The Z/28 will be a real monster!

The bad news is you’re over budget by $15 million and the GM NA strategy board wants to know your sales projections.
Considering you have left out a V6 option and some enthusiasts will be wondering where the 6-speed option is. Your sales projections may may be on the low side.
Also with the big power to weight ratio and only a 4-star crash rating and airbags only equal to the competition the car will be Mustang priced but insurance premiums will likely be severe.

 

Engine integrated into Camaro; LS3/L99 - Auto $30 million. LLT 3.6 $20 million.
Zeta, if shared with other planned GM NA vehicles $100 million.
Engineering Development. Handling: Lead class. $20 million.
Interior appointments. Par with 4th gen $5 million.
Safety, 4-Star $10 million.
Airbags: Match competitors in airbag safety $5 million.
Time to market: 2010 MY $10 million.
Transmissions V6/V8: 6-speed auto $20 million. 6-speed manual $20 million.
Materials and platform development: Par for the class $10 million.
Curb weight V8: Under 3800 lbs $40 million.
Curb weight V6: Under 3600 lbs $40 million.
Pay me for my time: $10 million.
Make anyone standing in the way of a new Firebird disappear: $1 million.

$341 million

 

Great work on a solid Camaro true to its heritage. You have beaten the rival from Dodge and far outclass the Mustang with content. You have come in under budget and will probably have high sales projections to impress GM's Strategy Board.
Curb weight will be a slight issue and some enthusiasts will question why there are no special models. Z/28??

 

Engine integrated into Camaro: LS3/L99 - Auto $30 million, 3.6DI $20 million
Platforms: Zeta, if shared with other planned GM NA vehicles $100 million.
Engineering Development: Lead class. $20 million.
Interior appointments: Materials and electric data interface to for a 21st Century. $20 million
Safety: 4-star $10 million
Airbags: Match competitors in airbag safety $5 million
Time to market: 2010 MY $10 million
Transmissions V6/V8: 6-speed auto $20 million, 6-speed manual $20 million
Materials and platform development: Class leading structural rigidity $20 million
Curb weight V8: Under 3800 lbs $40 million
Curb weight V6: Under 3800 lbs $15 million
*Special Model Development: Z/28 (LS3) $20 million, 1LE suspension upgrade. $15 million any engine.

* IF Special Model uses the same base V8 engine subtract $10 million from development costs. -$10 million

The Z/28 gets a more aggressive cam, more aggressive rear axle ratio, free-flowing exhaust and the 1LE suspension package standard. It also has reduced weight compared to the SS.

I come in at $355 million. $5 million over on a $350 million budget isn't bad.

 

Awesome thread 99SilverSS.

 

-Engine integrated into Camaro; LS3/L99 - Auto $30 million 3.6DI $20 million
-Platforms: Zeta, if shared with other planned GM NA vehicles $100 million
-Engineering Development Handling: Lead class. $20 million
-Interior appointments: Materials and electric data interface to for a 21st Century $20 million
-Safety, 5-star crash ratings: $20 million
Airbags: Match competitors in airbag safety $5 million
-Time to market: 2010 MY $10 million (Released in early 2009 - Extended 2010 MY run)
-Transmissions V6/V8: 6-speed auto $20 million 6-speed manual $20 million
-Materials and platform development: Class leading structural rigidity: $20 million
-Curb weight V8: Under 3800 lbs $40 million
-Curb weight V6: Under 3600 $40 million
*Special Model Development: Z/28 (LS7*) highly upgraded suspension and weight loss $30 million

Total Cost: $395 Million

(*Based on currently available engine)

That was tougher than I thought! I'm guessing on cost of my version of the Z/28. I made my own option because that's my opinion on what the Z/28 should be - a lighter weight, N/A high-powered race car for the street. The majority of the money would go into the suspension development and weight loss, with the remainder going towards whatever costs would be associated with putting the LS7 into the Camaro. I know the LS7 will be phased out at some point, but if it were gone in the next year or so, an equivalent replacement would be used.

*Edit* - Ok, I revised my budget because I had second thoughts about the weight and feel like that is more along the lines of how I would have built the Camaro. I would argue that the weight loss is essential to get Camaro where it needs to be.

