And in short, I was severely disappointed. The ergonomics are awkward to say the least. The steering wheel blocks the gauges, the seat is too far from the wheel yet too close to the pedals and getting out requires bending in ways I am no longer able to do. That V6 was a sweet engine though.
now go try the hyundai and give us your impressions..
mad_machine wrote: now go try the hyundai and give us your impressions..
QFT
Only car that gives me an automoboner these days.
I just want to see what a hatchet job the idiots at Car and Driver did
I took delivery of my black/black 6-speed 2010 Camaro SS last week (I placed a deposit on it two years ago before they even confirmed that they would build it). My observations from a week of flogging it:
-It's built A LOT better than the GM cars I grew up with
The suspension seems to be all grip and no handling (NUMB steering, too), I'm apprehensive about pushing it too hard.
AWESOME brakes
Damn this thing is heavy!
It needs headers - plenty of power but it needs to be a smidge louder
Horrendous visibility
I LOVE the interior (despite not being able to see out of it very well)
I still can't bring myself to doing the smoky burnout with it that I promised myself
A Miata or my ratty old Boxster is more fun, but overall, I think it's a pretty bad ass car.
If someone can tell me how to post the pictures in this thread, I'll put them up (for now, see my profile picture).
As soon as I find one to drive you can bet I will! The GenCoupe is the only new car that actually has me checking the budget. I like test driving stuff to see what's worth buying used in a few years. I've driven the 03 Mach 1, 05 Mustang GT, 10 Camaro V6, 09 Challenger R/T, 07 Charger R/T, 03 WRX, 04 GTO, 05 GTO, 07 MS3, and the 04 SRT4 all when they came out. I love taking stuff on test drives.
If anybody cares, I really liked the GTO's, the SRT4, the MS3, and surprisingly the Mach 1. The new Camaro feels to awkward inside for me to ever really like. I think a Solstice/Sky with that V6 would just be the baddest sportscar ever though...
72SuperBrian wrote: If someone can tell me how to post the pictures in this thread, I'll put them up (for now, see my profile picture).
Host them on an image server like Photobucket or Flickr, then copy the URL. When you post, click on the camera icon and paste the photo URL.
I just read the Hot Rod review of it, and I thought they would go all "fanboy" on it. Surprisingly, they mentioned the same negatives that were mentioned here, however they said that the engines and transmissions made it all worth it.
Funny... I test drove an SS Camaro about 10yrs ago and it had those exact same issues. The car was "OK" but I couldn't see out of it and the steering might have been grafted from a 1950s garbage truck. It had an awesome motor but I couldn't hear it with the windows down. Nice to know nothing has changed in the last decade.
I'd like a real GRM review:
What do you think it would be like gutted to bare essentials, with a racing shell, wide open pipe and a full cage but otherwise stock?
walterj wrote: What do you think it would be like gutted to bare essentials, with a racing shell, wide open pipe and a full cage but otherwise stock?
That exact car was on display at the Daytona 24
Saw a really cherry '69 RS today, silver with black stripes. I'd like to see old/new side by side.
walterj wrote: Funny... I test drove an SS Camaro about 10yrs ago and it had those exact same issues. The car was "OK" but I couldn't see out of it and the steering might have been grafted from a 1950s garbage truck. It had an awesome motor but I couldn't hear it with the windows down. Nice to know nothing has changed in the last decade.
Funny my uncle had a 96(?) SS that he loved. I actually hated driving that car (he lost his license in it and I had to drive on occasion to keep it running)
I hate the lack of proper seating, not being able to see out of the car, the terrible headlights, and the artificially heavy controls.
I have honestly never cared for the Camaro since.
I've seen a few on the road. They are pretty badass looking, but every time i see one i'm distracted by how MASSIVE the damn thing is. Looks like some kit car company built a sportscar body to drop onto a full size chevy truck frame! Looks even bigger than the Challenger, which also looks badass, but HUGE [paris]HUUUUUUuuuuGE[/paris]
I would like to see them side by side.
I took a good look at both at the Washington Auto Show this year. The Challenger appeared to be much bigger to me. The Mustang is really in the same boat though, it appears to be just as big as the Camaro.
Jensenman wrote: Saw a really cherry '69 RS today, silver with black stripes. I'd like to see old/new side by side.
My Local dealer did just this. I think that it was a mistake. The old car made the new machine look massive, bulky and slab sided. The New car made the old model look like it was a petite 3/4 scale machine.
Perhaps domestic market diehards would find this appealing, but I suspect that it chased off any potential converts from Foreign sports coupe GTs.
m
not the camaro, but i sat in a G8 at the houston auto show and was shocked when i grabbed the center console and it damn near came off in my hand. it felt like it was made out of that thin plywood/fiberboard that goes on the back of cheap entertainment centers and then stapled to the carpet.
P71 wrote: I think a Solstice/Sky with that V6 would just be the baddest sportscar ever though...
I respectfully disagree. That car is perfect as is. The turbo four makes that car perfect. And I think GM has a dealer-installed option that'll bump up the boost and jack up the horsepower to over 300 without voiding the warranty.
If you want to put a larger engine in it though, why stop at a V6? A link to a site with a car that I'm sure everybody here has seen before.
