My thoughts of the 2014 Camaro and the Z/28......

[JWR046]

I was at the NYC auto show today. The z/28 looks great. The new front and tail lights look really good in person on that and the SS. The z/28 has a great stance. Another bad azz camaro in the stable. :-)


As much as I like the camaro's boy is the C7 pretty impressive. It was great seeing that in person also. There were some great cars at the show.

[PYROLYSIS]

Originally Posted by x1sniper3x

Oh, and I've seen a few people here saying that there's no difference between seeing photos online and seeing things in person. If that's the case:

https://www.google.com/search?q=gran...w=1900&bih=825

Congratulations, everyone! You've all been to the Grand Canyon!

Thanks! I've always wanted to go!


Glad you liked the new rear end. I've yet to see it in person but the whole refresh went from dislike to love just from the online pics for me so I'm sure I'll love it when I really see it.

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by PYROLYSIS

Thanks! I've always wanted to go!


Glad you liked the new rear end. I've yet to see it in person but the whole refresh went from dislike to love just from the online pics for me so I'm sure I'll love it when I really see it.

Many like the rear end.

[jimmypop13]

I personally cannot believe the refresh is making it to production. The taillights look awful, IMHO, just awful. They ruin the whole rear end in my opinion. I had two fourth gens, considering buying another muscle car and seriously considering going to Ford, even though I already have HPTuners and know good shops for LS work. I love the new black look to the back of the 5.0's. Ford got the rear right, Chevy missed it big time. I liked the back of the 2010-2013 camaro, I just can't get over the awful look of the 2014. I know this is just my opinion but I think my biggest complaint about the new taillights is that they wrap around to the side. If they stopped on the back, they would probably look 1,000 times better IMHO. They just don't look right wrapping around to the side. It looks weird to me.

[WheelmanSS]

Originally Posted by jimmypop13

I personally cannot believe the refresh is making it to production. The taillights look awful, IMHO, just awful. They ruin the whole rear end in my opinion. I had two fourth gens, considering buying another muscle car and seriously considering going to Ford, even though I already have HPTuners and know good shops for LS work. I love the new black look to the back of the 5.0's. Ford got the rear right, Chevy missed it big time. I liked the back of the 2010-2013 camaro, I just can't get over the awful look of the 2014. I know this is just my opinion but I think my biggest complaint about the new taillights is that they wrap around to the side. If they stopped on the back, they would probably look 1,000 times better IMHO. They just don't look right wrapping around to the side. It looks weird to me.

So, you're basing you car purchase on taillights....


ok then, have fun with whatever you choose.

[ToolFan66]

Aesthetics/style is important to some, and I'm one of them!! The taillights/rearend is ugly, and yes it would/will keep me from purchasing one..

[NovaDaddy]

Tail lights might not be my favourite but to buy a Mustang because of it.....must not be a true Chevy guy!

[Iron Lung Jimmy]

I think this taillight hating is herd mentality at its worst. Everybody hates the tailights because everybody else hates the tail lights.

Go Here and go to post #4. Scroll down to the picture of the back of the black 2014 next to the older red car (I wish I could just post that picture but I'm not that smart )

The old car looks big and bulky compared to the sleeker look of the 2014. Look how much higher the rear of the red car appears to be. It looks fat. Sleek butt vs fat butt... the new car looks way better.

There, I said it.

[90503]

Originally Posted by Iron Lung Jimmy

I think this taillight hating is herd mentality at its worst. Everybody hates the tailights because everybody else hates the tail lights.

Go Here and go to post #4. Scroll down to the picture of the back of the black 2014 next to the older red car (I wish I could just post that picture but I'm not that smart )

The old car looks big and bulky compared to the sleeker look of the 2014. Look how much higher the rear of the red car appears to be. It looks fat. Sleek butt vs fat butt... the new car looks way better.

There, I said it.

Sad part is those who like the '14s and plan on buying one, are probably just laying low and not posting to avoid the grief from those who don't like it...can't blame them for doing so...They're planning on buying a new car and some who don't like it will "argue" with them...who needs that?...lol

The forums may suffer the loss of new members for a while, but new car sales won't suffer at all...