 

If I were Chief Engineer, I'd need to urgently and forcefully have a talk with the VLE. I'd tell him that this car is going to be way over our weight targets. Several Hundred pounds over. If it's going to cost an additional $60M , (OP's numbers), to get this product back in line, I'd stress to the VLE that we NEED to have a meeting with the Vice Chairman of Product and the VP for Global Program Management and inform them of the situation. And make the case, that if we don't spend this additional $60 million, we essentially don't have a product.

That's what I would do.....

 

suscribed, im too tired to play just yet...but i know my camaro is gonna be a badass...and wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over budget

 

LOL, these were my first thoughts as well! If the above wasn't an option, I'd bury the overruns into the truck budget

 

Ok, I tried desparately to make it work w/ Sigma, just to be able to bring it to market sooner, but the other items were just too compromised. So here it is...

ZETA Camaro

L76/2.0 Turbo 4cyl 20M/30M
Zeta platform 100M
Class leading handling 20M
Class leading electronics 20M
5* Crash rating 20M
Class average air bags 5M
MY2010 10M
6 speed Auto/Manual 20M/20M
Class leading structural integrity 20M
V8 under 3800 lbs (3700 avg) 40M
LSA based Z/28 25M
_______________________________
Total Expenses 350M

I went with the L76 because it satisfied the requirements of class leading power, and did so at less cost than the LS3/L99. Also it would be marketable to emphasize that it could run on regular gas and has AFM. This engine complys w/ the edict of class leading fuel economy.

I went w/ the turbo 4 because it still give class leading hp over the boat anchor in the Mustang, not to mention that you don't have to pay the weight reduction penalty you incur w/ the use of V8 and V6 engines. It DESTROYS the competition in NON V8 engine fuel economy. This engine complys w/ the edict of class leading fuel economy.


Zeta because it's the only platform that works if you want to have quality, if not class leading components in other areas of the car.

Class leading handling, a fixed requirement, per management.

Class leading electronics, a fixed requirement, per management.

5* crash rating. Anything less, would be uncivilized.

Class average airbags, this was the one compromize I made to get the LSA Z/28. I could have left the class leading bags in place, and gone w/ the LS3 Z, but the shortage of hp, even coupled w/ the lighter weight car, was not enough to overcome the power/weight advantage of the GT500, which while not a requirement of management (to have class leading performance) what self respecting GM engineer would build a car knowing it was 2nd best going in? Not this one!

Time to market of MY2010 is the same timeframe GM used, however I would market the car as a MY2009. When Joe Public hears the Camaro is a MY2010, he moans and groans that it's still a year away. I would call it a 2009 which would put it much closer to reach in the minds of the public. After all, Dodge rolled out its Challenger just not long ago, and called it a 2008. The Camaro will be out in Feb, less than 12 months later, but it's 2 model years removed?!?

Transmission choices of 6M/6A is class leading, anything less would be crucified by the enthusiasts and the media.

Structural integrity and materials are class leading, my goal was to build the BEST Pony/Muscle car out there. Mission accomplished.

V8 under 3800 lbs. I guestimated this to mean an average of 3700 lbs. It was this or the 1LE suspension. I determined that the money was better spent on a weight loss that would benefit ALL V8 drivers, instead of the small fraction that would spring for the 1LE. Those 1LE folks will probably build their own suspension anyway. That's my business case for GMPP .

LSA based Z/28. Class leading power+ lighter weight than the competition=WIN.

Where's my golden parachute?

 

Well your Camaro is well balanced and probably has a good chance for a high sales target. Under budget is nice too. However the clinics have complaints on a very sub-par interior appointments and wonder why they didn't get something on par with a Malibu. Missing a special model may hurt your enthusiast support.

Mysteriously some GM product planners have gone missing... And you're by far the highest paid chief engineer at GM. You'll need some sales to support that salary but with $10 million in pocket who cars!

 

You've traded safety but added the 1LE and still have a potent Z/28. Your Camaro is an enthusiast dream. Could still be some curb weight objections but the even the V6 drivers will enjoy the focus on performance.

On time for development but over budget by 1.4% GM will just take it out of your paycheck!