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2012 Camaro to get Interior Upgrade, Z28 News

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Old 04-30-2010, 07:24 PM
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Default 2012 Camaro to get Interior Upgrade, Z28 News

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/30/r...-interior-z28/

When the Chevrolet Camaro debuted in production form, opinions on the design have been largely split between the interior and exterior. The exterior styling and execution has been almost universally praised while the interior has been deemed barely competitive with the Ford Mustang. The last Ford Mustang.

The problem is that while that the Camaro was hitting the streets, Ford rolled out a revised 'Stang with an all-new and vastly improved interior. Thankfully, Chevrolet wants to rectify things post haste, so the cheap plastic dash is likely to be discarded and hopefully a steering wheel with less canted rim will replace the current unit. Unfortunatel,y changes to the enormous A-pillars are unlikely, meaning that visibility will still suck.

Since we're talking about changes inspired by competition with the Mustang, it appears that the Z28 will probably be removed from the cold storage shelf and put back on the road. Motivation is rumored to be supplied by a version of the supercharged 6.2-liter LSA used in the Cadillac CTS-V with about 550 horsepower, but we're not going to believe that until one appears on the show stand.
"A GM insider confirmed for us that the company is hard at work now on a substantially reworked interior for the Camaro that will appear for the 2012 model year. He couldn’t/wouldn’t list all of the changes, but did mention that most of the upgrading work will go into the dash and specifically that big expanse of blackness in front of the passenger.

Also new for the 2012 will be a little something called the Camaro Z28. Perhaps you’ve heard of it once (or a million times) before. Why wait until the 2012 model year? Our source says so it doesn’t step on the toes to the convertible which will be the Camaro’s "big news for 2011." "
Old 04-30-2010, 07:29 PM
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Damn its uglier! j/k it looks the same...
Old 04-30-2010, 07:32 PM
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That's just a picture used from a 2010 model. I doubt we will see the 2012 interior in shots till early next year.
Old 05-01-2010, 02:44 AM
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While I don't necessarily love the current interior I really don't think it's all that bad either.
Hopefully the changes will all be for the better.
Old 05-01-2010, 05:06 AM
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Like the Challenger the interior in the Camaro is vastly underrated. Meanwhile the interior in the Mustang is vastly overrated.
Old 05-01-2010, 08:15 AM
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i like the interior in camaros. it can be improved but its fine. mustang interior is very nice also. challengers interior can use some work imo.


i wish a z28 would arrive sooner.
Old 05-01-2010, 08:19 AM
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Yeah I don't get what's so "bad" about the current interior?

But whatever an upgrade isn't a bad thing at all. As long as they don't add another 100 pounds of crap in there somehow
Old 05-01-2010, 01:46 PM
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Originally Posted by TriShield
Like the Challenger the interior in the Camaro is vastly underrated. Meanwhile the interior in the Mustang is vastly overrated.
Not really. The Challengers is WAY to much like the Chargers, IE too sedan like. And the Camaros is far from nice. I have to admit, the new Mustang interior with the premium package is WAY, WAY better then the Camaro. IMO GM can't top the Mustangs without a full redo of the interior.
Old 05-01-2010, 05:24 PM
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Originally Posted by TriShield
Like the Challenger the interior in the Camaro is vastly underrated. Meanwhile the interior in the Mustang is vastly overrated.
I don't necessarily agree. Sure, alot of ppl tend to exaggerate their opinions (the Mustang's interior isn't Mercedes grade, and the Camaro's isn't worthy of a 1983 Civic), but there tends to be some truth in there.

The Challenger's interior is fine for the most part, it's the fact that it's almost the exact same interior as the Charger that takes away from its appeal. It's nothing super stylish or stand out, but it isn't low rent either: decent ergonomics and fairly good materials. The Mustang's base interior is certainly nothing outstanding, but its interior upgrade option hits the nail on the head....luscious enough to be stylish but understated enough to still be proper for a muscle car. The problem with the Camaro's interior is that it's a bit too outlandish. Strange ergonomics and styling that readily appeal to some and totally turn off others. That's not something you want in an interior. I can get over the materials used, that never has bothered me. It's the shape and layout. And the steering wheel.......I'm still scratching my head on that one. I had a chance to wrap my hands around an LT's wheel and couldn't figure out how you'd do any kind of aggressive driving without having to do finger yoga. Poor ergonomics there.

Either way, it's good to see that they're going to make improvements.......especially to the steering wheel. That one never should have made it past the concept stage.
Old 05-01-2010, 05:34 PM
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I just marked my calendar for 2011. Time to setup a Z28 savings account at the bank.
Old 05-01-2010, 10:44 PM
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It's no more outlandish than the styling of the car. It makes the 1960s look of the car contemporary inside and out. I love the interior of the Camaro.

The Camaro also has alot of touches that the Mustang doesn't. Like high res displays from the DIC to the headunit to the HUD. The Mustang has giant pixel displays from the 1980s. The Camaro also has a column that adjusts for reach and rake. The Mustang has a five-dent column like a truck. The Camaro also has excellent front seats with firm padding and bolsters. The Mustang's are complete mush, just like the Corvettes. I like that the style is just as wild as the exterior. I like the showcar steering wheel. I like the aux gauges on the console like the original Camaro's. I like the ambient blue lighting and throwback gauges. I like the very simple HVAC and headunit controls. Opposed to the sea of tiny Honda buttons on the Mustang's center stack or giganto screen when you pay thousands for Sync.

I have never read more glossing over of a car overall than the majority of reviews for the 2011 Mustang. The interior isn't nice. The dynamics aren't great either. Car and Driver had the most honest assesment of the interior I've read in their retest of the Camaro and Mustang.