[Optimus]

I don't care about greif and I have posted a few comments on how much I like the 2014. Love the Front - think it is mean and more agressive. I am kind of indifferent on the rear lights so it's a push. I don't care for the pixs of the license plate area but I haven't seen it in person so I will reserve judgement. Regardless though, there is one in my future. Just need to see how much this thing called "college" is going to cost me and my daughter.

I always take negative comments with a grain of salt. People who dislike somthing will tell 10 people on average while people who like something will tell anywhere from 0 to 3...

[Dtowndog420]

Originally Posted by Iron Lung Jimmy

I think this taillight hating is herd mentality at its worst. Everybody hates the tailights because everybody else hates the tail lights.

Go Here and go to post #4. Scroll down to the picture of the back of the black 2014 next to the older red car (I wish I could just post that picture but I'm not that smart )

The old car looks big and bulky compared to the sleeker look of the 2014. Look how much higher the rear of the red car appears to be. It looks fat. Sleek butt vs fat butt... the new car looks way better.

There, I said it.

I agree, the new looks way better. I don't get all the hate on the rear. Also not to buy one because of the rear is just ridiculous, but to each their own.

[McRat]

I try to avoid "necroposting" (bringing threads from the dead), but this thread really warrants it since the first Z/28's are arriving in the hands of their new owners.

Hat's off to Scott Settlemire and team for the Z/28.

There has been an awful lot of criticism on the web and by the "experts" in the mags about the Z/28.

What I like most about the uproar? It's pissing off the Porsche, BMW, and Nissan Fans. This is the group that normally does not even acknowledge that American cars are alive and well. The fact the "lowly Camaro" can raise the hair on the backs of their necks is like sweet, sweet music.

But focusing on the Z/28 instead of the hateraid, I must say one thing.

Scott, would you get upset if I kissed you on the lips?

I had no plans for another Camaro. I've always loved Camaros, but the new ones just weren't blowing wind up my skirt. Too pedestrian. Too mainstream. Heck, I've got a Z06 and a CTS-V why the heck would I be Camaro shopping?

Then I heard dirty rumors about a new 427 Camaro. Huh? No way. You CAN'T get away with that today. Too much a vulgar display of American Muscle. Not politically correct.

The rumors turned to fact about a year ago, then I started a rabid quest to get behind the wheel of one. Are they REALLY going to sell a no-holds-barred stripper track monster with a license plate on it? If that is true, I'm getting one.

I don't care about the tail lights. I'm not a big fan of seeing tail lights anyhow. I do however like to show others my tail lights.

When I found it wasn't coming with AC, it was stripped, MANual only, hardtop only, I was in heaven. This is the car I want. The price? Well, I'm fortunate enough to be old enough to afford one, yet young enough to drive the hell out of it.

Not a street car you say, Scott? I'll be the judge of that. I've driven a lot of stuff on the street that only a sadomasochist would deem worthy. I like driving. I don't need to be entertained or massaged while behind the wheel. My entertainment is the road, my massage is the vibration of a V8. The CTS-V is OK, but it lacks something. It's too easy to drive.

My Z/28 "birthday" is coming up in a couple weeks (I hope). I just haven't decided on a name yet though. We have to name our wheels. Big Blue, Blue Meanie, Casper, Wendy, Spooky ... Hmmm...

I can't wait to break it in, prep it, dyno it, then race it. But I must and it's killing me!

Thanks again Scott. You rock!

[McRat]

Sidenote: Our Z06 is 12 years old now, 28,000 miles, 6-8 sets of tires, 2 engines, 2 transmissions, 3 Getrags. It has a rollbar and 5-pt, and a bad attitude.

The A/C belt was removed at about 2000 miles (water on the track), and it has never had a CD in the stereo. Not even sure it works. I think the radio itself works? Bah.

It still takes at least an hour to wipe the grin off my face after taking it out on some empty roads and cracking the whip. I think this Z/28 might crack my face in two.

[newmoon]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

The past week has certainly been eventful and it’s certainly caused a lot of conversation…..

But before I get to that – let me apologize. I hate lying to anyone. And I lied. I lied when I said to some “There isn’t a Z28” – which, now that I think about it, is a ‘half-lie’ if there is such a thing. You see, there ISN’T a “Z28” – rather, we unveiled a “Z/28” and there IS a difference – quite a big one….but more about that in a minute or two…… Anywhoo – I had to ‘lie’ about there being a Z/28 - -because to talk about it would have cost me my job. If I’d even put a ‘winkie’ after some of your posts, I would have been summarily fired.

