New Motor Trend Camaro Story

[NOS2006]

It's a mock-up of a Camaro vs. Mustang (V6, Z/28, ZL-1 vs. V6, GT, Cobra) battle. Camaro won almost everything. Pretty sweet; go check it out.

[Satty]

So they're testing a car that doesn't exist in the real world against one that will be due for a redesign by the time the other one appears on the roads? Yeah, thats purposeful.

[Northstar]

I think the Mustang is just getting a refresh for '09 (originally it was going to be '08 but they pushed it back).

Anyways, what were their predictions for the Camaro's engine (though I doubt it's right since supposedly they just changed their plans in the last month).

[NOS2006]

This is what they said...

What We Think We Know [about the Camaro]:

• Volume: 100-150k/year
• Entry level V6 just about $20k
• Affordable V8 just under $30k
• No 6.0, but a 6.2 instead (they say 400/400 for a power estimate on it)
• V6: 3.9L @ 240/240 with 5SA/5SM
• Rims: 17s on V6, 18/19s on V8s
• Weight estimates (base/Z28/ZL-1): 3400/3500/3600
• 0-60 estimates (base/Z28/ZL-1): 6.2/3.9/3.4
• 1/4 Mile estimates: 14.5/12.2/11.4

Play the sims yourself! Click on motortrend.com to watch the Camaro and Mustang dice on the dragstrip, slalom, and figure-eight in a 3D virtual environment.

[Northstar]

0-60 in 3.4 and the 1/4 in 11.4? Those are way off. No way it would be faster than the current Z06.

[NOS2006]

Yeah, lol. Especially with the same engine and more weight.

[ToniCipriani]

Yeah, lol. Especially with the same engine and more weight.

Ditto. And with GM's (insane marketing) thinking, it'll more than likely be detuned, even if it has the LS2.

[hyperv6]

I saw the story. It must be slow at the magazine markets or sales must be down.

To test a car that is not even built yet with drivetrains that may not reflect what is going to be used on a computer is pushing it a bit.

Some get mad if we just speculate on when they will build it let alone the 1/4 mile times.

I just suprised they did not trash it for cheap plastic on the inside already!!! You know how MT loves GM cars.

My guess they did not sell a lot of magazines with the Honda car of the year issues and are tring to make up lost sales with some cars with personality.

I did note in the story that Ford has canceled all the special edition Mustangs but the Mach 1 and the Shelby. I wonder if this is some of the fall out of the loss of SVT.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

So they're testing a car that doesn't exist in the real world against one that will be due for a redesign by the time the other one appears on the roads?  Yeah, thats purposeful.

LOL

Yep, essentially they're doing what the media does best; CREATING THE STORY, CREATING THE FACTS and CHOOSING A WINNER based on SKEWED, BIASED and FICTICIOUS LOGIC.

I'm sure Ford is happy about them slamming the hot selling Mustang with an *IMAGINARY* car.

[Chicagoland]

DCX should chime in and say what about the Challenger? I never waste my $$ on MT tissue paper.

[RJB]

Didn't you know that MT is an imaginary publication about imaginary cars? Well they don't exist to me anyway, what a P.O.S. publication.

[Sixty8panther]

Okay... this silly artincle aside (read it yesterday when I got my MT in the mail)

the Camaro IS the winner in this battle. No questions asked.

- LS series motos are far superior to the modular engines Ford's been pushing since the mid 1990s.

- Sad, droopy puppy dog face is pathetic compared to Camaro's Shark Mouth.

- The Mustang is a 2dr sedan w/ an obnoxiously thick B-pillar, the Camaro is a hardtop!

That's grounds right there for a K.O., so long as the Camaro stays "Solstice-close" to concept.

[Satty]

I seriously dont see how anyone who thinks about it logically can say a car that doesn't exist is better than a car that will likely receive heavy updates in the coming years. Nobody knows for sure what powerplants will go in the Camaro, how it will be packaged, what it will look like off the line, and nobody knows what the 2009 Mustang will look like, be powered byt, etc. So yeah, calling the Camaro the winner three years in advance is as bad as saying the 2007 Camry will be the mest midsize car six months before its debut, which I'm sure Edmunds did, do you really want to be like Edmunds?

[Robert Hall]

I seriously dont see how anyone who thinks about it logically can say a car that doesn't exist is better than a car that will likely receive heavy updates in the coming years.  Nobody knows for sure what powerplants will go in the Camaro, how it will be packaged, what it will look like off the line, and nobody knows what the 2009 Mustang will look like, be powered byt, etc.  So yeah, calling the Camaro the winner three years in advance is as bad as saying the 2007 Camry will be the mest midsize car six months before its debut, which I'm sure Edmunds did, do you really want to be like Edmunds?

Yes, it's pretty absurd to compare a production car against vaporware...the Camaro is strictly a concept now..who knows what the production car will really be like in 3 years?

Who knows if GM will still exist as it does now in 3 years? Given GM's problems, the Camaro may simply end up being a decal package on the Cobalt SS..

[drake]

Ya it's kinda stupid, but at least the imaginary Camaro cleaned house

[99camaroSS]

i think you guys are being a bit over critical here, if you read the article they say over and over that the test is more for fun than to prove one way or another, i thought the article was really entertaining and last time I checked thats what magazines were all about

[Shinlyle]

From what I read of it, it was a pretty fun article. Yeah, the Camaro being all speculation pretty much means the results are just for fun, but that's fien by me!

Nothing wrong with a little fun...

