|
This is where GM needs to be carefull in the marketing of the Camaro. It's allright to have Jr. give you all the "she handles like a Chevelle" retro talk (and to be honest, by today's standards a 454 Chevelle SS handles like crap - 15" bias ply tires, solid rear axle, improper weight balance, horrid braking) to those who want to hear it, but to sell the Camaro en mass GM can't live in the past. Cars like the Nissan Altima 3.5 SE coupe, BMW 1-Series, Honda Accord EX V6 coupe, and even (dare I say it here) the Toyota Camry Solara SE V6 coupe are already the heavy hitter players in the personal/performance coupe market. All but the Solara are available with 6 speed sticks. They bring modern, sophisticated, Japanese and European flavor, and are well reguarded by the general public. They are all exactly spot on in the price range the Camaro LS and LT will be competing in.
People who look at those cars still reguard the Camaro, right or wrong, with the same prejudicies as someone with a mullett, wears slim and thin neck ties, and has a stack of Poison and Bon Jovi cassettes next to his boombox.
If GM is going to succeed with the Camaro, the V6 must change the way people look at the car and must be as good if not better in overall driving dynamics than those cars. BMW is a stretch, but the 1-series is right in the mix pricewise.
GM must be carefull here.
|