Voice Your Comments/Suggestions/Input for Focus Group on 2010 Camaro

[nickkillerbee]

As an aussie all i can ask for is BRING IT TO AUSTRALIA for a AFFORDABLE price and release it as close its american release as possible

and thanks for binging back the camaro

[thatguy]

i think some might like a "stripper model" and by that i dont mean a base v8 with no options, i mean as little creature comforts as possible, because as soon as these things hit the road, shops and individuals are going to want the "first 5th gen in the 10's, 9's," etc.... just dont make it to where we would have to remove 5K worth of junk to make it a reasonable race weight.....


this option would obviously be a limited run, not meant to be a daily driver, just a bat-outta-hell-weekend-warrior....

[arcticman141]

I hate to ask but would be cool if they could make it with wome sort of an all wheel steering similar to that of the eh eh akk dodge stealth. That way you'd be able to take sharp corners much faster without killing yourself

[Brangeta]

Exterior:
- Offer a larger ducktail style spoiler through GM accessories that doesn’t void the factory warranty and can be installed at the dealership with or without stripes.

Exterior trim:
- Jet Stream Blue, ’69 Lemans Blue, Nassau Blue; I don’t care what you call it, just let me have bright blue metallic! I don’t like medium blue colors like you use on some other GM models! I want a blue that never looks navy, even at dusk, just like the colors mentioned.

Powertrain:
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters is a must have
- Callaway magnacharger supercharger as an available option just like it is on the Corvette (don’t offer this for the first year)

Interior:
- In dash GPS navigation that does not require subscription service for basic driving directions; subscription only needed for advanced features like traffic
- Exterior color matched interior trim package where pieces of the interior (likely things that will be standard in aluminum or chrome) can be painted the exterior color. Or do it like Maserati does in the UK and offer ONLY the choices medium red, medium-blue, yellow, white, and black. Or, conversely, make the exterior color matched interior trim package standard, and make chrome or aluminum the optional package to make it easy on you.
- If you plan on offering a two-tone interior, don’t do it like you do it on the G8 (where only the GT model can have this package and it only comes in red). You should be able to have it in all models and have the choice between red or blue.