We were so security conscious that we had an internal name for the new Z/28….

“Steve”

When we talked about “shooting steve” - -no one would have thought about us taking pictures of a Z/28, now would they?

(….although it may have made a few people in law enforcement sit up and take notice……)

One would think that working on the Camaro CORE team is nothing but nirvana.

To a point, it is – but let me assure you that there are many rough spots and there are long hours and missed family engagements, and weekends are usually non-existent. That goes with the territory. But as to the privilege of being “custodians of the brand”, it’s necessary that we give up a lot in order to ensure that the Camaro and all that surrounds the design, engineering and building of these legendary cars is as is it should be – and we must hit ‘all the targets’ deserved by such a hallowed brand.

Please note: NO ONE within ‘Team Camaro” takes their job or their responsibilities lightly.

Decisions are agonized over – because it’s THAT important to you as a valued Camaro Enthusiast. More importantly – and I think this is something overlooked by many of you: We are Camaro Enthusiasts, too. And we’ve been Camaro Enthusiasts for many, many years -- (in some cases long before many of you could even say ‘Camaro!’)

I use the word “agonized” because we know that no matter WHAT we do or choose, we will be wide open for someone to be critical. That’s just the nature of an automobile that creates such passion. That said, it’s sometimes very difficult to have horrible insults thrown at you – or worse, the insults directed at that “labor-of-love” you’ve worked so hard to make better.

Dateline: New York – Wednesday, March 27, 2014:

Approximately 50 Camaro Enthusiasts were invited to the unveil of the 2014 Camaro at the New York Autoshow. Frankly, there were hundreds more Camaro Enthusiasts there – because many members of the press and other people who work in and around autoshows happen to be Camaro enthusiasts in addition to their jobs.

I wish each of you could have felt the excitement as the SS/RS drove onto the stage – there were cheers and roars of approval and clapping.

I also caught some “looks of surprise” when the Red Rock Metallic SS/RS did not pull onto the turntable in the middle – but rather to the side……it was like “…….what????.......”

And then the excitement grew as the sound of an LS7 V-8 roared to life behind the stage – and then the LED screen exploded (figuratively – not literally) with the sights and sounds of Z/28s of the past – and then from behind the stage came the new 2014 Z/28 – to cries of joy.

I was so happy to be able to watch this thru other peoples’ eyes. That’s just the greatest feeling. I was delighted with the response to both Camaros………..

My Blackberry started to vibrate as dozens of emails landed – nearly all of them overwhelmingly positive. I suspect that was to be expected as a lot of the dyed in the wool enthusiasts happen to have my corporate email account.
(….that can be a double edged sword at times…..)

………..and then I went onto a couple of enthusiast sights that evening and was dismayed at some of the language being used by a few people – and even more upset to see some people bashing our engineers and designers - and even worse, the Disciples.

I continually remind myself that much of this behavior is driven by passion. I’m also not naive enough to believe that it’s all passion. It stuns me to see remarks turn into a ‘contest’ of sorts to see who can hurl the best ‘insult.’ I don’t know when this became proper behavior in our society – but in my book, it’s improper and some people should be ashamed. Frankly, I’m more inclined to take opinions from well thought out posts than one that utilizes bad language and insults.



Now – for my thoughts on the 2014 Camaro:

Everything we do on Camaro is to improve it – make it better – offer ‘more than expected’ and to keep it fresh. The Camaro was first offered to the public in early 2009 – just about 4 years ago this month. We know that styling is one of the top reasons for purchase in this segment. Thus, it’s crucial that we update the styling…if we don’t, the volume will simply deteriorate. Deteriorated Volume doesn’t bode well for any brand…it’s the way brands disappear into the history of the automobile industry…..

The bad news? No matter what you do in terms of styling or content, you’ll be criticized by some. That’s just the way it is.