[Newbiewar]

0-60 in 3.4 and the 1/4 in 11.4? Those are way off. No way it would be faster than the current Z06.

in my eyes a ZL-1 better be faster then a the z06...

the 2002 ZL1 was faster then the z06...

the 1969 ZL1 was faster then whatever corvettes they had back then...

hell if i remember correctly the 2002 ZL1 hangs with an enzo...

[Sixty8panther]

Who knows if GM will still exist as it does now in 3 years?  Given GM's problems, the Camaro may simply end up being a decal package on the Cobalt SS..

C'mon now, stop it with the doom and gloom. GM is not going anywhere.

The Camaro WILL be better than the Mustang. 95% of the past 40 years

that the Camaro has been around it has out-performed, out-handled &

just about humiliated the Mustang in most categories. The 5.0 was as

close to the Mustang having an edge over the Camaro as they got.

The Camaro has almost always had better styling, it was based off a

better chassis & had more flexible engines (hellooooo SBC) and with

the help of the Firebird has usually managed to out-do the Mustang in

the bang/$ ratio.

That having been said the Mustang has come a long way in the past

three decades. Considering in 1976 we had the Mustang II today's

Rustang is a exotic by comparison. Even in the dark days the Camaro

managed to maintain some of its dignity. The Firebird was the only

car that survived the 1970s wiht its ego mostly intact.

So in summary if the past is any indication the Camaro will be a true

hardtop, it will out handle and out acccelerate the Mustang and provide

much of the same fun factor at a better value.

The 3rd and 4th gen cars were great but this next 5th gen is going to

be a return to greatness for the Camaro. Just seing the concept and

the mechanicals of the concept proves that IMHO.

[Sixty8panther]

in my eyes a ZL-1 better be faster then a the z06...

the 2002 ZL1 was faster then the z06...

the 1969 ZL1 was faster then whatever corvettes they had back then...

hell if i remember correctly the 2002 ZL1 hangs with an enzo...

Three ZL1 Corvettes were produced, all 1969MY. Two were official and sold

for like $12K+ at a time when a loaded up Vette was $7000. One was dover

white and the other daytona yellow. Both have had colorfull histories and

live on today. The yellow one was sold at a police auction at one point for

like $440,000 IIRC and the white one resided in Otis Chandler's personal

collection for some time.

They can and would, kick the Camaro ZL1's ass. It's all about weight to

power ratio and the Vette wins that war. Plus it's much more aerodynamic

and a 2 seater. It's an apples to oranges comparison.

No one gets bent out of shape because the Charger SRT8 does not smoke

the Viper SRT10. :wink:

[04monteintimidator]

ZL1 vettes...

whenever im browsin around looking for classic cars i always come across a daytona yellow ZL1 vette replica with black striping an a unique body kit...

i also frequently see a gorgeous tuxedo black camaro ZL1 replica...

i remember a while ago GM sold like 4000 ZL1 crate motors that were built to the exact same specs as the originals... i doubt it was as powerful as the monster ZZ572... but it was up there

[NOS2006]

No one gets bent out of shape because the Charger SRT8 does not smoke

the Viper SRT10. :wink:

Well, the SRT8 is only like.. what.. half the price, has two more doors, has less power, weighs more, and is much uglier. So, yeah. Edited June 30, 2006 by NOS2006

[NOS2006]

Here's a response to this article from the August issue. The response is good enough to post:

I read your Mustang-versus-Camaro virtual shootout ("Virtual Smack-down"). Now, as much as I love my Mustang's classic-yet-contemporary looks, the new Camaro redefines the word "badass." And the numbers present a slight edge for the Camaro. Long story short, I may be forced to trade in my Blue Ovals for Bow Ties come 2009. It's causing me to lose sleep at night.

Drew Mitchel

Poynette, Wisconsin

Edited June 30, 2006 by NOS2006

[The O.C.]

C'mon now, stop it with the doom and gloom. GM is not going anywhere.

The Camaro WILL be better than the Mustang. 95% of the past 40 years

that the Camaro has been around it has out-performed, out-handled &

just about humiliated the Mustang in most categories. The 5.0 was as

close to the Mustang having an edge over the Camaro as they got.

The Camaro has almost always had better styling, it was based off a

better chassis & had more flexible engines (hellooooo SBC) and with

the help of the Firebird has usually managed to out-do the Mustang in

the bang/$ ratio.

That having been said the Mustang has come a long way in the past

three decades. Considering in 1976 we had the Mustang II today's

Rustang is a exotic by comparison. Even in the dark days the Camaro

managed to maintain some of its dignity. The Firebird was the only

car that survived the 1970s wiht its ego mostly intact.

So in summary if the past is any indication the Camaro will be a true

hardtop, it will out handle and out acccelerate the Mustang and provide

much of the same fun factor at a better value.

The 3rd and 4th gen cars were great but this next 5th gen is going to

be a return to greatness for the Camaro. Just seing the concept and

the mechanicals of the concept proves that IMHO.

Ahhh....but who won the sales race?

[Camino LS6]

Ahhh....but who won the sales race?

That race isn't over. :AH-HA_wink:

[NOS2006]

That race isn't over. :AH-HA_wink:

[Satty]

That race isn't over. :AH-HA_wink:

Right now there is no race, its Mustang vs. nothing. The Camaro wont be here for a year or two or three or four.

[evok]

Are you refering to the Renault Camaro?

[Mr.Krinkle]

a renault camaro would bring chevrolet full circle.

id rather wait for the impalimas, maxi-mus, and trail finders.

[evok]

a renault camaro would bring chevrolet full circle.

id rather wait for the impalimas, maxi-mus, and trail finders.

The Chevrolet Le Maro

LOL

[redfox]

The new 5th generation camaro will be great but i still think the 1st generation is the best style of all the camaros.