First a bit of an aside; my wife loves the Charger SRT-8 and I like the Challenger but when I started comparing them I was shocked to find out that the Challenger is only 2.4 inches shorter and only 20 pounds lighter. (some Charger models even weigh in over 400 lbs less then the Challenger) That’s so damn close the only reason to even get the Challenger is the looks, and heck even when I was single it was nice to have a four-door so you could do stuff with friends. This “what the hell” moment got me thinking about the new Camaro.

Now they say the new Camaro SS will have 422 hp where as our (4th gen) cars had only 325. But what was unique about our LS1’s was that they were way underrated and had a ton of “free mods” that we could do to open them up with almost no cost or effort.

And I believe that we can be fairly sure that the new Camaro’s engine is not in any way being underrated so the power gap between generations is probably not as great as the math would indicate.

So is the new Camaro going to be any competition with our existing 4th gens? (by this I don't mean 1/4 miles, I mean will it be worth getting) I just have a hard time seeing spending my performance (or appearance) dollars on the new car. If I dumped even half the cost of the new Camaro ($15k) into my existing car I’d damn near run out of things on my automotive wish list. And for the full $30k+ I could easily find a used C6 Vette to take home.

I am not hating on the new Camaro, I love the idea of its return. Even more I love the being in the middle of a new muscle/pony car war. Hell even Hyundai will be throwing its hat into the ring with its new Genesis. (I can't stand Hyundai's but a rwd v8 is a step in the right direction for them) I just want to hear some opinions about what it is that I am missing about the new Camaro.

 

the ls3's have hit 500hp cam only. that good enough for you?

nobody said the new model had to destroy the prior model in performance. you can make your "why buy a new car" justification with any model car, and last i checked people buy new cars instead of dumping the cost of a new car into their current cars

 

^^true.
and its not like the LS3 won't respond to mods? have you seen the c6 vettes??? a hotcam will even put you at 480hp, which will probably break the 400rwhp mark. also, the size of the mufflers? come on! adding a good cat back/True Duals will open that ****** up.

 

The new Camaro is much more than a engine and styling. It is a much better car in suspension, chassis, fit and finish, and drivetrain. The 4th gen F-bodies were OK cars, but they aren't in the same league as the new car from a improvement stand point. If you can't see yourself spending the cash on a 5th gen because you love your 4th gen I can understand, but don't say it is only styling and LS3. I personally can't see spending 30k on a car just to have the newest on the block, but would consider one after a few years for in the low 20's.

 

I don't really mean can the new Camaro it beat LS1's on the track, and no not every generation has to outperform its previous model. Look at the steps down in the 1970's and the 1980's. What I am more concerned with is what the Charger/Challenger got me thinking about.

Why get a "muscle car" just for looks (challenger) when a practical four-door sedan (charger) performs almost exactly the same?

The Camaro is supposed to be the best bang for the buck out there. Bone stock 3rd gen Camaros could be considerd slow today but not compared to their competition back then. And I don't think anyone could argue that when our LS1's were new nothing else came close to the performance per dollar they offered.

I just don't know if the new Camaro is offering that same level of bargin performance anymore. I don't mean to argue new car vs. old (cause belive me I would love to work on a new rust free new car) I guess what I want to know is what about the new Camaro makes it "the" car to put the wrench time into.

 

Thanks 406, that is exactly what I am talking about. (I was a little long in posting my reply)

 

I believe the LS3's in the Vette's are underrated too. Guys are dynoning stock around 380-390 hp at the wheels. This is more than 436 flywheel HP. Also I expect the 6.2L to respond even better to mods because of the increased displacement. That combined with the aggressive new looks is why the new Camaro seems popular. I think the Charger and GTO were skipped by many because the looks weren't aggressive enough.

 

The GTO was not aggressive but the Charger???Hell yes! Remember, this is a four door familly car, so it looks super aggressive, specially the SRT8 model.



The GTO could only dreamed to look as half as aggressive as the Charger.

 

If confused on Camaro popularity-- well hell for me its a new camaro
But if comparing challenger and charger than how about comparing new camaro and the G8
G8 caompared to the charger is way more superior imo
The GXP model will be another step for that car

 

A muscle car is a 2 door, RWD car with a roaring V8. A family car is a Sedan you buy it to drive your family around in... kinda like a minivan. So really its your choice

and we cant really say if he camaro will be the 'best bang for the buck' cause we dont know what the bang is nor how hard itll buck

but IMO i do think it will be as it always has been and that it will outperform its competition. Sure there maybe cars out there that will beat it but hey at least youre driving a NEW CAMARO.

Like others said just look at the newer Corvettes and see how they perform itll give you a rough idea (minus weight, etc.) or you could look at how many modded LS1s are beating the 'family car' Charger and the look good challenger

 

The definition of what a muscle car is has EVOLVED, has the cars themselves change through the years....is the Jeep SRT8 a muscle "car"?? See what I mean?

 

I dunno, was never that excited about the Charger. I think most people agree, that's why the Challenger is getting so much more attention when it's basically the same car as the Charger besides looks.

 

The G8 to Camaro comparison is a good one. I was just so disapointed to learn that the only real difference between the Charger and Challenger was the looks. (I like the two-door look better but why fight the wife all the time when they are the exact same internally) By the way the SRT-8 Charger will be the wife's new car.

Myself, I really want to get the new Camaro as I have been a huge fan of f-bodies for years. (I probably won't get one the first year, budget mostly) I just don't want to get a car that can run door to door with a family sedan. Especially if it can't keep up with my, high mileage, barely modified '99 SS.

Mind you this is still aside from looks and the Camaro legacy. I will still probably get it anyway just because of that. I just hope I don't have to dump a ton of money into just to keep up with my wife's new car.

 

SRT-8 Charger, 4160lbs, 425hp, 9.79lbs per hp

1999 Camaro SS, 3550lbs, 350hp, 10.14lbs per hp

2010 Camaro SS, 3860lbs, 422hp, 9.15lbs per hp

I don't think the new Camaro will have any trouble keeping up with either of your other cars.

 

that sums it up pretty good I think

 

sorry i left of Coupe... and no a Jeep is not. i dont think it has evolved at all, maybe in the minds of some of the import crowd or some younger people but not to me. Sure an import can be fast and stout but ill never call it Muscle. same goes for domestic Sedans or SUVs...

 

i actually think the jeep srt8 is a muscle car that thing looks bad *** and it is a blast to ride/drive in!

 

Then you need to buy a C6 or something.
There are MANY performance sedans made now that are running low 13s or 12s stock.
Take a look at Audi, BMW, MB, Cadillac, etc etc.

 

The only performance number we have for the Camaro are the one GM releases, well they are usually very conservative for quarter mile. They would run them with traction control on which shuts off power at the slightest hint of wheel spin. The last F-body weight an honest 3500 lbs and put out approximatly 340 hp, the 5th Gen weights in at 3900 and has 422 hp (430 in a Vette) so I believe the extra HP and torque can pull the extra weight just fine. Besides this car will be able to handle much better than the 4th gen car, this car has to appeal to more than just the straight line crowd to be sucessful.

Hard to judge Bang for the Buck before we know the prices, the real prices not the internet conjecture. For quite a few years the Mustang GT had the price to performance all to itself, then with the 4th gen and Ford jacking up pricing it tipped to the Camaro.