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Old 05-16-2007, 02:43 PM   #1
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Anyone else see this - C&D Vert Drive

<http://www.caranddriver.com/previews/13004/first-drive-chevrolet-camaro-convertible-concept.html>

"First Drive: Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Concept

Sunny days ahead: Wheeltime in the droptop Camaro concept portends good things to come in 2009.
BY STEVE SILER, May 2007


Seventeen months have passed since the Camaro Concept coupe made its debut. Since then, we learned that the Camaro would indeed be produced (on GM’s much touted Zeta platform), we saw the stunning convertible concept, and learned, of course, that it, too, would be produced. Somewhere in between, editor-in-chief Csaba Csere drove the coupe concept in Detroit. And recently, we got to drive the sexy ragtop in California. Was there a production Camaro anywhere in sight? Nope. Were the designers on hand loose-lipped and revealing of all those details we’re so hungry for? Not this time.

A great ragtop in the making
What we did find out, not surprisingly, is that the Camaro is going to make a great droptop. In the California sunshine, the convertible’s Hugger Orange metallic paint shimmered, while light shot off the chrome from its massive 21-inch wheels. Next to the deep blue lake on Tejon Ranch, the Camaro looked every bit of badass, yet invitingly approachable in that extroverted hue. Indeed, the roofless Camaro will not only look good, but should allow the driver to look good in a way that the hardtop just can’t: by exposing him to the throngs of envious passersby. The convertible requires its drivers to trade some of the hardtop’s intensity for some genuine joi de vie. And that’s a trade we expect a lot of people to willingly make.

Too big for reality
But boy is she big. At 186.2 inches in length, the Camaro Convertible Concept is about as long as a Ford Mustang but the Chevy is fully six inches wider, and if the concept had a production-spec windshield and roof, it’d be a couple more inches taller. The fenders are waist high and the huge wheels completely fill out the fenders.

These dimensions, however dramatic for the auto show stand, render both concepts about two sizes too big for road-ready musclecar duties, a reality we experienced behind the wheel; it’s scary enough to be driving a multi-million-dollar one-off show star, but trying to keep the big thing within the narrow lanes of the Tejon Ranch back roads was absolutely nerve wracking, made only worse by its show-car (i.e. held together by Scotch tape) steering system that had its own whimsical interpretations of our directional inputs.

The Camaro’s massiveness was even more apparent when Chevy drove the convertible into the weekly classic car meet at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, where it completely dwarfed the vintage Mustangs, Corvettes, and Camaros on display. Gotta tell ya, though, even the Mustang guys loved it.

Great interior
All that width, of course, makes for a very spacious cabin. Whereas the Camaro Coupe Concept is closed and cave-like, the convertible is the opposite. Its chopped, gray-tinted windshield is way too low to be feasible for production, but boy does it make for a sunny cockpit. We can’t say enough about those bitchin’ gauges, though we doubt we’ll see them in the production model.

The white seats with contrasting stitching are great to look at and very comfortable. The rear bench is wide enough for three, though there are only seat belts for two. And the low rear headrests create a nicely unobstructed view out the back. And perhaps the best argument to take this convertible over is hardtop sibling: there’s no roof or window glass between your ears and the glorious LS2 V-8 symphony trumpeting through the tailpipes.

Don’t worry, it’ll shrink
The only real news from our brief joyride was confirmation that the production Camaros will be smaller than the concepts in pretty much every dimension, which would make it comparable to its Blue Oval–branded nemesis. It will be shorter, narrower, and shod with smaller wheels. Its windshield will grow to provide actual wind shielding for six-footers, and the interior will shrink to something more natural for a 2+2 musclecar. We were assured, however, that the changes won’t significantly alter Camaro’s flawless proportions, something we’re inclined to believe knowing that since late 2005—before either Camaro concept saw the light of day—members of the Camaro’s original design team have been working in Australia on the Zeta platform rear-drive underpinnings, ensuring that the production version stays true to the vision.

Shrinking the Camaro will also make it easier to extract the very most from the Camaro’s muscle. This is a musclecar, after all, and as such, the flagship engine will be the 400-hp LS2 V-8 straight out of the 2007 Corvette. One or two V-6s will also be available for lower-cost models, likely including the new 302-horsepower, direct-injection 3.6-liter from the 2008 Cadillac STS and CTS. All engines will offer a choice of six-speed transmissions of both automatic and manual varieties.

So is there anything left to do now? How about letting us see the real thing? For that, however, we’re gonna have to wait until it launches in spring of 2009."


Some interesting info in here... most suprising is the idea that the convertable would shrink! I kind of like the size that it is! That's probably because I am pretty tall (as is my whole family) so a slightly larger pony car would be great!

~LSx
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Old 05-16-2007, 03:31 PM   #2
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Some interesting info in here... most suprising is the idea that the convertable would shrink! I kind of like the size that it is! That's probably because I am pretty tall (as is my whole family) so a slightly larger pony car would be great!

~LSx
I agree in the sense that I don't want to see the Camaro shrink either. If the windshield is too low, lower the seat! Or, make it a power seat that can lower for us tall guys and raise for the not as tall. I don't know how much it's going to shrink. All I've heard is that it's shrinking in width by 1/2 inch..still 5 1/2 inches wider than any Camaro ever produced. It's roof is raised something like 14mm (don't exaclty recall that one). I don't know abou the overall length though. Don't think anything's been said about the length at all the boards here. Yup...I'd love a slightly larger pony car too!
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Old 05-16-2007, 03:46 PM   #3
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"The rear bench is wide enough for three, though there are only seat belts for two."

