Open Letter from Al Oppenhieser to the Camaro Nation and Ford.

[shank0668]

Funny how "they didn’t record any times for the GT500, avoiding the typical Nurburgring bragging rights contest that so many automakers fall prey to."
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...-engineer.html

[95birdible]

A little off topic but Al O. said he listens to his consumers. How about giving us a convertible top that doesn't need to be replaced after 6 weeks. Listen to us my ass. I emailed him and he said he would have his people contact me. Never happened. Now my second top needs to be replaced also. Lets focus on new cars to make more money and be dammed with the people we pissed off with problems on their cars. Tape to fix the top. What a joke. Enough of my rant about Al. The ZL1 looks to be a great bargin for what you get. Hope the top on the 13 convertible doesn't wear out.

[ffrcobra_65]

Originally Posted by motorhead

That's easy for you to say when you can afford one of each. That's like rich people saying that money isn't everything.


Kidding. I couldn't agree with you more.

who says I can afford them? I dress up like lawyer, walk into a dealership, ask to test drive, and I don't go back.

[2010SSRSM6]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Scott

You just made me Pee a little bit!

That made my day!

Thank you Sir!!!

[Good2go]

Originally Posted by Mcchuck

I hope (TOP GEAR, UK) gets a chance to test both Camaro ZL1 and the GT 500. That will be a fun show..

I don't know if I'd like them doing the testing, all they'd do is poke fun at both of the "Cheap, plastiky, poorly built American Muscle cars".

[Tob]

I peed a little too. Then I saw the following shot and almost laughed myself into cardiac arrest...



Before anyone gets their panties wadded up too tightly, remember, it goes both ways. In this case - we all win.

[ffrcobra_65]

Anyone who thinks $55k is too much for what you get in a ZL1 simply is not looking to get a ZL1.

[Tob]

OK mods, I'll post it without the link back to GMI...

[GTAHVIT]

Tob,

It's not the link back... LOL that's fine... there's just no need to stir the pot with a post from 5 months ago on a different site.

ThePill is welcome here as long as he can be objective about what both cars are capable of

[TAG UR IT]

^This

[toesuf94]

For those of you on this thread who called GM everything but good, and that they wanted the 'ring' because that was the track they developed the ZL1 for - in essence "stacking the deck"...why does Ford proudly display a 'ring decal and discuss a "Nurburgring Edition Mustang? - in fact all of the mules spotted in Germany show this decal on the back...so what is Ford afraid of?

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by djinva

Jalopnik morning shift today November 17th. Looks like Ford is chicken.

http://jalopnik.com/5859957/the-shel...e-la-auto-show

1st Gear: Chevy Challenges Ford To Muscle Car Fight, Ford Takes Bat, Goes Home
After Ford brought out its potentially ZL1-killing 650-horsepower 2013 Shelby GT500, Joel Ewanick, global vice president of GM marketing, decided to drop the gauntlet down at the feet of Ford. "We should take a Camaro, Ford brings a Mustang, we each pick our drivers, and see who has the best time on the Nürburgring," Ewanick said to Scott Burgess of the Detroit News. Jim Farley, who heads Ford's global marketing, wasn't taking the bait despite professed claims to a desire to "take a bat" to Chevrolet. "I wish we could," he said, after hearing about Ewanick's challenge. "Who wouldn't want to do that?" Huh. Sounds to us like maybe Ford's chicken. Hey, Farley — bawk-bawk-bawk-BA-kawk!

Hrm...sounds like a bunch of ...

[radz28]

Originally Posted by toesuf94

For those of you on this thread who called GM everything but good, and that they wanted the 'ring' because that was the track they developed the ZL1 for - in essence "stacking the deck"...why does Ford proudly display a 'ring decal and discuss a "Nurburgring Edition Mustang? - in fact all of the mules spotted in Germany show this decal on the back...so what is Ford afraid of?

Wasn't that around the time the 'Ring was in jeopardy? I'm not suggesting your statements don't make sense - just Devil's Advocate

[obzidian]

Here is my problem with this. The pricing is fine with me when you consider all of the standard features vs the competition. The weight is a problem for me as well as the hypereutetic pistons.

But, the thing that gets to me is that throughout that letter from the Boss, he uses the work "track" frequently. The insinuation or spoken directly at times, is that the camaro ZL1 is a track ready machine.

Now, fast forward to any member on here who purchases his ZL1 with the intention to take it to a few HPDE, none competitive track days. Hypothetically, lets say the car throws a bearing or something simpler... lets say the exhaust falls off and makes a mess of the undercarriage.

Said owner has the confidence, since the car is stock, he can just roll up to the service department and have the repairs needed to get him back to another track day. Well, it is not that simple. More than likely, if he even mentions the word "track" his warranty would be voided and now he's faced with a potentially hefty bill.

Is that fair? Nope. Does it happen? Unfortunately, yes. This is the same reason why folks come up with all sorts of ways of dealing with the situation. It is beyond frustration when you purchase a machine that will never be perfect and things do happen and break.. that you don't have to confidence to get it repaired if it is stock and that it happened on "track" were the boss himself touted how "track" worthy the car really is.