Do you think GM missed the ball my making the z/28 a track only car?

[Russo]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wyndham

Consider....a lot of people who might get the most track use out of the Z/28 are likely to have a truck and trailer to bring it there...multiple times a year...and while I am profiling a little bit, I'll bet they have the coin to afford this sort of fun.

Everyone else can hop into a 1LE...and I dare them not to grin from ear to ear.

if that's the case (and i know some people who do that) they will never buy a z28 they will buy a 911.. today's economy will yield very low sales, which is ok if Chevy plans to make 300 units, but don't expect to see one except on Jay Leno's Garage and Top Gear..

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Russo

if that's the case (and i know some people who do that) they will never buy a z28 they will buy a 911.. today's economy will yield very low sales, which is ok if Chevy plans to make 300 units, but don't expect to see one except on Jay Leno's Garage and Top Gear..

Or the Fest.

There are many Camaro enthusiasts already drooling to get one, and I'm sure it will appeal to more than just died-in-the-wool Camaro guys...it doesn't need to sell thousands to be a success. And time will tell what a terror it will be to other cars on a track day.

[90503]

Originally Posted by GoldenBear

After reading many of the posts regarding the new Z/28, it seems to me that what some people really want with regard to the Z/28 is the a la carte style option availability that was ubiquitous in the 1960s. In that world the new Z/28 option would essential consist of the LS7 engine, the PZero R tires, the Z28 wheels, exhaust, and suspension, and the TR6060 manual transmission and a 3.91:1 final drive ratio would be required. All other Camaro options with the exception of the convertible option would be available on the Z/28 in a la carte fashion, including Carbon Ceramic brakes, Recaro seats, lighter back glass, navigation system, My Link stereo, HID headlamps and foglights, etc., etc., etc. That way people feel that they could customize the Z/28 from the factory to their own specific desired levels of performance, comfort, and cost.

However, that world of mass automotive manufacturing doesn't exist anymore, and hasn't existed for several decades. It would be prohibitively expensive for Chevrolet to sell cars in that manner today.

Given today's mass automotive manufacturing environment, i think that the new Z/28 appears to have really hit its mark. The new Z/28 is designed to be a track focused vehicle, and while it can be driven on the street, it is not really intended to appeal to everyone or even a very wide audience, and it is certainly not intended to be a daily driver or to be one's only vehicle. The new Z/28 is really intended to be a second or third (or more) vehicle, with high performance track use as its main purpose.

The new ZL1 is really the all around multi-purpose high performance Camaro.

Good points...I see all the history, heritage thing with the Z/28 as having brought up hopes of a return to check-box options as was common back in the 60s as well...As you say, that system of building cars has been a buried relic for quite a while...

...On the flip-side, we will see these hi-end cars bring to the regular assembly line up-graded, tested, economically viable up-grades at some point in the future for all our cars that would not happen without cars such as this factory Z/28...

....I hope there are many buyers for this car out there...my guess is we never hear from a lot of them due to some of the juvenile behavior that happens around here...lol...(I can be one of them myself)...lol...

[Zfatuated]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wyndham

Consider....a lot of people who might get the most track use out of the Z/28 are likely to have a truck and trailer to bring it there...multiple times a year...and while I am profiling a little bit, I'll bet they have the coin to afford this sort of fun.

You win the bet It's a fact- Unless I am going to the local track, 1 hour away, I'm sure as hell sticking the Z into a trailer to track it anywhere else.

Originally Posted by Russo

if that's the case (and i know some people who do that) they will never buy a z28 they will buy a 911...

Hmmm, I'm proof the opposite is actually true You simply don't understand the real-life value propositions of tracking each. Most people, especially if they are not trackers, don't. Porsches are freaking astronomical $ to run on track, figure $3000 per hour for a GT3 if you want to be honest and look at the total cost: wear/tear, maintenance, depreciation, consumables. Engines are $50k, trans $35k. Limit of track insurance $125k so you are covering the rest ($0-$100k for a GT2RS) of your potential crash liability out of your pocket. There is a laundry list but let's just leave it that the grass in the other pasture is not as green as it may appear...lol

Other than this new Z/28, a car from the factory, street legal, and set up to go directly to the track doesn't exist. Well except for a Viper TA maybe. Add a warranty when on track and you have a definite one-of-a-kind.