I like the sound of that since I'm already looking at having an upholstery shop redo the back seat into a usable 3 person bench with belts (my 3 daughters will fit nicely back there booster seats and all)

While I don't want to see the car shrink since I like it as is...slicing a half inch here or there, but keeping the same proportions will keep the look of the car but keep the weight down as well. And that will be a huge advantage when sitting next to a Mustang, Challenger, or Charger at a stoplight.
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Old 05-16-2007, 08:06 PM   #4
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I thinks it's great and all that these guys got to drive the Vert, but come on...he's another one of those people who think the LS2 is ggoing to be in it...and from what I have heard - correct me, but the production car looks exactly like the concept coupe, with a couple .mm off of each dimention...(sigh)
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Old 05-16-2007, 08:32 PM   #5
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A couple things I may not have mentioned from last weekend at the donut shop; When Tom Peters was talking to Chip Foose about the fuel fill, it seemed that the reason it needs to be re-located is about safety and it's location relative to the rear wheel. He was motioning how the tire could throw stuff up (rocks?) towards the fill tube and cause some problems. Chip was motioning to move it forward but Tom didn't seem too sure about the location yet. A little smaller diameter and forward might work but I hope they keep it up there and don't put it on the side.
The other thing I heard Tom mention a couple times was how the production sheet metal is "looking really good".
So, if they have some body panels, how close are we really?
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Old 05-17-2007, 02:47 AM   #6
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A couple things I may not have mentioned from last weekend at the donut shop; When Tom Peters was talking to Chip Foose about the fuel fill, it seemed that the reason it needs to be re-located is about safety and it's location relative to the rear wheel. He was motioning how the tire could throw stuff up (rocks?) towards the fill tube and cause some problems. Chip was motioning to move it forward but Tom didn't seem too sure about the location yet. A little smaller diameter and forward might work but I hope they keep it up there and don't put it on the side.
The other thing I heard Tom mention a couple times was how the production sheet metal is "looking really good".
So, if they have some body panels, how close are we really?
Ken
Once new sheetmetal is approved I would guess within 6 to 8 months. When my plant switched body styles we were making the new saleable units within that time frame.
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Old 05-17-2007, 09:52 AM   #7
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Once new sheetmetal is approved I would guess within 6 to 8 months. When my plant switched body styles we were making the new saleable units within that time frame.
Did your plant change anything else? Just curious. Because if that's all they have left to work on is bodypanels, we could be close. But, I have a feeling there's more...much more to work on with manufacturers, etc. If Tom and Chip are talking about gas cap location, there's obviously other issues that are still in the works and need to be panned out before they can really go ahead. All the little issues add up and begin to take time.
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Old 05-17-2007, 05:10 PM   #8
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Umm...LS2? I thought it was getting the LS7?? And I thought there were going to be more than one V8 model?

Also, I think the top-mounted fuel fill is cool and different, but I'm worried about spilling fuel on the car. Hell, most pumps I've used always drip a little and I don't want that stuff on my ride.
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Old 05-17-2007, 10:24 PM   #9
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^ Just be careful when you fill it! Seriously, if the gas cap stays in the same location, I'm taking a rag every time I fill up. And...that's fine by me!
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Old 05-18-2007, 06:37 AM   #10
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Did your plant change anything else? Just curious. Because if that's all they have left to work on is bodypanels, we could be close. But, I have a feeling there's more...much more to work on with manufacturers, etc. If Tom and Chip are talking about gas cap location, there's obviously other issues that are still in the works and need to be panned out before they can really go ahead. All the little issues add up and begin to take time.
That was the thing...we went from the 1999 tahoes and suburbans and went to the 2000-6, then from the 06 to the 07s......the 2000-2006 was the biggest change but this last time alot of the sheetmetal changed, and like I said once the sheetmetal is approved and good, it should only be 6 to 8 months.
We had sheetmetal for the 07s in the plant and test running them four months before we made the first non-saleable unit. Unfortunately, if they are still thinking about moving the gas fill door at this point we could be in for quite a wait. Not to mention the cost to GM to have new dies made for that quarterpanel. Yup.....if they have to move it now...someone on the design team really got an a-- chewing.
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Old 05-18-2007, 12:54 PM   #11
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If they are still talking about gas cap location, they haven't even started on the die for that quarter panel. They wouldn't make a die (IMO) if they didn't know how it was going to be built. That could be a potential big financial loss. It just wouldn't make sense to build something you might not use. GM wouldn't take that chance. They could easily have started on the other panels. I firmly believe we have a good two years to go......*sigh*.
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Old 05-27-2007, 03:41 PM   #12
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Please, Chevy: YES, SHRINK IT - Go one smaller than the Mustang, even! One of the Mustang's problems is its size & weight - these pony cars need to get back to their roots size-wise, go on diets, & get the word "nimble" added into the handling descriptors!
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Old 05-27-2007, 04:07 PM   #13
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I firmly believe we have a good two years to go......*sigh*.
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Old 05-27-2007, 04:21 PM   #14
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Please, Chevy: YES, SHRINK IT - Go one smaller than the Mustang, even! One of the Mustang's problems is its size & weight - these pony cars need to get back to their roots size-wise, go on diets, & get the word "nimble" added into the handling descriptors!

Exactly! :p
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