Advertising:
- the 4th generation Camaro commercials in the 90s were awful, and you know this. “The Camaro’s as American as Rock N’ Roll”… fat lot of good that is! “Stop singing Jimi Hendrix! Let’s hear what this car sounds like!” Don’t try to be hip and put a bunch of 2008 stereotypical “hip” looking people in it like many automakers are doing now. You know darn good and well that most of us are driving alone with the radio off listening to the exhaust burble as we drive 30 mph from stop sign to stop sign. Don’t pay some guy to research for hours the perfect song to “hit the demographic.” Don’t use any music at all. Just tell it how it is: make it speak to that guy inside all of us who feels more confident after every drive in his Camaro; the guy who walks into the office everyday with a smile on his face and the confidence to do a good job, the guy who has the confidence to pick up his date after work in the same car he drives to work in because it’s NOT a bland, generic Toyota. Let people know the Camaro can be your everyday car. It’s not just some uncomfortable sports car that is designed to steal the Mustang’s business. Don’t say it’s like a baby Corvette. It’s the car that you can use everyday because it’s NOT a Corvette. You can drive it fast, you can drive it to the grocery store, you can pick up the kids/your friends, and you can drive it to your business meeting and not be embarrassed of what you drive. Your target market isn’t the “drag racer,” the “college graduate, homeowner, in his mid to late 30s,” or the “sports fan who likes to get his hands dirty.” Your target market is the “guy who doesn’t have to make excuses.” His car’s reliable, it holds 4 people if it has to, it gets better gas mileage than just about any other V8 car in the world, and he can drive it anywhere and everywhere he needs to go. He doesn’t have to own a commuter car, a race car, and a family hauler. He has all he needs right here.
- DO NOT screw up and do a wordless commercial where all you do is show off the power of the car like you did with the GTO. As cool as that burnout smoke commercial was, it’s the wrong approach. The main problem with most automotive advertising is that the ad agencies just can’t pick a strong selling point that is a BIG IDEA. Remember the current Eclipse? When it was new, they advertised the 600 watt stereo in a lot of their ads. Ok. Neat. 600 watts. It’s a boombox car, I get it. If that’s what I want, I’ll buy the car, now please, don’t ever tell me about that again, because I’m not an idiot and understood you the first time. I’m worried GM will do this to death with the Camaro. They’ll do a “more horsepower than any other car in its class” commercial and we’ll all vomit. They’ll do a history commercial with the new Camaro leading the pack of ’69 wolves; or even worse, one where the ghost of ‘69 separates from the 5th gen and they go their separate ways. Then they’ll do one about how “it’s back!” Which is completely unnecessary and doesn’t make people who aren’t already gaga about the car buy the car. You reinvented the car, now reinvent the way you get people interested in it. People who buy cars care about how the car is going to benefit them. Not that it’s “back,” a historic name, or that is has “more horsepower than any other car in its class” or any of that garbage that people can read in the brochure. The purpose of the commercial is to get people in the dealerships to pick up that brochure and then purchase the car. The people want it to be everything they need, and the Camaro IS everything they need. So stop advertising numbers and awards as the plot of your advertisements and start getting people asking questions. Make them want to see what the big deal is and succeed in getting them on your websites and in your dealerships. Volkswagen and Mini were both successful in doing this; without doing a “see how this commercial ends on www.____.com/thissucks” like some automaker I can’t remember did in the past.
- Your competitor isn’t the Mustang. The Mustang is garbage. It’s a car for people who want what all their buddies have: garbage. Your competition all depends on how you position yourself. If you say the Camaro is like the Mustang, then that’s what it is. If you say the Mustang’s inferior and the Camaro is a fighter for territory the G35 has, for example, then that’s what it is. Camaros are typically for that guy who knows a good car when he sees one. He makes up his mind for himself; he doesn’t buy it because his friend has one.
- I haven’t been following the engine discussions, but last I heard, the Camaro would be coming with a V6, midlevel V8, and upperlevel V8. The midlevel $30k V8 Camaro’s competitors include cheaper BMWs like the new 1 series coming out soon, Infiniti G35, Challenger, Mazda RX-8, Nissan 350Z (to an extent despite it being a 2-seater), Nissan Skyline, and even some of the Lexus sedans. Dare I say some of the Cadillac market? Could the upperlevel V8 Camaro be positioned as a poor man’s Cadillac CTS? I think so. Give it a magnetic ride suspension as an option and something cool like launch control (a system that takes the guess work out of launching the car for a 0-60 blast for people who don’t have drag racing experience) and fight into new territory in the $40 to $50k range. Show some of the other manufacturers that you think your product is better than their luxury product. The V6 Camaro probably competes price-wise with the Mustang, that ugly RWD Hyundai that’s coming out, and a bunch of other cars that shouldn’t be in it’s class like the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Lancer Evo, etc. Position it as the car that is so good, it’s almost above its class. I.e. My base model, no options, V6 Camaro is better than your top of the line, fully optioned ______.

General Feedback:
- GM/Chevy, you’re making a good Camaro, so sell it as a good product! Your advertising/marketing has never compared to just how good your product is. Don’t sell yourself short by telling the buying public 1) what they already know and have already thought of, 2) what they could learn if you just managed to get them into your dealerships or on your website, or 3) that your Camaro is just some car guys want to waste their money on and hotrod (that’s your USED, off-warranty Camaro market). It’s so much more than that. Again, your target market is the “guy who doesn’t have to make excuses.”

[myold88]

i would love to see interiors offered in colors instead of the drab offerings of today. imagine seats and door trim optioins of white or blue or red. white car with blue- now thats 1969 !.

[GMRULZ]

1. Offer a handling package like the z51 on the Corvette. bigger rotors cross drilled, stiffer springs, larger sway bars, different shocks, engine oil, trans and power steering coolers and don`t forget as part of this package lower gears ie.. 3:15 for the auto and the lower trans gears for the manaul option. Just like the Vette. I have this option on my 06 Mn6 Vette and love it.

2. MAJOR CONCERN!!! ...."WHEELHOP". This is the one thing I hate about my Vette. In stock form it wheel hopped terribly. I`m suprised I did not break it. The IRS on the Camaro needs to be adressed w/ quicker recovery shocks to dampen quick occiilations to control wheelhop. I put bilstien sports on my 06 z51 mn6 vette and it cured 95% of the IRS wheelhop problem. The OEM shocks were too slow and stiff to control wheelhop. Not counting that, the z51 package is a heck of a deal!!! Otherwise you wil see a lot of warranty repairs for this. Not to mention headache for the consumer.