Next year, as the other car's drivers start having to go to the doctor to be treated for "point-by elbow" you are going to see track-day events full of Z/28's. The car, on paper at least, is a monumental value presuming it comes in $70k or under.

[FINALLYSATISFIED]

Originally Posted by mlee

You know what pisses me off... Only 3 V6 trims... WTH???

There will be plenty of V6 trims when the CAFE begins, we will slowly see the V8 trims drift away here soon...

[madmax13]

If I had the coin I would DD a Z/28.... who needs a radio? Bunch of people bitching on here. If you really want it invest $2 or $3k into some speakers.

Why wouldn't people want the absolute best design possible? If it had been muddled with unnecessary crap every single model would be watered down, forever. Why not look to the future instead of one step back?

[mlee]

Originally Posted by FINALLYSATISFIED

There will be plenty of V6 trims when the CAFE begins, we will slowly see the V8 trims drift away here soon...

And that's exactly why we need the race ready Z/28 now...

[Bhobbs]

Originally Posted by LeanPocket

yess, no and yes

So how can you say no one wanted it this way when plenty of us did?

[FINALLYSATISFIED]

Originally Posted by mlee

And that's exactly why we need the race ready Z/28 now...

They could have waited for the 6th Gen though and release the Z/28 IMO. But they want to keep the momentum going which is understandable. I'm pretty sure they'll continue having the lead for atleast another year. Then the 6th Gen will either be a success or failure. I'm rooting for them though and I'm sure the 6th Gen will be amazing.

[JR3]

Originally Posted by 1LEMayhem

Its 2013 not 1969!! No radio really? I think its just plain stupid they stripped down the car to save what a 100lbs? They should of started with a loaded SS platform and added the Z28 goodies to that.

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Aint it cool bro?

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by 1LEMayhem

Its 2013 not 1969!! No radio really? I think its just plain stupid they stripped down the car to save what a 100lbs? They should of started with a loaded SS platform and added the Z28 goodies to that.

If you're starting from a platform as luxury-oriented and feature-laden as a loaded SS, there is no reason to tune the performance much beyond where the 1LE and the ZL1 currently sit. Two performance-with-luxury versions have the segment adequately covered already, and three would be a crowd.

The Z/28 is for the driver who flat-out doesn't want the luxury stuff at any amount of added weight, no matter how small. There's a whole different character to this kind of car. When that is understood at the gut-level, one can then claim to truly understand the Z/28. Probably not before.


Norm

[james347]

No.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

If you're starting from a platform as luxury-oriented and feature-laden as a loaded SS, there is no reason to tune the performance much beyond where the 1LE and the ZL1 currently sit. Two performance-with-luxury versions have the segment adequately covered already, and three would be a crowd.

The Z/28 is for the driver who flat-out doesn't want the luxury stuff at any amount of added weight, no matter how small. There's a whole different character to this kind of car. When that is understood at the gut-level, one can then claim to truly understand the Z/28. Probably not before.


Norm

What you see with complaints such as the one you quoted...is a fundamental misunderstanding of what the original car was built for...and what this new car is supposed to be.

We also get a glimpse into the reason why so many cars today are heavy, option-laden vehicles...People want that stuff...ironically, some of them then complain about the weight.

[OldScoolCamaro]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

The Z/28 is for the driver who flat-out doesn't want the luxury stuff at any amount of added weight, no matter how small. There's a whole different character to this kind of car. When that is understood at the gut-level, one can then claim to truly understand the Z/28. Probably not before.


Norm

Well said Norm....

...and I have decided to go after the Z/28 just because of what the gut level, seat of the pants feel will be. The emphasis is on raw performance and it's feedback. Camaro Nirvana.....without the additives....