Ron78Z&01SS

I saw this clip in the "multimedia" section: http://video.lsxtv.com/video/1700 , but i think it deserves a look/listen in the powertrain section.


Really "listen" to Ed Peper from about 3:10 to 3:45
"....powertrain group at GM.....always cooking up stuff.....you have to continue coming out with the latest and greatest....in varying engines and trim levels......We're gonna have some unexpected surprises when we bring the model to market in the early part of 2009"

Later on at 5:00 when talking about engines, he says "....folks who love musclecars are gonna love our V8 variants alot...."

I know the current belief is that the 500hp+ motor should be out about a year after the Camaro is initially released, but the above statements make me wonder if early release of the "top dog" might be one of those "surprises".

Did any one else take it the same way, or am I just reading WAY TO MUCH into it??

FS3800

that'd be awesome if they released the top v8 first model year

ChrisL

Soley based on what GM has done in the past..... Camaro wont see anything until Corvette has it first.

sharpe

^Oh, no. They'd never do that...

shock6906

Yeah, it's not like it's ever happened before or anything...

Ron78Z&01SS

I don't follow the Challenger at all, but I did a quick search and the belief is (at least from what I found on the net) that the Callenger will have a V8 with around 420hp and an SRT V8 with 500hp+ IN THE FIRST YEAR. If someone who does follow the new Challenger knows different, then please correct me.

Ford's GT500R is supposed to have 540hp.

So, not only will GM be the last to the party with an early 2009 release, but they'll wait an additional year before they have anything to compete with Ford & Chrysler's "bad-@ss"?
.........man I hope not.

So far, nobody "in the know" has replied to this thread to raise the B.S. flag or even say "wishful thinking" or "don't count on it"......hmmmmm

tom2

I posted on another site that more than one V8 would be a good idea, but one of the guys with GM said it wouldn't happen. So, I guess we'll see but I still think there's a market for the medium power V8. Not everyone wants the tire shredding big horse engine with the insurance rates to suit, and a V6 Camaro doesn't interest too many either. Recall back in the late 70s when Camaros were really selling big, most cars were actually not sixes or Z28s.

montecarlofan

who said it would never happen? what "GM guy"? scott?

hyperv6

You will get one V8 the first year and the big V8 a year to year and a half later.

Not sure if both V6 engines will be out the first year but these will be very imprtant to the health of this car. One of the coming V6 engines will pick up where the 4th Gen Z28 left off.

SS 396

Let's just hope GM hears us. We're the ones who don't want a V6 Camaro, but don't really want a gas guzzler, and don't really want to pay the possibly sky high insurance rates and whatever else that comes with the territory of having a tire smokin' top dollar V8; but we want a Camaro with a V8 in it just so we don't have to hear "If it's not V8, it's craaap!!!"

Plus it's nice to (hopefully) beat the GT 'stangs at least marginally to keep them quiet too. Let the top dog Camaro deal with the Challengers and Shelby GTs and whatever else the competition can and will throw in their direction.

Either way, can't wait to see the General unleash the beast.

wildpaws

As has been noted in other threads/forums, '67 Camaro got the new 350 engine before the Vette did, so it has happened in the past.
Clyde

tom2

Yep. Been a month or so since the post, be hard to find now.

Dragoneye

I'm cool with a single V8. having a choice of two would be nice, but methinks it could drive the cost up if there are too many big choices like that.

However, I have heard some "GM guys" talk about powertrains as though there would be two V8's. Take this for instance:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/11/d...with-ed-peper/

I interpret this; "We will have a V8...we'll have a fuel efficient V6 and we'll have a high performing V6 and we will have a high performing V8 but we haven't settled on the engine in that yet." There will be 2 V6's and 2 V8's, but they've only decided on three of the 4 engines.

Ron78Z&01SS

.....I'm not.

Yeah, I read the autoblog interview, and from that it DOES sound like just one V8 (at least the first year), but the date on that was early January. The Peper interview video on my original thread is from the Woodward Cruise much later. And it sounds like (to me at least) that he's hinting at a second V8 in the first year. I'm still hung up on "....unexpected surprises when we bring the model to market in the early part of 2009" immediately after he talks about GM powertrain group.

IF GM has the engine (and drivetrain to take the power) sufficiently tested and has the ability to mass produce it, why the hell wouldn't they release the bad-@ss in 2009? If "the" engine isn't ready in time, how about offering an LS7? I know originally the LS7 was an expensive motor but perhaps over time the costs have dropped a bit. And even if it is still relatively expensive, why not drop it in the bad-@ss Camaro anyway for that first year?

GM would be a bunch of damn fools to answer both the Challenger thundering into its first year with an optional 500hp+ version, and the top Mustang offering well over 500hp with a substantially lower 430hp or even 450hp (with luck) LS3 powered Camaro as the "top" model in 2009. If you're coming back into the game after a 7 year absence you should come in with a thunderous BANG to get everyone's attention AND to rattle the competition, not just a loud "pop" that you hope will make people notice you.

Am I asking too much? .........Maybe?
Am I greedy? ......better believe it!

.....like I said, it may just be wishful thinking on my part and I may be inferring too much from the Peper interview...but still

Dragoneye

I've never considered GT500, as a regular Mustang, the top-end "mainstream" Mustang, to me, is their GT premium...

GT500, would be territory for, like, a Foose, or some other limited production Camaro.

And though I agree it might be advantageous to GM to offer a hugely powerful Hp Camaro...it won't be the LS7(I've thought that for a while, and even Mr. Settlemire 'confirmed' it), and there has been no confirmation that I've seen that either competing car has a 500+hp engine planned for release. I could have missid that, though.

even as it is. If you consider GT500 to be just anther trim Mustang, then take into account it didn't release in the Mustang's first year.

"Buisnessly" (is that a word?) speaking, it's probably not such a good idea to offer too many engines...just 1 V8 would spread costs across a much larger amount of engines, then two diff. motors. V6's don't matter as much because the chances that the V6's they use are in multiple other vehicles, is high.

There are soooo many pro's and con's in either direction (1 V8, or 2), that I have no idea which I think will likely happen...I don't mind not knowing, though - I'm looking forward to being surprised. I want this car to still hold a 'wow' factor for me, not a "yep, I told ya so" feeling.