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JusticePete · 05-31-2011, 01:35 PM

...when the driver of car #1 told me it was stock, I cringed and held on to dear life because i knew it was going to be a handful.

Really? A handful? That statement does not track with Pedders testing of the 5th Gen from base models to built models and everything in between. Let's just take a look at the results from the Camaro5 Pedders / Lingenfelter Autocross.

Rob Anderson FTD at the Camaro5 Autocross 57
Danny Popp FTD at the Camaro5 Autocross 51

Rob Anderson -- Rental V6 Auto
Danny Popp -- Prepared V8 Manual

Rob Anderson -- Video Game Trained
Danny Popp -- 20 Year SCCA Veteran, 7 Time National Champion

Manual = 1 second
SS brakes = 1 second

That closes the gap from 6 seconds down to 4 seconds.

The gap is reduced by another second, at a bare minimum, by drivers. After 20 years Danny is easily 1 second faster. The rental car Camaro 6 cylinder is now only 3 seconds behind a Camaro with a fully built suspension. That three seconds or a bit less tracks with all the testing work that Pedders has done.

The 5th Gen Camaro is an excellent car off the showroom floor from the base model on up. It is the most structurally sound monocoque ever found in a Muscle Car. The IRS is equally to any production IRS founds at any price point. The Virtual Pivot front suspension is similar to the designs found on BMW and Mercedes motorcars. You can drive the wheels off a 5th Gen bone stock.

That is not to say it cannot be improved upon. GM made a running change to the weakest link in the 5th Gen chassis starting in January. They partially filled some of the voids in the sub-frame bushes. No ask yourself why would GM make a running change to the sub-frame bushes as opposed to the sway bars? It would have been easier and cheaper to change the size and ratio of the sway bars. GM could have made a big deal out of the sway bars in their marketing. Beating you chest about our new improved sub-frame bushes is no where as sexy, but it was a critically important change. They made the change because the foundation of the vehicle is more important than the sway bars. They made the change to address the weakest link.

For many years the formula to improve handling was really simple. Add sway bar. That is no longer the case. As suspensions have become more complex with more sophisticated engineering suspension upgrades have become more refined. Aftermarket suspension tuning on the 5th Gen Camaro starts with radius and sub-frame bush upgrades.

That is exactly why GM started the refinement of the production 5th Gen with a revised Original Equipment set of sub-frame bushes. Where do you think you should start?

05-31-2011, 01:35 PM	#45
JusticePete Drives: Camaro Justice Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 20,171	...when the driver of car #1 told me it was stock, I cringed and held on to dear life because i knew it was going to be a handful. Really? A handful? That statement does not track with Pedders testing of the 5th Gen from base models to built models and everything in between. Let's just take a look at the results from the Camaro5 Pedders / Lingenfelter Autocross. Rob Anderson FTD at the Camaro5 Autocross 57 Danny Popp FTD at the Camaro5 Autocross 51 Rob Anderson -- Rental V6 Auto Danny Popp -- Prepared V8 Manual Rob Anderson -- Video Game Trained Danny Popp -- 20 Year SCCA Veteran, 7 Time National Champion Manual = 1 second SS brakes = 1 second That closes the gap from 6 seconds down to 4 seconds. The gap is reduced by another second, at a bare minimum, by drivers. After 20 years Danny is easily 1 second faster. The rental car Camaro 6 cylinder is now only 3 seconds behind a Camaro with a fully built suspension. That three seconds or a bit less tracks with all the testing work that Pedders has done. The 5th Gen Camaro is an excellent car off the showroom floor from the base model on up. It is the most structurally sound monocoque ever found in a Muscle Car. The IRS is equally to any production IRS founds at any price point. The Virtual Pivot front suspension is similar to the designs found on BMW and Mercedes motorcars. You can drive the wheels off a 5th Gen bone stock. That is not to say it cannot be improved upon. GM made a running change to the weakest link in the 5th Gen chassis starting in January. They partially filled some of the voids in the sub-frame bushes. No ask yourself why would GM make a running change to the sub-frame bushes as opposed to the sway bars? It would have been easier and cheaper to change the size and ratio of the sway bars. GM could have made a big deal out of the sway bars in their marketing. Beating you chest about our new improved sub-frame bushes is no where as sexy, but it was a critically important change. They made the change because the foundation of the vehicle is more important than the sway bars. They made the change to address the weakest link. For many years the formula to improve handling was really simple. Add sway bar. That is no longer the case. As suspensions have become more complex with more sophisticated engineering suspension upgrades have become more refined. Aftermarket suspension tuning on the 5th Gen Camaro starts with radius and sub-frame bush upgrades. That is exactly why GM started the refinement of the production 5th Gen with a revised Original Equipment set of sub-frame bushes. Where do you think you should start?