If I have to hear "You should have got a V8" one more time....

[AGldnGrl]

Originally Posted by King Sun

I tell them its a hybrid

That was funny, made me laugh out loud...would sure get a look and they'd walk away 4-sure..

When I say "they", I mean non-camaro owners...A camaro, is a Camaro...regardless of the engine, whether it be LS, LT, SS, RS...it's a CAMARO.

Exerted from Gateway Camaro Club's website:

From: Scott.Settlemire
Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 1:45 AM
Subject: Thank you!

December 25, 2001

Merry Christmas, My Fellow Camaro and Firebird Enthusiasts! Well, for the first time in nearly 48 years, I was finally rendered speechless. (and for those of you who know me well, I always have something to say about everything!) My family and I exchange Christmas Gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve. There was a very special gift waiting for me this year, one that I shall treasure forever. Imagine my surprise when I unwrapped a VERY thick album stuffed full of letters from my fellow Camaro Enthusiasts thanking me for the "job" I do for Camaro. An even bigger surprise is that you feel that this is a job! My friends, I am honored and humbled to be doing the job I'm doing. As the letter my mother enclosed said " From the time you were two years old, we knew you were destined to be involved in the automobile industry in a big way." I cannot imagine a job I'd rather do. Yes, it has had its rough moments. September 25th was probably the hardest day of my professional career when I had to announce that Ste. Therese would close, that those great men and women who build our Camaro and Firebird would be retired, moved, or "transitioned" and that Camaro would go on "hiatus." And yes, the Financial Meetings and Legal Staff Meetings are sometimes nearly unbearable. But the best part of this job is to have the privilege of traveling across the United States and Canada to spend time with the people who really count:,.you, the Camaro Enthusiasts.who have made this wonderful car called 'Camaro' into a lifestyle.

I have a tradition from my college days. On Christmas and on my birthday every year, I "take stock" of where I've been and where I'm going. .I always wonder what the next year will bring. In my wildest dreams, I would never have imagined that I would get to work on the car that I have so dearly loved since September 29, 1966. In fact, when I was promoted to Assistant Brand Manager Camaro on the Camaro/Corvette Brand Team, I dedicated the rest of my career to the memory of my Father, Dale Settlemire, who was a Chevy Dealer for many years. What I did not realize at that time is that I would meet so many wonderful friends. and to this point, I am speechless. My tear ducts got a good Christmas cleaning-out as I read through the letters. I also sensed my Dad giving me high fives from the great Chevy Showroom in the sky. My friends, I do not believe there is a happier guy on earth right now. Nor is there someone more humbled and honored that you would take the time to write such nice letters. My commitment to you? I will NEVER let General Motors or Chevrolet forget the Camaro. (not that they would ever forget it in the first place!) As long as I am around, I will remain (as Johnny Hunkins, Editor of GM HiTech Performance recently described me) 'the Energizer Bunny of the Camaro.'

From the bottom of my Chevy-Bowtie-shaped heart, I thank each of you for your kindness. May the new year bring each of you health, happiness, and prosperity. And may our country remain the best ever.

Your Camaro Comrade,

Scott Settlemire
(aka The Fbodfather)
(aka Red Planet)

Let ALL Gen5 owners be thankful the "bunny" brought her back!!

[OOLIE]

Great letter. I am late to the boat but glad I finally got a seat.

[AGldnGrl]

How Camaro got its name
by Scott Settlemire

According to some within General Motors, a 4-seat sports car was designed in the late 50s for a growing America......it would be the Turbo-charged Corvair Spyder of 1962......additionally, Chevrolet unveiled the "Super Nova" at the New York Autoshow in March of 1964.....a matter of weeks prior to Ford unveiling the Mustang......and while the Corvair was restyled in the fall of 1964....and the Turbocharged Spyder was renamed "Corsa," within 6 months, the sales figures for Mustang convinced GM that the "pony car" market was more than just a flash in the pan.