Examples:

People complained about the tail-lamps in the Camaro Concept. Not everyone was a fan – but we made the commitment to ensure that the production car looked as close to the concept as possible. Nevertheless, I received some nasty-grams about them……

When it was discovered that the car would have a ‘B-Pillar’ – some questioned if we – the members of “Team Camaro” -- had all just escaped from an asylum.

When people saw the back-up light slits in the rear fascia, some questioned as to whether or not we could even spell the name “Camaro”…..

When they saw the original 2010 Camaro steering wheel, some were certain that we’d time-travelled back in time to cause the Lindberg Baby Kidnapping…….

The SS fascia versus the V-6 fascia? We evidently created the hurricanes that devastated various parts of the world…….

Color changes? Well – according to a few, we simply can’t walk and chew gum at the same time…….

……and yet the new Camaro became number one in the segment.

And people got used to seeing all the things that caused so much uproar. And we continued to ‘wow’ the enthusiast community at large………

….and THEN we changed the steering wheel.

Some claim this caused 50,000 people to become sterile for simply laying their eyes on such hideousness. (some of the very people who HATED the original steering wheel now claimed that it was the most magnificent steering wheel the world had ever known…and that in changing it, we should be hanged by sundown.....how they now forget or try to hide the past posts they made…..)

And then we changed the SS wheels for 2013….. There’s a vicious rumor that this caused peoples’ teeth to fall out…….

And then we discontinued Imperial Blue (….in order to offer Blue Ray Metallic….) Some claim this caused thousands of dear little kitties and puppies to suddenly throw themselves in front of cars, trucks, and high-speed trains………..

(…are you noticing a trend here?)

Fast forward to earlier this week.

The new SS/RS was shown to the public.

The SS hood has evidently caused millions of people to suddenly slap their Mamas……

The rear tail lamps? Spring Flowers will no longer bloom.

And yet I suspect that once 90 percent of the people see the new 2014 Camaro in person, they’ll realize that perhaps they overreacted.

And the sun WILL come up tomorrow……….

The Camaro MUST ALWAYS be recognizable as a Camaro.

It must have Camaro styling cues.

We refreshed the front fascia to make the car more intimidating. We made the car look wider. AND – we made the SS look different than the V6 model. (at your request, by the way….) Further, there’s more differentiation between an RS Camaro and a non-RS Camaro – both in the front AND rear. (again, by your request…)

The tail-lamps are a tribute to the 1969 Camaro. (go study the 1969 Camaro tail-lamps -- both RS and Non-RS and you’ll start to appreciate why we did what we did.)

Remember those ‘poor unfortunates’ who hated the slits in the rear fascia for the back-up lights? Well – we listened to you. Shame on us.

The back-up lights have been moved into the tail-lamp assemblies. For those of you who felt the rear was “too busy” or “too tall” – well – we fixed that…..

For those of you who told us we should have put LED tail-lamps in the car? Well – we did on the RS models….

Some hated the ‘mail-slot’ front fascia on the SS. (some even went so far as to fill the slots on their Camaros in with various types of filler……) Well – we listened to you as well. (off with our heads…) The air extractor on the SS? It’s functional. (you asked for it….) It also just happens to be the same width as the reverse Mohawk in the roof.

And for the record – the V6 does not have the extractor in the hood – once again differentiating the SS from the non-SS.

Somehow, I suspect that Spring Flowers WILL bloom – and that most people in the coming months will say either:
“I LOVE it”

Or---

“Well ….that wasn’t so bad after all…”

A few others will still hate something about the front or the back -- Just as there are still Camaro Enthusiasts – however few – that still don’t like the 5th gen, period – luckily they are far and few between as sales figures prove……

So – for those who were disappointed in the changes – I sincerely hope you’ll be able to see the new 2014 Camaro in person real soon – and that you’ll find that the changes are in keeping with what makes a Camaro a Camaro…………

Thank you for the information. The new Z/28 I'm sure is well worth the wait. And the ZL1 is my dream car.

In regards to the 14 styling I prefer it's look. My question to you is why no bump in power for the 14 SS? Is there any increase planned for the 15 model? With the new R/T Challenger now sporting an option for 485-hp, and the Mustang GT surely in the 450+ hp range isn't it time? Also when you do decide to bump the hp please keep the LS3-L99 or whichever new motor is released in equal hp for both the manual and automatic. Maybe then I'll come back to the Camaro