2010 Camaro SS -- NEW closeup photos of front-end!!! -- 7/11/08

[Chemical]

Originally Posted by PA FAST

Hopefully with advanced warning the dealer can prevent holes from being drilled into the front bumper, this is more of a last resort. I am surprised that they drill holes in bumpers.

I got a vehicle now that came with screw holes in the front bumper, but it came with tabs in the glove box so if you don't need/want the license plate you just unscrew the plate, and pop the tabs in. If you want to take them out, you just pry them out with a flat head. They are reusable, and colored the same as the vehicle.

I too am surprised that they still drill holes in the front bumper as well. I can think of a million ways to mount a front plate to a vehicle than drilling holes. Though, it is MUCH easier just to drill holes and get it over with, especially if its the law anyways. To me, its about taking care of the car, so I prefer the more complicated (not really) route of figuring out a way to mount a plate without drilling holes.

[Nickdago]

Originally Posted by chevydude26

these are literally my exact sentiments....the concept was perfect...and the guys building the car should be careful not to take at full face value the praise of camaro enthusiasts because they are biased and don't represent the general buying crowd...i am a camaro and muscle car lover and the f-bods have been my favorite but it won't stop me from critiquing what i feel is a work in progress and no where near what my final vision nor what the concept had...its not like its un-salvageable as it definitely looks good in current form but it sure ain't timeless like the concept

I agree 100%. They need to stick with the concept design. To over promise and under deliver would be a great mistake. I love the Camaro Concept and much less other than required mods will not due.

[camero]

wow

[EllwynX]

Originally Posted by camero

Camero edited his post, so I'm deleting it from my response. But it dealt with having a flat spot designed into the front bumper for the plate.

Actually, I believe he just meant they could have designed a way for the front plate to be attached without drilling holes.

They could have made a holder with extensions that go through the lower grille and attach behind it easily enough I'm sure. __I <--- think of something like that. The lower part goes through the grille and attaches in a hidden way, while the 'I' is the holder that stands upright. If someone like me (and I'm sure many other 'normal' guys) can think of that, I have to wonder why GM's designers couldn't...

[Camaro Lives On]

^camero is a GM designer

[Supermans]

Originally Posted by EllwynX

I think it looks better in the silver pic as well. But I believe that is due to the fact that in the silver pic we can't see 1- it's such a busy grille that doesn't match the upper grille and 2- it's pushed all the way out to the edge instead of being recessed some.

If they change those two minor things about it, I think it will look great.

Unfortunately they have no more room to make any changes to the front bumper this late in the game. Ever since I joined this forum, I have to say I have mostly been a purist when it comes to wanting the production camaro to be as close to the concept as possible. Perhaps the V6 has a different front bumper than the SS that more closely matches the concept. Or perhaps both versions will look the same as the picture in this thread. If I had a choice, I would pic the concepts grill and that is after getting a better look at it in this thread. The silver Camaro photo of the SS in the Christian Slater movie looks good, however it is a fuzzy picture and there is no side shot of it.. The rear looks good however we all know that the concepts rear looks more sleek and rounded. Overall, I hope that when I see this in person I am as impressed by the looks of it as I was when I saw Bumblebee at the auto show..

[chevydude26]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

There are good reasons why there will be changes betw. concept and production....

1. Cost -- do you want an affordable Camaro or do you want it priced at Corvette territory?

2. Crashworthiness --we ALL wanted to put the gas filler where it was on the concept -- however, due to crashworthiness, it had to move. (we hate it when things leak -- or catch on fire..........)

3. Safety standards.

4. Owner usability: Some examples: Many told me they liked the concept door handles -- until I showed some of them that they are VERY hard to use -- that it's easy to scratch the paint -- and that long nails don't stand a chance. Mirrors -- looked cool -- couldn't see anything out of them. (but then, who wants to see all of those mustangs getting smaller in the mirror anyway, right???

5. Durability....we want the car to be as pleasing at 10 years old as it was when it was new. (that may be pushing it.......) Like the exhaust on the concept? We did too -- but forget going thru lifecycle tests - we simply could not execute them. (we tried......)

6. Bumper standards -- for both impact and licensing requirements.

I could continue for hours on this subject - I won't bore you anymore --

-- but the points are:

>you have not seen the final product.
>some of the pictures are V6/V8 cars combined --
>this car is so very close to the concept -- there ARE differences, but they are not glaring........
>you MAY have choices that you haven't thought of...............


and finally -- let's keep it friendly --

................. and watch the language......(one person in particular.....)

The word "Camaro" means 'friend, pal or comrade' -- let's aways keep this in mind. (and I'm guilty of not remembering that all the time as well......)

f-bod my dear old pal...if you make a special edition one that is priced like the corvette to look exactly like the concept i would buy that ....cuz let me tell you something when i went to the new york auto show and saw that beauty in person it made the corvette a few feet away from it look pale and pathetic and the corvette is a monster my friend... you can make it limited and like a really special version...then you won't hear any complaints from me put in like some high hp engine and have it look exactly like the concept

yeaaaah booooooy (flava flav voice)

[camero]

Originally Posted by EllwynX

ll

Actually, I believe he just meant they could have designed a way for the front plate to be attached without drilling holes.