Yeah, lessee the pics of the new Camaro. I think the styling that what's left of Detroid has come out with in he past couple of years is pretty good. The Dodge Charger looks good. The Mustang, Solstice, etc. And I really like the looks of the GTO as I blasted past one on a turn. Now, what's going to happen to all that tomorrow is hard to say. Once you have the Feds telling you what kind of cars to make, you're pretty well screwed. I guess Hundai starts looking better all the time.
My friend has a 01 SS Camaro doing real clost to 500 HP at the crank. Middle 400's at the wheels. It scoots pretty good in a straight line, but has all the typical GM issues like interior made of crap, rattles, etc. He pretty much gave up on keeping after all the little things that break and tries to keep the big things working. Right now, the cruise control is out and the windows will sometimes work and sometimes laugh at you.
Dr. Hess wrote: He pretty much gave up on keeping after all the little things that break and tries to keep the big things working. Right now, the cruise control is out and the windows will sometimes work and sometimes laugh at you.
My Miata is pretty much the same way. Things break all the time in that car. The difference is that they usually start working again for some reason on their own (like cruise control). Almost everything else can be solved by hitting it or kicking it (HVAC bulb, HVAC fan, map light, etc.).
Dr. Hess wrote: Yeah, lessee the pics of the new Camaro. I think the styling that what's left of Detroid has come out with in he past couple of years is pretty good. The Dodge Charger looks good. The Mustang, Solstice, etc. And I really like the looks of the GTO as I blasted past one on a turn. Now, what's going to happen to all that tomorrow is hard to say. Once you have the Feds telling you what kind of cars to make, you're pretty well screwed. I guess Hundai starts looking better all the time.
you do not need the feds to help GM make their cars look like Poo... followed a g6 recently? I got behind a "GXP" today and the rear wing on it overhung the rear side fenders and was probably wider than my BMW.
And I thought aftermarket wings were bad
Yeah, funny how he's being critical of a car with almost FIVE HUNDRED HP. What do you think matters to a guy with a 500 hp Camaro?
OTOH, my Dad had a 01' SS M6 as his daily for 4 or 5 years. He never modded a thing, and it was great car. He's an old hot-rodder, so he liked to get on it a lot, but it never gave him any issues. He took care of it like anyone should take care of something that costs 30+ grand or whatever it was, and it was in excellent shape when he sold it. I was going to buy it, but he changed his mind on the price at the last minute.
It cracks me up when you guys gripe about driving position and plastic this and that, though I'm envious of your ability to know a car based on what your neighbor had or a 10-minute test drive.
confuZion3 wrote:P71 wrote: I think a Solstice/Sky with that V6 would just be the baddest sportscar ever though...I respectfully disagree. That car is perfect as is. The turbo four makes that car perfect. And I think GM has a dealer-installed option that'll bump up the boost and jack up the horsepower to over 300 without voiding the warranty. If you want to put a larger engine in it though, why stop at a V6? A link to a site with a car that I'm sure everybody here has seen before.
I should take a step back here and reiterate that I love the Sky/Solstice, especially in Turbo GXP/Redline form. I also think Hot Rod's LS7 powered one is about the baddest roadster on the planet. I guess what I was getting at is there is a distinct market for a big bore/N/A motor'd roadster that's smaller then the 350/370Z and I think a V6 Solstice/Sky would just flat out rock that market. The 306HP one in the Camaro gives a great account of itself for having to haul around almost 2 tons, so in a lighter chassis I could just see it as an "out of the box" wondercar. Because let's face it, as long as there is Corvette we will never see a factory LSx Solstice.
MikeSVO wrote: It cracks me up when you guys gripe about driving position and plastic this and that, though I'm envious of your ability to *know* a car based on what your neighbor had or a 10-minute test drive.
Have you ever sat in a car and just knew it was too uncomfortable? That's what the ergonomics in the Camaro are like. It's not a simple matter of "I can't find a decent driving position", it's "it doesn't matter what I adjust, it flat hurts to sit in this car". There is a huge difference. A different seat and a different steering wheel still wouldn't get it "right". There's a 6" think A-pillar about 3" from your face, the gauges sit so high up on the dash that no amount of steering wheel/hand positioning will get them visible, and the seat is mounted so far forward that there's no graceful way to enter/exit. I was excited to drive the Camaro, of the 3 "pony" (re: obese Clydesdales) cars out right now it "does it" the most for me, but the faults I can't ignore, at any price. 15 years from now when these things are about $5K I still won't buy one.
I think the Solstice hardtop coupe was badass period!
A good car should "disappear" around you..... I am not talking perfect ergonomics, proper placement of switchgear, or anything like that... but it's faults should be minor enough that you can overlook them and the rest of the car for a good drive.
I loved my early 911 and my fiats.. but most people (not GRMers) would hate them do to the odd ergonomics in those cars. Even my 318ti would probably bother some people... but honestly, when I got in and started to drive, in less than a mile I could forget what the car looked like inside and out and just enjoy the road.
plastics in the interior need to be VERY bad for you to notice them when driving, same with the feel of the switch gear.. but things like seating, shifter and pedal placement, and the ability to see out of the car are what make and break a deal for me.
Someday I will try the new camaro. I got a stint behind the wheel of a friend's challenger, and except for the massive power and new car smell, I was not overly impressed.
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