Work became more intense on a program called the "XP-836".....a four seat sporty-type coupe that would share an all-new platform with the 1968 Nova X-body. This new car was referred to as the "Panther" or "F-body." It would be the first GM car where computers were used extensively in the development process. The idea behind the car that would become "Camaro" was to offer a great-looking sporty car that attracted attention, no matter where it went. It would have the incredible performance attributes of the legendary Chevy small-block V8. ("the closest thing to a Vette, yet!") Additionally, the car must ride smoothly, but handle like a european sports car. It must allow the individual to tailor the car to his or her needs and wants -- both from a performance and appearance standpoint.....and it must do all of this at a Chevrolet price. (I think you will agree that these brand attributes have been kept for 35 years.)

According to documents dated June 10, 1966, and exhaustive search was conducted for appropriate names starting with the letter "C." -- it should also be noted that at that time in Chevy's history, all of the car lines started with the letter "C".......Chevrolet, Chevelle, Chevy II, Corvair and Corvette.....(BelAir, Impala, Malibu, etc were models within the car lines....) Furthermore, this stayed true until the fall of 1969 when the 1970 Monte Carlo was introduced.....but I digress!

A short list was developed from a list of over 2,200 words starting with "C" .....and then an even more massive search was done to ensure that the name picked would not have any negative connotation....... One word really stood out from the others....."Camaro."

In Heath's New French and English Dictionary dated 1932...the word "Camaro" is defined as "Comrade, Friend, Mate, Chum, or Pal." Thus, the name "Camaro" was chosen and blessed by then-General Manager Eliot M. "Pete" Estes (who would later become President of General Motors.) When announcing the Camaro to the press worldwide, Mr. Estes had this to say about the name: "Chevrolet has chosen a name which is lithe and graceful....in keeping with our other car names
beginning with 'C.' It suggests comradeship of good friends, as a personal car should be to its owner."And so it was............and on September 29, 1966, the Camaro roared to life in thousands of Chevy dealerships nationwide. From a personal perspective, I often wonder if Mr. Estes had any inkling that the Camaro would go on to become an American Icon with a 35 year history......and that the car would forge untold numbers of friendships --pals or comrades, if you will. [UPDATE: 45 year history!!]

[AGldnGrl]

Originally Posted by OOLIE

Great letter. I am late to the boat but glad I finally got a seat.

Been my dream car and FINALLY have one! Appreciate her SO-o-o-o-o much!!

[ROD1]

No comment. No need to address penis envy. Thats not your problem, thats theirs.

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

Originally Posted by ROD1

No comment. No need to address penis envy. Thats not your problem, thats theirs.

[motorhead]

If I have to hear "You should have got a V8" one more time....


You should of gotten a V-8. LOL

Kidding of course. Them them to "F" off. That always works for me.

[n2oSS]

I will tell ya different, you should not get a V8.

[KING_DJ]

When I take off in my V6, I always look at he MPH and still think that is quick, it can't be much difference in a v8. It only reach 0-60 1.2 seconds faster! What a waste!

[shrinkdoc]

Just depends on if you want a hi 13sec car or a high 12 sec car. Or if you go bone stock and can live with low 14s...the choice is yours.

[E.T.]

A second or two makes a big difference. The upgrade was worth it to me. It's also nice to have a ton of TQ in the low RPMs

[Denis]

The "should've got a v8" thing seems like it only really come up when comparing the two. Or when comparing the v6 to a competitor to the SS. If all you wanna do is beat mustang GT's and RT Challengers... Then yea. You're probably gonna hear that. But if you wanna compete in the power range that the V6 is in them you shouldn't have any issues.

I have a lot of respect for the V6 guys...but I loose respect for both sides when crying and dick measuring starts.

[DSX_Camaro]

Get a S/C and you'll be able to say they should have gotten a 6... lmao

[Jason@JacFab]

This thread is 2 years old!!

My .02... Having owned both 5th gen v8 first, and now a v6... Call me crazy, but I think I honestly enjoy the v6 more for daily driving. The only times I miss the v8 car is the rare occasion when I would get on hard on a low gear, and when I go to the drag strip.

Aside from that, about 99% of the time, when I wasn't testing parts, or drag racing, I drove it like a grandpa trying to get the absolute best gas mileage I could. I found that more entertaining than hot rodding around. Constantly looking at the AVG MPG read out thinking to myself "How much can I squeeze out this time?"

Sounds sad I know... But this v6? I can "hot rod" around and still get good gas mileage, I can rod it around everywhere and still get 20-22 mpg in town... Fun...

Sounds dumb, I know... But still fun.