Independent Rear Suspension?
 

The 2009 Camaro is probably going to have the Zeta Platform, which has all independent suspension. SO, is this platform going to be able to get all that 400 horsepower down to the weels. Wouldn't it be more cost effective and stable for the Camaro to have a rear axle? Shouldn't MUSCLE CARS have rear axle suspension. I know very little about the Zeta Platform and it kind of has me worried so please enlighten me! It is speculated that that the front tires will be 275 in the front and 305 at the rear. Is that even Realistic?

305 is about 12 inches in the rear. 1920/21 x 12" is some serious tread. I'd say it's very possible. The vipers run 335s and they have 13" wide wheels (last time I checked).

I don't know much about Zeta platform, but I would venture that Chevy probably has done it's homework. I don't think they'd put something on the car that is less cost efficient unless it was more performance efficient.

I wouldn't worry about it... Independent Rear suspension has been used on loads of really powerful cars outside the US for years... Lamborghini, Ferrari, Merc, BMW, Porsche, TVR, Noble... the list goes on.
These guys have all produced absolute rocketships in the car scene.... i can only see benefits from this i.e. potentially better cornering capabilities.

The IRS ought to be fine. Holden has had some problems with their particular IRS system handling the power, but that isn't a problem with IRS as a whole, as noted above^. There are serious rumors we'll get a G8 GXP in not too long, and that will likely have more than 400 hp, so we'll see how it goes. By all reports I've read so far the IRS on the Zeta platform has been able to handle the G8 GT's 360 hp and 392 lb-ft without any problems, so we're off to a good start.

The only problem with 275 tires up front and 305s out back, are that tires that size are usually on high performance tires that also come at pretty steep prices. That would drive up the base price of the Camaro.

I would expect something more along the lines 245s or 255s all round, maybe a 265 in the rear, anything more will would probably be too expensive. The 400hp GTO only ran on 245s with a 235 option!

The independent rear will not be as good as a solid rear for straight line drag racing, but the one or two tenths you might loose in the 1/4 mile will be more than made up on a road course (if you know how to drive) and will feel better on the road overall.

Agreed^

I'd rather have the more well-rounded car. It will probably still smoke all other cars in its class (and a few classes above it as well) on the 1/4 mile, so IRS should be a negligible liability at worst.

IRS makes sense on the Camaro because it has always been a pony car, not just a mere muscle car. That means that it should be able to go quick in a straight line but also maintain a lot of that speed in the turns. Plus, everybody makes fun of domestic performance cars because they can never turn. The New Camaro will end that, or at least shut a few people up

good point...top gear and won't be able to make fun of the Camaro like they did with the mustang.

They bagged on the Corvette for using Leaf springs.

I'm sure Top Gear would find something wrong with the Camaro's IRS anyway.

They will say the IRS design isn't as advanced as Euro or Japanese IRS designs that have active this, computer-aided that, "I can't f'ing drive" handling electronics.

you know, supposedly Jeremy Clarkson drives a third gen...or at least he has one. Maybe he won't be too tough:iono:

Not concerened w/ the Camaros IRS at all. In fact, I'm looking forward to it. If something breaks, I'll just take it back to get it fixed. If it continues breaking, I'll upgrade it. First off, I'm not going to be that hard on it anyway. This car is going to handle brilliantly for every day driving.

Don't forget...the guys over from Cadillac were the ones designing this Camaro.....> The ride will be perfect and the IRS will be fine. There might be some wheelhop w/ all that power, but that's what aftermarket is for, once again.

Well the Zeta platform is used on the Holden / Vauxhall VXR8 or the Pontiac G8... so i suppose if you want some hint on what it'll be like, go and test drive one of those (although the G8 doesn't seem to get the 414bhp of the Holden or Vauxhall).

It doesn't appear to be a problem! I see LOTS of smoke, but no wheel hop!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=0

Vauxhall VXR8 being hooned on by the nice lady from 5th Gear!

~LSx

EDIT: Even better... its at the end of this video!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=4