Motortrend - First Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V-6

[GMusa]

Originally Posted by Hunid Racks

If any other "oldtimer" cares to chime in.....

If memory serves me right, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger....... they really weren't sold as muscle cars at the start. They were sold as "personal cars". Or "personal coupes". It was after they aged and got cheap that a lot of them came back with all sorts of engines stuffed in them.

I drove by a Chrysler store today. There were at least six Challengers out front. I wonder if Chrysler has made too much effort selling the Challenger as the rip roaring muscle car. If GM is going to sell enough Camaros they may already know that it has to be sold as a somewhat responsible "personal" car.

GM is already positioning the Camaro as a efficent sports car comparable to the best.. not a ripping muscle car.

[Zbad1]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

LOL, totally different demographic there, can't see the two being cross-shopped. Glad the Camaro is getting good reviews, they certainly need it!

I'm cross shopping them. I love the g37, but need to see how the new camaro pans out. It never occured to me that the "base" v6 model would be on my radar until now. Now I'm dying to try one!

[jzchev28]

i must have this car.....i cant frigin wait!

[jzEllis]

finally, some GOOD news on GMI.

that being said, when was the mustang ever superior in performance or execution to the camaro...except for a few choice engine options in the late 60s...NEVER. with the exception of brand and styling preference; the camaro was always a "better" all around sports car.

now if they can just get john q public to open his wallet and follow his heart on one, GM will do fine!

[Z16monte]

Originally Posted by Hunid Racks

If any other "oldtimer" cares to chime in.....

If memory serves me right, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger....... they really weren't sold as muscle cars at the start. They were sold as "personal cars". Or "personal coupes". It was after they aged and got cheap that a lot of them came back with all sorts of engines stuffed in them.

I drove by a Chrysler store today. There were at least six Challengers out front. I wonder if Chrysler has made too much effort selling the Challenger as the rip roaring muscle car. If GM is going to sell enough Camaros they may already know that it has to be sold as a somewhat responsible "personal" car.

Mustang was sold as a"personal car" Compact, light, good handling. Hi po engine was available in 65 though. BTW Plymouth actually beat the Mustang to market with the Barracuda, but it was such an obvoius Valiant chop that it did'nt sell for crap. Camaro ,Cougar and Challenger all had Hi po versions right off the bat.
Ed

[skylark68]

I love everything but the stereo... Looks like someone could get impaled on that thing.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Zbad1

I'm cross shopping them. I love the g37, but need to see how the new camaro pans out. It never occured to me that the "base" v6 model would be on my radar until now. Now I'm dying to try one!

Well the base V6 has more hoprespower than the V8 cars did for a long time.

Does anyone have a chart of Camaro horsepower and weight figures throughout it's run? I can never find stats like that.

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by Hunid Racks

If any other "oldtimer" cares to chime in.....

If memory serves me right, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger....... they really weren't sold as muscle cars at the start. They were sold as "personal cars". Or "personal coupes". It was after they aged and got cheap that a lot of them came back with all sorts of engines stuffed in them.

I drove by a Chrysler store today. There were at least six Challengers out front. I wonder if Chrysler has made too much effort selling the Challenger as the rip roaring muscle car. If GM is going to sell enough Camaros they may already know that it has to be sold as a somewhat responsible "personal" car.

Well, I'm old as dirt and you're right. Mustang, Camaro, and the like were origninally intended and sold as inexpensive, expressive, sporty cars. The "muscle" thing came later. These cars were part of a movement in the 60's to what was called at the time, "personal cars". The number of people delaying marriage or children was increasing and they liked a smaller, more individual look in a sea of Galaxies, Furys and Impalas. For older folk, what we call "empty nesters" now, there were the luxury-personal cars. The enlarged Thunderbird, Riviera, and later Toronado, Eldorado, the Lincoln MARK series, etc.

[robsBU08]

What an AWESOME car this is going to be, I wish I would have waited before buying my 2008 Malibu, but my fiance said I had to get a four door....yes I am whipped

[T'Cal]

0-60 in no more than 6.1 seconds?? Those are great numbers. Still, as the base engine in this car, I would sacrifice a bit of performance for measurably better fuel economy. With higher gearing, the Camaro could still run 6.5 with the auto, which places it a half second faster plus a couple MPG better than a V6 Mustang. Perhaps the base Camaro will have the higher gearing while the optional RS will include the lower set for faster acceleration. While a much bigger car, the Challenger is expecting 0-60 times of 7.8 seconds with the base V6/4speed auto. Strictly a rental!

[Joe in T.O.]

Originally, I was going to get the Camaro with a V-8 but then I thought maybe I could live with a V-6 that puts out 300 horsepower with exceptional fuel economy. But then the article said it sounds like an Asian tuner car ... that turns me off more than anything so back to the V-8.

[supraracer]

Originally Posted by Joe in T.O.

Originally, I was going to get the Camaro with a V-8 but then I thought maybe I could live with a V-6 that puts out 300 horsepower with exceptional fuel economy. But then the article said it sounds like an Asian tuner car ... that turns me off more than anything so back to the V-8.

The exhaust note is not final, they're still working on it.

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by megeebee

Well, I'm old as dirt and you're right. Mustang, Camaro, and the like were origninally intended and sold as inexpensive, expressive, sporty cars. The "muscle" thing came later. These cars were part of a movement in the 60's to what was called at the time, "personal cars". The number of people delaying marriage or children was increasing and they liked a smaller, more individual look in a sea of Galaxies, Furys and Impalas. For older folk, what we call "empty nesters" now, there were the luxury-personal cars. The enlarged Thunderbird, Riviera, and later Toronado, Eldorado, the Lincoln MARK series, etc.

Well, in 64 which is the year most people say is the start of the muscle car era, so the Mustang took that wave foward with making a smaller and more expressive personal coupe. By 67, muscle car momentum was swingin up as well as the Mustang was getting more and more power. Camaro was part of the Pony car market, much smaller then Chevelles, Torinos and Chargers.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Well, in 64 which is the year most people say is the start of the muscle car era, so the Mustang took that wave foward with making a smaller and more expressive personal coupe. By 67, muscle car momentum was swingin up as well as the Mustang was getting more and more power. Camaro was part of the Pony car market, much smaller then Chevelles, Torinos and Chargers.

Yup. John Z. Delorean created the muscle car when he broke GM's rules of engine size in relation to car size and put a full-size car's engine in a mid-size car...the LeMans's GTO package. The best $296 anyone could have spent in 1964.

The Pony cars were supposed to be small personal coupes, but when you use the GTO formula on them, they got the Muscle car moniker as well.

[Stéphane Dumas]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

Yup. John Z. Delorean created the muscle car when he broke GM's rules of engine size in relation to car size and put a full-size car's engine in a mid-size car...the LeMans's GTO package. The best $296 anyone could have spent in 1964.

The Pony cars were supposed to be small personal coupes, but when you use the GTO formula on them, they got the Muscle car moniker as well.

Some will probably replied then the Impala with the 409 was the 1st muscle-car and I didn't mentionned the genesis of the muscle-car with the Chrysler C-300 1955, 1950 Olds 88 and these Hudson Hornet Super-Six

And some countries developed their own adaptation of the muscle-car like Down Under in Australia with the Charger Hemi-6-pack, Ford Falcon GHTI backed with the 351 Cleveland and the Holden Monaro/Torana