3. Weight. 3750+ is a dealbreaker to me unless the car has a blown Ls3, ie... LSA or such since the blower makes the car heavier. In Normally Aspirated form 3750 is max or I will find a 4th gen LSx Trans Am to build like I want. Makes sure power seats, side airbags and such are options and not standard equipment. I want the lightest, highest horsepower version I can get.

.....and by the way awesome job guys so far!!!

[shuukazedojo]

First of all, thank you to the members of this site for arranging this interaction and allowing us to be part of the shaping of this car's future. Second, thank you to GM for always having an open ear to the customers. I'm fortunate to have a foot in the Corvette world as well as the Camaro's and I know that GM has always been good to us.

My biggest concerns:

1. Fuel economy on the V8 - If I'm going to buy a Camaro, I want a V8. BUT, I want something that can make 30mpg. Alternative fuel is a big bonus. We know the technology is out there. The Camaro would be the perfect vehicle to launch it in.

2. Interior Quality - I want this thing to be a classic...I want the interior's quality to reflect all of the effort that's been put into the design and development of this car. Quality, Convenience, Technology.

3. Performance - It's the freaking Camaro. Again, fuel economy in mind, I would still like to see awesome performance. The technology is there. Show us!!! We want to be the envy of all those other people that bought their Suckstangs and Mopars before seeing what this is all about. We want them to know that not only can we whoop some tail but we can do it at 30+mpg. That would be a tremendous achievement!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Aftermarket/OEM Add Ons - I want the V8. And depending on where you price that, I may not be able to get all of the options that I want right away. It would be nice to have the option of adding it later, piece by piece.

These are the biggest points for me. It seems like everything has been touched on pretty well. Again, thank you to all parties involved.

[stevenm357]

T-Top or Removable Roof Option would be awesome
LS3 or better for SS/z28 Car

[stevenm357]

T-Top or Removable Roof Option would be awesome
LS3 or better for SS/z28 Car needs 450 HP at about $32K.

Open the hood scoop closed is gay. Cold air with that would be great but at least open it.

I personally want the bumblebee car... almost exact ( cheaper paint but look as close as possible)

[69copo]

Thank you for this! Now all of our thoughts and dreams my finally be heard.
I would like to see the backup lights moved out of the rear bumbper and into the brake lights. Has anyone mentioned Halos? Please offer the hockey stripe and have SS or Z/28 only options. I would hate to run into the problem of not being able to tell the difference between an SS, Z/28 from a base model. This is the problem the mustang is having. Open the hood vent on the SS or Z/28. Keep the wheels and tires the same size this will make so we can rotate them. Could we get away from buying packages just to have one option? T-tops are a must! This should not compromise the ingegrity of the frame/chasis at all. We need TRUE dual exhaust and a rumble. Nothing says american muscle like a rumbling V-8. Don't forget horsepower needs stopping power. We need great brakes!One last thing...make so the owners can work on it. I don't want to take mine into the dealership just to replace the plugs.

[jims69camaro]

i'd love to be able to order a stripper - you know, the best motor available with the least amount of options. i'd be willing to forego carpeting, with houndstooth cloth seats, roll up windows, manual locks, etc. it would have no exterior badges or stripes, no call-outs whatsoever. the only way to get it done would be on an order form, so make the order form functional instead of forcing certain options on a "base" model.

on the other side of the coin, make the RS, SS and Z28 trim levels compatible so that they could be ordered together for the ultimate in option packages - performance and creature comforts abound with callouts and stripes and badges on the exterior. why not have it both ways?

[vnamvet]

Making the front seat (at least) space 54 cubic feet, with supportive AND comfortable seating would be nice.

A 15.1:1 steering rack ratio would be nice too along with stability and traction options (engaged/defeated).

No 20 inch wheels!! They are too heavy and require lots of weight to balance. Stock, 18 inchers, with a 19 inch option available.

Blue dash lighting, no Reds/Oranges.........something easy on the eyes, in which the intensity can be adjusted up or down.

thanks!

a Z06 owner

[Wiess]

I dont think the headlights grab my attention as wellas the older ones did,like so.

[Rikitikitavi]

True Dual exhaust.

Tuned headers.

Exhaust dumps.

3 inch stainless exhaust.

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