Question on concept
 

Hi all, just a quick one.

I've been reading a bit around and there is a lot of" I hope GM make the production car look like the concept' and even on the You tube stuff where they interveiw the designers, they all say they are trying so hard to get the production car to look the same as the concept.

My question is, why is this such a difficult thing to acheive?

They have made a working concept car, so they have the technology and the ablilty to make a car in that shape and with those damn good looks, so why the"We're hoping to be able to get the production car to look the same?

What would they need to change and why (The concept works just fine doesn't it?)

Thanks all.

Rgds
Jason

Ergonomics. Cost to build. How well will it'll actually function in actual day to day use. Wear and tear under use. Keeping the cost low for the buyer. Oh and weight reduction (wheels).

Designers do just that-- design a car. A lot of times they're shootin' for looks rather than designing a vehicle around federal safety standards. This is why they have to redo the steering wheel (a little) to include an airbag. They wouldn't touch it if this were 1969;).
They're also raising the roofline a bit so you don't break your neck while driving over a speed-bump in the coupe, and to correct the windshield height on the vert. I personally like the "chopped" look and think they ought to lower the seat instead.:smoking: But, nobody asked me, now did they...:rolleyes:

As far as I know, they've moved the filler lid out slightly, widened the side view mirrors more and selected wheels that are an inch smaller in dia. than the concept's. I haven't driven the concept (i wish), but I believe the smaller wheels aren't so much money related, rather to offer an improved ride so it doesn't feel like you're driving a WWII tank. I dought the way the door handles open the car door will make it into the production model either, same with the "aluminum" shifter.

But these items are really just slight mods that people would either end up complaining about or are production cost and/or safety related. So GM is addressing these issues now before the much anticipated release while trying to maintain the original look. Way to go, GM!!! :burnrubber:

I think the reason for the new Camaro not arriving sooner, as well as the time it is taking to produce a production version comes down to the fact that GM started from a "clean sheet of paper" in designing the new Camaro.

Also, going from concept, where items such as airbags, etc., aren't necessary, to production takes times as the designers and engineers have to find ways to incorporate items, like airbags, power windows, design a proper windshield, determine how the folding top mechanism will work, etc., into the new vehicle, while keeping weight down.

I'd rather GM take all the time they need and bring a Camaro to market which we all will be happy to own, free of the things which were seen as "weaknesses" in the earlier versions.

Yep, that's the key - Federal Saftey standards. the turn signals have to be a certain size, The airbags (mentioned above), etc....

I do want to note 2 things.
#1: I've heard them say many times that they designed the Concept to be as production-ready as possible.

#2: I think they realize that there isn't all that much room inside the car (up-down room;)). But keep in mind that they're only raising the roof 12 mm higher. that's not even half an inch. They've mentioned a few times that they are working to lower the seats (that the concept's were much higher then they would be in a production model.) So maybe they did ask you, and you didn't know it...do you remember any big black SUV's? :laugh:

I could see this being the new runnin gjoke on the forum. :laughabove:

Hey look, I told them all I knew... and then they flashy-thinged me.

Like has already been mentioned, it comes down to safety and practicality. Since safety has been mentioned, I guess I will go into design for manufacturing. This is what seperates an engineer from a designer. A designer cares solely about how it looks, sounds, feels, and probably even smells. but the work of the engineer is to get everything to function properly while making it fast and cheap to manufacture. Without that, the camaros would be at showrooms now, for about $250 000 or more. To this point everything has been hand-built with the only concern being how it looks. To go into production they need to figure out just how they will stamp the sheet metal or mold the plastic. Some of the complex shapes will be too costly to make through mass production so they will be simplified and look almost the same but cost half as much. All this is ontop of getting the interior feeling right and all the mechanics working right.

In the real world, it takes time to turn a concept design into something real. once the design of all the parts has been finalized such that they meet saftey and manufacturing concerns, the molds and dies have to be made in order to mass produce the parts. While that is being done a sequence of how to put things together in the most efficeint manner needs to be determined. Once all that is done, the GM plant in Oshawa as well as all the other places that will be making components, can get retooled. once the parts get turned into assemblies and the assemblies into modules and modules into the completed car. From there it goes onto trucks and trains to the showrooms and dealer lots and then into our driveways.

And there it is, how things go from idea to your home.

Very Good, quality Info. You should make a short to go onto Mr. Rogers or Howstuffworks.com...that was good.

Thank you.

I went to school for mechanical engineering so I paid a hell of a lot for that knowledge! and then i gave it out for free to all you strangers. actually, on second thought, I am now charging $1000 to everyone who reads that post. I have to pay off that education . . . :laugh:

Oh, damn...Um, (think quickly!!!!) Uh, I don't know what your talking about!...what post? - I can't see any valuble info here...:help:

:laugh:

:bellyroll:
:bellyroll:
That was well put. And now I must say...I THINK YOU KNOW MORE!:D Spill it!!!:laugh:
Hey...a grand!?! You have to put a disclaimer before that post, then! That's not fair!!! ...and that'll be $1000 for reading this post. We square.:thumbsup:

Hi all.

Thanks so much for the information, it really has cleared it all up for me.

Rgds
Jason

I can't read. I'm exempt.