Popularity of Camaro headache for GM

[RyanG]

"General Motors has a new – and all-too-rare – hit. But far from solving the embattled carmaker’s problems, the popularity of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro muscle car highlights the dilemma confronting the Detroit manufacturers over their vehicle development plans.

GM has so far taken 18,000 firm orders for the Camaro, enough to justify adding a Saturday shift over the summer at the Oshawa, Ontario, plant where the car is built.

Most of GM’s other North American assembly lines are due to extend their normal summer shutdown in a drive to bring down swollen inventories. GM has made a nod to fuel efficiency by building a six-cylinder version that achieves a creditable 29 miles per gallon.

Even so, the Camaro does not exactly fit the *eco-friendly image that politicians in Washington – who now have effective control of the company – are pushing GM, Ford Motor and Chrysler to adopt.

A cornerstone of Chrysler’s court-supervised restructuring is an alliance with Fiat that will bring a stable of small, European-style, cars into North American showrooms.

Gary Dilts, senior vice-president at JD Power, a consultancy, defends GM by observing that “it’s a big marketplace and [GM] has to cover it”.

But Mr Dilts, a former Chrysler executive, also criticises the car industry’s long incubation period for new models, typically 4-5 years. Once the process is underway, carmakers have little leeway to take account of changing consumer preferences.

After receiving the go-ahead for a $500m investment in a new model, Mr Dilts asks: “Who in the company is going to stand up and say, is this the right direction?”

JD Power is currently working with carmakers, including GM, to find more flexible product-development processes.

The prototype Camaro was the star of the Detroit auto show when it was first shown in January 2006. In its previous incarnation, the Camaro was for 35 years one of America’s best-known sports cars. But GM pulled the plug in 2002 after sales fell off sharply.

David Champion, director of Consumer Reports’ testing centre, predicts “terrific demand” for the new model. “It’s a good, comfortable car to drive if you’re not too tall and you don’t care too much about the fit and finish,” Mr Champion says.

Whatever the new Camaro’s image, Terry Rhadigan, a GM spokesman, predicts that it will drive a lot of traffic into Chevrolet dealerships. GM will be quite happy if people who pop in to admire a Camaro end up leaving with a Malibu sedan or – starting in early 2011 – a Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid."


Full Artcile Here

[rolnslo]

Originally Posted by RyanG

...David Champion, director of Consumer Reports’ testing centre, predicts “terrific demand” for the new model. “It’s a good, comfortable car to drive if you’re not too tall and you don’t care too much about the fit and finish,” Mr Champion says.

Compared to what?

[Mr. Wyndham]

I don't understand the point of the article.....it's popular but it's not a Volt?

Originally Posted by rolnslo

Compared to what?

Something foriegn...Doesn't matter what. They don't even need to test it to tell you.

[FenwickHockey65]

Camaro has amazing fit and finish...some of the best to come out of GM in recent years.

Oh wait, Consumer Reports said that. Never mind, just ignore their GM-hating bullsh*t.

[westvanGT]

Originally Posted by rolnslo

Compared to what?

CR is notorious for giving all imports a head-start in their press materials...

[levi1922]

i failed to see how it was causing GM prblems due to popularity. idk

[Richochet83]

What the hell do you expect when you produce a car this gorgeous. And to make matters worst it looks exactly like the concept. they should have been started production on this car. There is no way they would think that this many people would come out the wood works for this car. Thats just like GM doing a replica of the 96 Impala SS but in more modern form. (i.e General Lee and the new Challenger). Folks would flood the dealerships.

[StoutFiles]

Dammit! This car is too popular and we're selling too many!

[ZombieEatsYou]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

I don't understand the point of the article.....it's popular but it's not a Volt?

That's exactly the point; "It doesn't matter what you WANT to buy, but what WE want you to buy." This story is part of the narrative. "yes the car is popular, yes it gets great gas mileage - but, boy, if only GM knew how to shorten their production cycle, then they could have recognized the changing political landscape and shaped their product line more in tune with what the overlords in D.C. intended Americans to drive..."

[REAPER SS]

I wish this year would speed up so they can get the pre orders out & next year produce the orders regularly.

[Dakota Kid]

Originally Posted by ZombieEatsYou

That's exactly the point; "It doesn't matter what you WANT to buy, but what WE want you to buy." This story is part of the narrative. "yes the car is popular, yes it gets great gas mileage - but, boy, if only GM knew how to shorten their production cycle, then they could have recognized the changing political landscape and shaped their product line more in tune with what the overlords in D.C. intended Americans to drive..."

YES, that is exactly correct.

[kmdrum79]

Originally Posted by rolnslo

Originally Posted by RyanG
...David Champion, director of Consumer Reports’ testing centre, predicts “terrific demand” for the new model. “It’s a good, comfortable car to drive if you’re not too tall and you don’t care too much about the fit and finish,” Mr Champion says.

Originally Posted by rolnslo

Compared to what?

I must say that I broke down and ended up buying a 2009 Mercedes C350 Sport. I must say that it has excellent fit and finish and before I get flamed, my decision came down to if I wanted to pay 35K-40K for the Camaro SS with good/ok fit and finish (sorry can't get past my POS G6 GTP I traded in) or pay a few grand more for a luxury vehicle that felt like it was worth the money. I love the Camaro and hope that it rules the sport car market but I was afraid that I'd nick pick every little thing that was wrong with it instead of enjoying it for what it was. Just wanted to put the pricing in perspective.

[Dakota Kid]

Originally Posted by kmdrum79

I must say that I broke down and ended up buying a 2009 Mercedes C350 Sport. I must say that it has excellent fit and finish and before I get flamed, my decision came down to if I wanted to pay 35K-40K for the Camaro SS with good/ok fit and finish (sorry can't get past my POS G6 GTP I traded in) or pay a few grand more for a luxury vehicle that felt like it was worth the money. I love the Camaro and hope that it rules the sport car market but I' was afraid that I'd nick pick every little thing that was wrong with it instead of enjoying it for what it was. Just wanted to put the pricing in perspective.

Hey that is exactly the same car I am considering if the Camaro falls thru...good choice on your part. Did you get a sweet deal???

[Z/28orSs]

Originally Posted by kmdrum79

I must say that I broke down and ended up buying a 2009 Mercedes C350 Sport. I must say that it has excellent fit and finish and before I get flamed, my decision came down to if I wanted to pay 35K-40K for the Camaro SS with good/ok fit and finish (sorry can't get past my POS G6 GTP I traded in) or pay a few grand more for a luxury vehicle that felt like it was worth the money. I love the Camaro and hope that it rules the sport car market but I was afraid that I'd nick pick every little thing that was wrong with it instead of enjoying it for what it was. Just wanted to put the pricing in perspective.

really seeing as how the 350 int suks!! are you serious wow..all i can say is wow! no you just wanted the name call it what it is PRIDE!! btw theres nothing wrong with not getting a camaro or a gm product but the merc c300 is no bueno!