The two cars can't really be split on material quality either. They are made out of the same grade of leather and plastic inside, much of it from the same suppliers. Oh but you can get aluminum over the dash in the Mustang. If you pay over 3 grand for it. Other than that the interior is virtually the same the V6 rental model. A piece of aluminum glued to the dash doesn't make an interior nice.

A refresh isn't a bad thing (and was probably planned anyway). I would like to see a more retro gauge font on the SS similar to the V6. I would like to see a new shifter desigh that doesn't have a giant ball. I would like to see a seat shape similar to the HSV cars Down Under. I guess they can redesign the center stack for DVDnav as opposed to OnStar nav since everyone seems to like to pay thousands for hardware these days. I guess they can stitch the top of the dash and doors in leather too like they do on Cadillacs.

Maybe that will satisfy people.
Old 05-02-2010, 11:06 AM
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I like the current interior on the new Camaro. As long as the new interior is nicer, than awesome.
Old 05-02-2010, 11:44 AM
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Same crappy wheel, radio, gauges, and shifter.
Old 05-02-2010, 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by TriShield
It's no more outlandish than the styling of the car. It makes the 1960s look of the car contemporary inside and out. I love the interior of the Camaro.

The Camaro also has alot of touches that the Mustang doesn't. Like high res displays from the DIC to the headunit to the HUD. The Mustang has giant pixel displays from the 1980s. The Camaro also has a column that adjusts for reach and rake. The Mustang has a five-dent column like a truck. The Camaro also has excellent front seats with firm padding and bolsters. The Mustang's are complete mush, just like the Corvettes. I like that the style is just as wild as the exterior. I like the showcar steering wheel. I like the aux gauges on the console like the original Camaro's. I like the ambient blue lighting and throwback gauges. I like the very simple HVAC and headunit controls. Opposed to the sea of tiny Honda buttons on the Mustang's center stack or giganto screen when you pay thousands for Sync.

I have never read more glossing over of a car overall than the majority of reviews for the 2011 Mustang. The interior isn't nice. The dynamics aren't great either. Car and Driver had the most honest assesment of the interior I've read in their retest of the Camaro and Mustang.

The two cars can't really be split on material quality either. They are made out of the same grade of leather and plastic inside, much of it from the same suppliers. Oh but you can get aluminum over the dash in the Mustang. If you pay over 3 grand for it. Other than that the interior is virtually the same the V6 rental model. A piece of aluminum glued to the dash doesn't make an interior nice.

A refresh isn't a bad thing (and was probably planned anyway). I would like to see a more retro gauge font on the SS similar to the V6. I would like to see a new shifter desigh that doesn't have a giant ball. I would like to see a seat shape similar to the HSV cars Down Under. I guess they can redesign the center stack for DVDnav as opposed to OnStar nav since everyone seems to like to pay thousands for hardware these days. I guess they can stitch the top of the dash and doors in leather too like they do on Cadillacs.

Maybe that will satisfy people.
Gotta say, even as a Camaro guy your wrong. I have friends that have a new Camaro and one just got a Mustang. The Mustang interior is FAR, FAR better. The plastics are all better to the touch, the seats are more comfy, the gauges are better, the shifter is better, the leather is much better and it just looks better and more up to date. Plus the Mustang had Nav/traffic/Sync and a MUCH better stereo. Sorry to say it, but the Mustang wins the interior round by far. If you think the Camaro interior is on par, your just blind to what is better.
Old 05-02-2010, 12:06 PM
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hopefully the steering wheel goes
Old 05-02-2010, 12:30 PM
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how bout they take off a few hundred pounds and re-do the exterior all together so its not like a damn brick instead...
Old 05-02-2010, 12:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Tainted
how bout they take off a few hundred pounds and re-do the exterior all together so its not like a damn brick instead...
Well if that damn Alpha platform ever get's some steam....

A guy can dream damn it
Old 05-02-2010, 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Gaunt
Well if that damn Alpha platform ever get's some steam....
Be careful what you wish for.
Old 05-02-2010, 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by SSNISTR
If you think the Camaro interior is on par, your just blind to what is better.
I'm not even a Camaro guy but I like the Camaro better and you can't objectively split the two between materials. I like the showcar design of the Camaro much, much more and it's fitting with the exterior. The basics are contemporary too. The Mustang doesn't even come with a DIC.

I've driven a couple 2010 Mustangs and I got deja vu from 2006 all over again. It also reminded me why I purchased and LS2 GTO over it back then too. The Mustang doesn't have anything close to resembling a premium interior inside, it's a big joke. Especially now that they cost 40 grand loaded. Money that would get you an SRT8 car or a G8 GXP (which I got for considerably less).

The seats are as horrid as they get in a muscle car, the rear is completely worthless and the Mustang is about 5 grand too expensive for what you get. I would also never spend the coin on Sync or nav. I'm much more interested in performance in a car like that instead of hardware that ages rapidly (take a look at how awful nav looks in cars that are 7 years or older now).

If interiors sold these cars then the GTO would have been a smash success.
Old 05-02-2010, 01:58 PM
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I think what this comes down to Trishield is a matter of opinion (and obviously you just don't like the Mustang......alot). Like I said in my post, the Camaro's interior does appeal to some (like you) but totally turns off others. I just don't think an interior of a car should be love it or hate it. It should manage to be somewhere in between at least. Of course it all comes down to opinion. And when it comes to what you're going to buy when you go down to the dealership, your opinion is the only one that matters. But regardless, you can't escape the fact that the Camaro's interior has turned off alot of ppl enough to make them not want to buy the car, and that's a problem that GM is rightful to address.


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