If you want to save some real money, save up for the car now and pay for as much as you can as a down payment. You could save a couple grand in interest other than try to pinch pennies for a few "delete" options.

Trucks are the biggest indication that the average consumer does not want a stripped down vehicle. Today, truck interiors and features rival some high end cars..... and they sell in the largest volumes.

 

EXACTLY!!!!!!

Both of the window motors in my B4C have be dead for about 5 months (yes.... BOTH motors died about the same time.

My '97 had the driver's motor replaced twice in 6 years, and the passenger motor replaced once. My 93 driver's side motor was starting to go when I sold it (had it for about a year.

I think I told this to Scott one time when I saw him... The person who did those window motors should have been shot.

I think everyone has done a great job of answering already. Just about every point was made.


Dave, you and me would buy stripper models. But the truth is that there are so very few of us that it simply isn't cost effective. Let me offer a couple of examples.

First, I have a base 2002 B4C hardtop (one of just 125 made that year). Save the 1LE control arms and maybe also the bushings, it's the same thing as a stripped Z28. That year a stripped base level Camaro Z28 had a msrp of under $23K. For most of that year, the car was also part GM's incentive programs available at the time, which in some areas pushed the price to below $20,000!

You'd expect something like that to sell like hotcakes. Guess what. They were harder to sell than a case of herpes. Camaro sales tumbled into the toilet from the day the 1998s came out. Do you know whick model held stead, and actually increased in sales? The fully loaded Camaro SS.


Another glaring, and even better example comes from our friends over at Pontiac with the Firebird.

Pontiac had performance in 3 flavors. Stripper Formula, mid zoot Trans Am, and the $30K plus WS6 Ram Air.

Get a load of the sales breakdown for 2002 (better sit down for this):

Trans Am Ram Air: 14,908
Trans Am: 4,960
Formula: 901!....no, not a typo.... nine hundred and one!

Fully loaded, no optioned, $30K+ GTOs sold over 14K per year average.

Now imagine going into a meeting and attempting to convince the powers that be to spend extra money for things that not only will bring in less money per car instead of more, but also will sell in numbers so low you aren't likely to ever get your investment back. Assuming you still had a job afterwards, your reasoning ability will forever be questioned.

You can't sell a car without air conditioning today. Ditto stereos (which today house a good portion of the car's computer and diagnostic systems at the very least. Personally, I prefer roll up windows over power and the 4th gen's history with power window motors is the poster child as to why I feel that way. But being that of the 3 Thunderbirds I've own, all are on their original motors )and despite being one being 18 years old, it's motor still works perfectly!!!), I'm cool with the advantages of power windows as long as they are as trouble free as Ford seems able to make theirs.

Truth is, people tend to load up cars when they buy new. Unlike pickups which are often bought simply to haul, or as a stripped work truck, cars are more of a convience. Something to reward yourself with (especially when we're tallking about performance cars).

I had a base Mustang LX 5.0 with just AC. I have a B4C that's also stripped. I'd love to buy a 5th gen that's as basic as my Mustang was but thanks to the volumes of people who bought Camaro SS while base Camaro Z28s sat on lots, ain't likely to happen.

 

I remember when my Mom bought her 1988 Olds Delta 88 brand new. She went out of her way to find one equiped EXACTLY this way:

Power locks WITHOUT power windows
Split front bench seat WITHOUT power drivers seat

Guess what - she found it.

My point is back then, GM offered 200 option combinations of every car. If you couldn't find it they way you wanted it, you could order it exactly how you wanted it. At the same time, GM was canibalizing their own profits, something they wouldn't realize they were doing for another 15 years. I really don't think it takes an Einstein to realize every time someone wants something a little different on their car you have to alter the production at specific steps which costs time and money, but apparently GM did.

Part of what makes Japanese car companies very profitable is that they pre-package their options based on popularity in regions of the country. If you want a Camry equiped a certain way, good chance you will have to buy it with more than you want, and pay for it. They do not do special orders. The dealers can locate one for you, but the one you want equiped the way you want it may not be available in your jurisdiction. Honda doesn't even have option packages. They have 4 or 5 trim levels of each car and each trim level adds features and upgrades drivetrain. The only "options" from Honda are dealer installed accessories like spoilers and fog lights.

GM is moving in this direction in order to streamline the production process. They have to, because their competition has been doing it for years and it is killing GM.

 

You want to spend less, but why does GM want to sell you a less profitable car?

There is no point to GM spending more time and effort to sell you something they make less money on.

If you want something you have to give them incentive to them to give it to you. You've provided them none, and want extra work .

 

Don't mean to sound like an *** and this is off topic but as a person who had relatives killed by the ****'s in the camps, could you please get rid of jerminator96's quote. I am 37 and remember my grandmother talking about the camps. I don't know how old you are but someone my age is not fair game for a jewish joke nor any age. I am not a prude nor is my family jewish but I think it is inappropriate in the context of chatting about the new Camaro.
PM me if you wish to discuss.

Thanks,

Jason

 

Once again, guionM nails it.

I think it's important to understand that the Camaro isn't going to be the everyman/woman's car that it was in the 70s and 80s. GM has numerous other cheaper amd more practical models for people who want "strippers" or "secretary cars". The Camaro is going to be targeting a more upscale demographic of people who really want a sporty muscle car, and these people are going to expect a certain minimum level of optioning.

 

Excellent observation. That is why group packaging is the way of the future. Afterall, they're GM... not Burger King.