They could have made a holder with extensions that go through the lower grille and attach behind it easily enough I'm sure. __I <--- think of something like that. The lower part goes through the grille and attaches in a hidden way, while the 'I' is the holder that stands upright. If someone like me (and I'm sure many other 'normal' guys) can think of that, I have to wonder why GM's designers couldn't...

First of all what makes you think we haven't? Three pages of bitching about holes drilled in Camaro bumpers and nobody has even drilled one yet. Maybe it's time to get off the internet for a few months. Second, obviously we would have tried to make it attach without looking bad or hurting the bumper. We're not that dumb. It's a lot harder than it looks. I assume you don't want it flapping against the bumper as you drive. Third, the only people that are going to have holes in the bumper are people that need front plates anyway and are planning on breaking the law. Page after page of blaming GM for some potential problem you might have in the future ending with making up some imaginary solution and asking why we can't think of stuff is pretty silly. That site shows that even Porsches get drilled so they must have dumb designers too. I agree that cars should be styled with a natural place for a front plate though like they are in back. I'm sure if Michigan required front plates they would be :-]

[stovt001]

Fbodfather, your mention of 10,000 people shouting in unison that something looked like it fell off a train at 90 mph wasn't a reference to the Aztek was it?

Captain Awesome, I have no doubt that some magazine will criticize GM for making these changes. I also have no doubt that some magazine will praise GM for making a wise choice for styling changes, fixing what they figured were clear flaws to the concept's design. Both will be equally right because this is all just personal opinion. Lots of people think the concept was the pinnacle of automotive design and any changes could only be detrimental. That is an entirely valid opinion. Others (including me) think that the changes we see here are exactly the right bits of detail tweaking needed to enhance the original design. Our opinion (and that is all it is) is equally valid too. However, whenever anyone praises it they are dismissed by the concept lovers as just towing the line and not saying what they really think, which I find offensive.

Really, I wish GM could make the front-ends to order so everyone could get the style they want. However that is simply not feasible. Also, even with the changes we've seen, the Camaro has stayed truer than just about any other concept-to-production translation yet.

[EllwynX]

Originally Posted by Camaro Lives On

^camero is a GM designer

I'm only responding to this just to let everyone, especially Camero, know that no disrespect was meant if it came across that way.

It just seems like SUCH a simple thing that it boggles my mind that they wouldn't say 'nobody wants holes drilled in their car, let's come up with a quick fix for this problem'. That's all.

[Captain Awesome]

I think the lesson here is that Chevy has been handing out wallpapers and t-shirts and models and there have been movies made starring the concept and it's front fascia and everyone has been reassuring everyone that the production car would look like that. It's been practically bragged about how they would make it look like that.

So, here I am, staring at my concept desktop wallpaper for well over a year and now I find out that the one I can get doesn't really look like that.

I'm sorry to appear rude or sarcastic to people that worked on the car, but I feel that I've been a bit let down because of the hype. I'm not sure who to blame for the hype. Who knows, I may not dislike the front if I had never seen the concept and wasn't having it dangled in front of me for so long.

I am trying to get you guys that think I'm over-reacting to see it from my point of view. I can see it from your side too and understand some people like the way it looks or are indifferent about it. Please don't disrespect those of us who liked it the way it was.

[flaguy]

Overall, I'm very disappointed in the changes. But when I stop and think about it, there really isn't another car I want more than this even with the changes. As much as I bitch and complain about the changes, there is only one deal breaker, and that is the motor.

But yeah, that grill is gonna be the first thing to go.

[EllwynX]

Originally Posted by camero

I assume you don't want it flapping against the bumper as you drive. Third, the only people that are going to have holes in the bumper are people that need front plates anyway and are planning on breaking the law.

Not trying to be argumentative here.

But something designed in the way I suggested, in a hard stiff plastic wouldn't flap against the bumper. And if that is a concern, just add a small bit of foam to the back of it where it would sit against the bumper...

Even if I DID put a front plate on my car, I wouldn't want it attached with holes thru the bumper. Damaging a brand new car (because let's face it, it IS damaging the car) should never be REQUIRED just because of the state the buyer lives in.

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by camero

First of all what makes you think we haven't? Three pages of bitching about holes drilled in Camaro bumpers and nobody has even drilled one yet.

I think people are going on their past experiences with Camaros and GM cars in general. I know for a fact that prior generation Camaros needed holes drilled to install the front plates.

Every car I've owned since 1984 onward has been a GM car, and I know how they typically mount the front plates and the style of the ones in the photo look to me like the "drill and bolt" design that's been on many of my past GM cars.

If the design is not like that and we're just jumping to conclusions, then a big THANK YOU from those of us in "front plate states". My hat is off to you for making it right.