depends how attached you were to your '00 v6, if you've actually had it Since '00, then imo - thats a lot of time to bond..(esp. to such a freakin cool car)
I personally favored the front facia of the 98+ over the early version, if i wanted "racoon eyes" type Camaro id go with the 3rd gen, that thing is freakin sweet lookin. -no disrespect to the early 4th btw - that thing is badass as well, it's just not my preference =)
the 3rd gen is what got me hooked on Camaro's btw, I've always loved the looks of that car so damn much since i was a kid, but never really knew enough about cars, or what it was, (or cared for that matter), until I saw Transformers & thought "come on Bumble Bee VS a mustang?...is that really a competition?..(but of course me wanting to be a cop 1 of these days i'll have to admit that saleen cop version of the mustang was Awesome.)
then I started doing research about this "Camaro" that Bumble Bee had changed into from the previous VW Beetle we all grew to know & love.
still
Love the 3rd gen & late 4th, but the 5th gen imo blows em outta the water (accessory package minus the spoiler)
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3425
(and again, no disrespect, this is just my personal opinion), all the other gen's have their own individual awesomeness
anyway...
sounds like an awesome "upgrade" but how do You personally feel ?