also how long has it been being worked on...?

how much of the 3 year process has already been used up... GM wouldnt show us something that wasnt close to the market... (GM is getting better about what they release and when the release it...) I.E. the GMT900 series... we're just barely getting a look at them and they are almost in showrooms...

people have been hinting at a CTC, for quite some time, could a sigma coupe in cadillac clothing slip under the radar as a camaro test mule?

would it really be financially worth while to spend millions of dollars perfecting a concept that might take 3 years to get to production? allowing other companys to make advancements on your design? and use its styling cues before it hits the market? why would GM care if images were leaked if the product wasnt going to be readily avalible? if the Concept was soo far out... it would be a waste to show it off...

The solstice was never designed to be made... it was never expected to be a hit...
thats why it took 3 years...

 

Greg....the above post is code for either:

a) I don't know, but don't want to say I don't know

or

b) I think I know, but want to have plausible deniability if I'm wrong

or

c) I know, but I'm not supposed to tell you I know, but I want to tell you that I know, just so that you'll know that I know but can't tell you that I know.

Know what I mean?

Welcome to the world of the winkie club.

 

 

wait... what winkyclub... i wanna be the winkyclub

 

you can' ask to be in the winkie club, you just end up there........know what i mean.........

 

These are my thoughts (i.e. I have no inside information)...

I spent several years in CAD/CAM/CAE, particularly in 3D modeling. After seeing the chassis images it is obvious that some time has been put into working everything out. From those 3D images I have come to the conclusion that engineering and design developement is far beyond what we had anticipated at this point.

So where are we exactly? It could be that the bean counters are mulling over the numbers as we speak. It could be that GM is waiting to see how the concept goes over with the automotive press before giving it the green-light. I don't have the answers, but I suppose we'll know more after Detroit in January.

I do agree with Guy, no one, I repeat no one spends that much design time on a chassis for a concept. An enthusiastic response from the automotive media and the Camaro loyalists may be all GM is waiting for.

 

if no one spends that much time, then how long does it take to design all of that?

and also... how long from when the engeneering desings(CAD drawings) are finished and given a green light does it take to get a vehicle into a showroom for the masses?

i mean for the solstice, part of that 3 years, was developing a chassy... this already has almost everything thought out... from the chassy to the drivetran... its already been accomplished...

 

Those CADs are of Zeta. VE/Zeta has been under developement for several years. The first VE/Zetas will be out in about a year. No surprises there regarding their detail.


The question we all should be asking is.....how close are those CADs to what Camaro will be? Will it be different? Perhaps. Those CADs clearly show a chassis which would give us a car slightly larger than the current GTO.

I'm expecting Camaro to be alittle smaller.

 

i think someone quite plainly showed me the underside of a cts-v and those cads matched exactly...

 

I agree. Given my limited experience with aircraft design and CAD work, there's been a significant amount of effort expended in doing the detail design work. I have a very hard time believing that amount of work was done simply for a one off concept.

From what could be seen, I would say it roughly compares to production level drawings I've seen and worked with for aircraft. There's just way too much detail in the drawings.

 

The CAD has very little - if anything - to do with the concept. I'm guessing that the concept will be based on Sigma.

 

kappa.

 

You put in words what has been going through my head since I saw the photos. You make so many good points.

Add this to the equation: 2007 would be the 40th anniversary of the Camaro...that is just too good a marketing tool to pass up.

It was a general consensus that the photos were very old. In fact, if you look at them, particularly the rear shot, you can see that the vehicle is sitting on some kind of jack stand. It probably didn't even roll, being held together by duct tape, bailing wire and JB Weld. The windows were blacked out. There's no way GM would put a vehicle in that state in the NAIAS show. The SS concept was driven on the stage - journalists were even allowed to ride in it. The SS even has its own track video.

Think the journalists(and everyone here) will want to ride in the Camaro concept? That's not even a question. Therefore, I think they'll have a driveable vehicle at NAIAS - one thrown together from GM's deep parts bin, and one that could be easily manufactured at existing sites.

I definately think we'll see this before 2009. I just don't know what is all involved in the testing and such...thus the reason for this thread.

 

I think your lack of understanding over just how huge of an operation it is, to get a car to production, is clouding your vision on how quickly this can be done.

In other words, I think you are suffering from a severe case of wishful thinking. You keep bringing up the Solstice. Remember that the Solstice was to represent the absolute fastest........... most streamlined production schedule that GM has ever undertaken. Yet, even it was pretty slow. As much as Camaro may be an absolute top priority, gotta get out product, to you .............. to GM it probably does not have nearly that significance. In other words, they don't care how much you care.......... they will get it to you when they do. Remember this, GM doesn't even know what plant would build it............. providing it does get the green light. They are too busy planning plant closures and layoffs.

I think early 2008 introduction, as a 2009MY sounds about right.

 

...well enlighten those of us who are ignorant and stuck in a dream state.
That's what this thread is about. Notice how I've asked multiple times, what all is involved in getting a car to the show room.