...I think Chris previously mentioned 1Q09...., ...however I believe details may be available 3Q-4Q08.

 

it is not realistic if they are "considering" it.

 

boy, how did they miss you as a candidate?

 

How do you mean?

 

Hey.....just cause Guy and I did some dough nuts and STILL made it to the debut...don't be jealous.

I am just glad to have met Guy as was Chris Pauwels. I was greatful for Scott to invite myself and my guest (Chris Pauwels) to the official preview in Sterling Heights when I owned Cheers & Gears). I was also glad to have met Branden Farthing as well. It's a respect fact.

Don't hate 'cause we had fun.....just ask me next time (I'll take you for dough nuts too). I've done some work to the Solstice since then!

Still funny Charlie!

 

Not a chance, bro. Unlike Guy, I'd need a barf bag.

 

I can't put it any simpler than this - a 4 cyl Camaro is not realistic when GM Powertrain currently only offers 4 cyl engines for compacts.

 

Well, I can tell you that a 4 cylinder option IS being studied for GM's Global RWD (Zeta).

Whether it makes it into the program or not - I have no idea. But to state that it's not realistic (complete with definition), simply because "GM Powertrain currently only offers 4 cyl engines for compacts", is not only inaccurate - it is in fact not even realistic.

Perhaps your previous automotive influences/biases prevent you from even imagining such an outcome - which brings me back to my concern about so many of the attendees being so heavily 4th gen influenced.

Just throwing that out there....

 

Give the group more credit than that. No one at the Summit is so enamored with their current car (any generation Camaro) that they are expecting a clone of it. Quite the contrary. The expectation is for advancement of the car. The 5th Gen is a whole 'nother animal, considering it's new from the ground up.

I do not believe the 4th gen (or any other generation Camaro) is the "best damned car ever produced". That is not my benchmark for comparison for the 5th Gen or any other car. The 4th Gen is what it is and I accept it for that, as I do my 1st Gen and 3rd Gen cars (don't get me wrong, I like them all for their own reasons and there are things I don't like about each). They are all different and have their pros and cons. The expectation I have for the new car is that it has to exude Camaro from all its pores and have the right feel. I believe the Engineers are on the right track and hope our input was valuable to them.

 

I already responded to your premis.... I have no problems with a 4cyl if that day comes, so why are you keeping after this?

Several attendees on several boards already responded to you there was a very good balance among the participants. Let it go already.

We were there to respond to questions about feasible content for the upcoming Camaro launch. To speculate about options that are not available is indeed unrealistic in the context of a 2009 Camaro.

The way you worry about things, I have to ask. Do you put on rubber gloves when you flip a lightswitch? I mean, you never know, there could be a loose wire in there waiting to electrocute you.

 

You've gotta see it from a marketing standpoint as well. Sure, it's mechanically possible, but with the car having quite a legend of being a powerful machine, a 4 cyl option might not sell nearly as well... and would perhaps be a wasted investment. I'm not saying that's a fact, but it's very possible that it wouldn't work out as well as you'd think. To specify with what you've heard, a 4 cyl turbo would be a bit of a culture clash wouldn't you say? You think of those types of engines associated with SRT-4s and the like.

If you're as well-read as you imply, then I'm sure you've read elsewhere about the many engine idea rumors, I'm sure there's at least one rumor out there that would satisfy your argument

Just because they "considered" it, doesn't mean they will actually go through with it. Thoughts and actions are two very different things. Besides, when you consider something, you've gotta weigh the pros and cons. So for all we know, they probably nixed the idea because the bad outweighed the good, if they really did consider it.

 

Actually, I give the group alot of credit. And to those who I've interacted with personally, I respect and have confidence in their opinions.

I just thought it might make for a good discussion, and most responses actually make me respect the 'group's' opinions even more.

 

Let what go? You and me got into a side discussion on 4 cylinders.

If you see a compulsive disorder in that, (as you imply), then who is it exactly who's got the problem?

 

Maybe. But I also think about the Mustang SVO. But I wouldn't necessarily have visions of a high zoot turbo Mustang SVO, if Camaro got a turbo 4 though. This would be a package tuned for high MPG rather than focused on pure performance.

The one big drawback would be cost. I'd imagine that a turbo, intercooled, perhaps DI, Ecotec.....costs more than an LSx V8 or HFV6.

 

The competition already has the blueprints on their desk before we even knew it existed.

They ALL know exactly what everyone else is doing.
It's the reason everyone suddenly went retro with muscle cars
at the same time.
Now what would have been unexpected is if the mustang went retro and the camaro went modern.

Everybody steals everyone elses designs. It's the reason the g8 front will look like the BMW, the reason the 350z and cross fire have the same back end designs at the same time, the reason the new vette and viper look closer to eachother in the front then ever before, the reason the new chevy truck has the big front bumper like the ram already had.

Every competitor knows exactly whats coming out and what body lines to steal. Nothing comes out as a surprise. We all know what the camaro will look like, it hardly helps the competition to know it will have the gas cap on the side of the fender as opposed to the top, because in the end we all decided to accent the gas cap ever since the eclipse did it