johnsocal

If the standard 05 Vette moves-up closer in price and performance to the Viper and the 06 Z06 supasses the Viper in performance and comes even closer the price of a Viper will this make room for the 07 Camaro to fill the $30-40 grand range where the Vette used to sell for years ago.

Im starting to think the GM new stratedgy is to have normal 4bangers in the $10-$20 grand range, performance 4 bangers and v6 sixers in the $20-$30 grand range , V8s in the $30-40 grand range and high-performance V8s in the $40-50 grand range and super-high performance and/or luxury V8s in the $50-$60+ grand range.

Of course there will always be a few exceptions ,but doesnt the exception prove the rule?

Z284ever

I'm just hoping that the '06 Cobra doesn't surpass the '06 Z06.

johnsocal

The only hope for perfromance GM cars in the $20's is either supercharge 4banger like the Saturn Ion Redline (Chevy and Pontiac equivalent) or maybe a 07 V6 RS Camaro and perhaps and the next 2006 v6 Impala and Monte. I would be really suprised if even the next-gen V8 Impala SS or even the V8 version of the next Monte Carlo (or what eve they call it) will be in the $20,000's (most lieky the $30's)

Honestly alot of the new generation V6's (especially nissans V6's) are closer to the performance of a V8 ten years ago and today's performance V8s are closer to those aftermarket supercharged V8's from the last ten years.

Aeromaks

just a shame that a 4 door family sedan (altima 3.5), can outrun a domestic muscle, v8, Mustang, some Z's.

With 2 less cylinders. Eh, time for more mods. lol. That or a big heads/cam.

Darth Xed

Corvette needs to be a Corvette, not a Viper.

Camaro needs to be a Camaro, not a Corvette.


That may be a bit oversimplified... but I think it gets the point across.

jrp4uc

Agreed, but it is kind of interesting that the two (Viper, Vette) are getting closer to each other. I remember when the '03 Viper was unveiled, the talk was that it was starting to become more Vette-like (aside from price). Now with the sharper lines and fixed headlamps, I'm sure the C6 will receive its share of criticism for becoming too much like the new Viper.

guionM

Who in the world said Corvette is moving closer to Viper in price??? Corvette is going to be the same relative price it is today. It's about the only thing Team Corvette has said publicly about the C6. Team Corvette's motto:"Cheaper, Better, Faster" also bears this out!

I also don't understand where you get Corvette is turning into a Viper. Corvette isn't turning into a V10, uncompromising, high priced supercar. The person who is going to buy a Viper isn't going to buy a Corvette simply performance is closer, and when you get into the price range where Viper is, you are buying the car, not comparison shopping!

Sure, car mags will compare the 2, but to say the Corvette is turning into a Viper is quite a bit of a streach.

Your other point is more dead on, but it's not just GM's strategy to price performance cars in the $30K range. ALL V8 IRS RWD performance cars will likely be there, as I mentioned a month ago.

As for the observation of 4 banger in the sub $20K market and V6s in the $20-30K range, that's what's happened today! Z28 and Mustang GT is the automotive history exception. When you factor in inflation and wage increases, 2002 Z28s should also be selling in the low 30s, which they weren't because real prices dropped in the 90s.

People have shown they are more than willing to pay for performance. Ths Camaro SS and WS6 Trans Ams were constant sellers when the rest of the line dropped in sales (including lower priced Z28s and Trans Ams). Cobras have never had a problem selling. and most cars sold today are loaded. To top it all off, the average price of a new car today is a tick over $30,000.

So again, your second point is pretty dead on, and as long as the cars perform great, is no big deal.

johnsocal

I really think the the 05 Vette is going to have a base price around $48-$49 grand and a loaded 06 Z06 will be closer to $60 grand since it most likely have more unique features to help seperate it from the standard Vette.

guionM

That $5,000 price increase (Vettes currently run about $44-51K) not only doesn't put it anywhere near Vipers current $80,000 price tag, it's barely a 10% increase. Factor in 2 years of 3% inflation, and that 10% becomes a meager 4% increase in price. GM's raised most of their car prices more than that since last September!!

Since it's ridiculous to think there's going to be a high powered $25,000 Z28, the next Camaro's likely to have a way bigger percentage increase in price than that.

johnsocal

I agree that much of the price increases is based on inflation and just the cost increases in making and developing an all-new vehicle. This doesn't even consider the huge cost in insurance and workmens-Comp costs that have skyrocketed in the last 2 years.

I dont think we will ever see a $25,000 V8 rwd Z28 ever again the only chance of $25,000 Camaro would be a V6 RS Camaro with one those nextgen highout 6sixers putting out around 250+HP. The performance of a 250hp v6 in a smaller and lighter Camaro would most likely have similar performance to the 275 HP 1994 Z28 with an LT1.

USHotRod

They may outrun it, but they dont look (or sound) nearly as good. There are certain aspects of a V8 that cant be touched by lesser engines. I say let em have their quick little family cars that 95% of them wont even use to its full potential. Ill be the one turning heads in the neighborhood.

Z28x

Your Z28 must really suck if it is getting out run by a Altima.

By the way a 2003 Mustang GT is faster than a 2003 Altima V6

johnsocal

while 0% financing has really helped make some GM cars more affodable I think the unfortunate fact is that car prices are only going up and in some cases they will be skyrocketing.

Not only are cars getting more expensive (especially perfromance cars) but the insurance and the licensing for them are also going up too (especially here in California).

Affordable performance for gen y's and young gen x'ers in the 21st century is going to be about high-output 4 bangers and V8s are going to be luxury items for baby boomers and older Gen x'ers to consume.

stars1010

You mentioned IRS. That caught my eye. Do u think the next Camaro will have it? I'm assuming the top model will to compete with the cobra. But what about V8 RWD cars without IRS, do you see them in the $30K range? Could this be one key to get more performance cars with a lower price tag?

madwolf

Did I miss something?
They will produce Camaros again in 2007??