$750 L98

iTrader: (7)

You can definitely see the weight in person when looking at one of the 5th gens. They carry it well, but I definitely agree, between it being on a sedan chassis and all of the standard creature features and safety equipment - it's no wonder it weighs so much.

I parked next to one in my C4 and felt dwarfed, they certainly do hulk though, and move out quick for the size.

Mr370z

Blame the government. I know I do.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

You got that all wrong man, the 2nd gens were bigger than the 1st gens.

Camaro is not a sports car. That's what Corvette is for. People seem to forget that. A smaller Camaro will not be as attractive, as you still need to fit 4 seats into the mix, and doing so in a shorter car results in something that looks like a Cobalt.

The 5th gen is 190.4", that is 3" shorter than a 4th gen. I have no idea why people act like this car is a '74 Fleetwood seventy-five sedan.

Is the new Camaro too heavy? YES! But it's not too "big". It needs less government regulation, less insulation and electronics, and a solid axle. That will fix the weight.

blk/slvr02ss

iTrader: (21)

My 4th gen next to my 5th was not really much bigger just a little bulkyer and sat a little higher.I am looking into a 2008 C6 A6 because of the LS-3 and 600lbs lighter.

ska4life07

iTrader: (2)

I really hope they do come out with a smaller platform for the car.

71novaguy

iTrader: (2)

Unless they start building it completely out of carbon fiber, we are never going to get lighter cars. We have allow people to make the decisions for us in the name of safety. We hold automanufactures on some pedestal because we cannot take responsibility for our actions.
We want to be able to wreck a car at 100 mph and walk away unharmed. If we get a scratch, we want to sue because it should have been built safer. Not that we were street racing idiots who cant drive worth a damn. Look at all the features they are putting in cars these days. TPMS because we forgot what an air pressure gauge looks like. Blind spot protection because we cant use mirrors (even though just about every car out there now has power mirrors). TV's, navigations systems, 8 speaker (and more) stearos, side curtian air bags, power folding rear seats, the list goes on.
Adding all these electronics adds weight. I read some where Benz learned to save 200 lbs of weight by adding relays to reduce wiring. Think about that, 200 lbs of wires saved, and we still have more wiring that most individuals can even comprehend

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

^ Agreed.

I think some people want a "luxury" Camaro, but they don't want the downsides that come with a luxury car (weight, price). There are weight savings measures that could be used (think Z06 vs base Corvette), but the trade off would be an increase in price. Some people complain that the car is already too expensive.

Many people complained about the 4th gen, that it was good for basic power and acceleration, and not much else. These people wanted a more well-rounded car that was comparable to an entry level 4-seat luxury coupe but still offered the horsepower of a Corvette. Well, you got what you asked for. Personally, I was never one who complained about the 4th gens; frankly I've always liked them and never was bothered much by the things many seem to hate. I never wanted a "refined/luxury-esque" Camaro. IMO, that's what Monte Carlo should have been (entry-level luxury 2-door, 4-seat V8 car).

Thanks to modern consumer demand and government regulations, you will not find an OEM that builds a light weight, affordable, fast, V8 2-door car.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I know we've talked about this before, and I still agree with you.

I'd rather move on to an LS3 C6 than a 5th gen Camaro, mostly because of the L99; I find the suggestion of a V8 DoD engine in a Camaro offensive. What I really want is an LS3 + A6 which can only be had in a Corvette.

robertbartsch

The Z-28 for 2012 is going to be 300 lbs less than the Camaro SS but it will cost $8K more!!!!!! Zero to 60 will be in low 4s....???

For that money, I would rather buy a Vette, however.

LS14EVR

iTrader: (3)

Regulations is a big factor.


And why all those regulations are in place is mainly due to your explanation novaguy. We cater to the stupid and lazy in this country. I also believe some of the 5th gen's faults are do to emmisions stuff too. I want to say on Horsepower TV last weekend they were doing some upgrades to a 5th gen and stock dyno came in at 312rwhp. Did anyone else see that episode?
I got to drive one and thrash on it pretty good during a GM ride and drive and I absolutely hated the car from a performance standpoint. The clutch was terrible. Now I see they have a hydraulic clutch kit in summit. One other point I want to bring up about wt. though is this 5th gen appeared to be very stable and torsionally rigid. Do the 5th gen's need all the add ons like most of us do to 4th gen's? i.e. SFC, STB, LCA, Torque bars, etc. etc. etc. that can in some cases add wt to our 4th gen's. I know some actually reduce wt. Anyone have a 4th gen before and after wt. comparison of stock and totally outfitted with all the aftermarket braces etc. you can throw at it. Curious now. Well, that's enough of me rambling. Just my 0.02

robertbartsch

...according to independent sources, the new stock Camaro is supposed to handle very well out-of-the-box (98 on skid pad). This is due, in part, to an independent rear, stiffer frame, better shocks, lighter wheels, etc.

....the Camaros won a sanctioned sports car race this weekend that included Vettes, BMW, Mazdas, etc. that were in the same class.

If there is one "bad" feature of the 4th gen cars, it is pathetic handling, rattles, wheel hop, and poor road manners. If they fixed this it would be a MAJOR improvement from the older cars.

Why is the 2012 - Z28 priced $8K higher if the 300 lbs weight reduction will be accomplished via a smaller lighter platform (e.g., body/frame)? ...makes no sence to me!

Apperantly, the 2012 Z28 will not be offered in an auto - Uhg!

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Why not? The test mule has an auto. The pics of that are in the Auto News section.

Where did you read this?

71novaguy

iTrader: (2)

Agreed. It took me three times to move cause there was no feel and it didnt engage until almost full release. I thought it clutch was out on the thing.

whats the engine in it?

bamalt1

iTrader: (7)

The test mules have a dash plaque that says Supercharged 6.2L V8, it doesn't say which but I would bet on the LSA. Unless it's 100k there's no way it get's the ZR1 engine.