novajoe
01-30-2008, 12:39 AM
FACTS
GM memo to dealers regarding 5th Gen
Quote:
Originally Posted by dover179
Date: June 29, 2007
To: All Chevrolet Dealers
From: Ed Peper
Subject: Chevrolet Camaro
As evident from our current sales event, the upcoming ?Transformers? movie is expected to create a lot of buzz for Chevrolet. One of the movie stars who will help create the "buzz" is the Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee". The Camaro ?Bumblebee? plays a huge role in the movie; and as a result, you may get a number of inquiries from customers regarding the Camaro.
At the conclusion of this letter you will find a list of frequently asked questions and answers that were developed around Camaro's appearance in the movie. In addition to these questions and answers, there are a couple of other Camaro points that have been announced to the public that everyone should be familiar with:
?The Chevy Camaro Coupe will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2009.
?The Chevy Camaro Convertible will be available for sale within one year of the Coupe.
?Customers will be able to choose from a V6 or V8 engine and a manual or automatic transmission.
?Camaro will incorporate an independent rear suspension.
?Production will take place in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Everyone within General Motors shares in the excitement and anticipation for Camaro's re-entry in to the Chevrolet line-up -- and the movie will only add to that anticipation. It would be great if all the details regarding the Camaro could be announced today; however, given that actual retail production will not begin for well over a year away, it would be competitively unwise to share further details at this time.
If you seek more information about Camaro, "chevylaunch.com" has been updated with previously issued press releases and Camaro Concept Convertible Hero Card. "Chevylaunch.com" will be the primary distribution point for future Camaro announcements to our dealer and wholesale members.
If you have customers seeking information, please direct them to ?Chevy.com? or ?ChevyNation.com.? Under the "Clubhouse" section of ChevyNation, customers can learn about the history of the Camaro, and various activities leading up to Camaro's start of production. Both sites offer customers a section to sign up for Camaro Hero Card and the opportunity to ?stay-in-touch? with Camaro?s development.
The ?Transformers? movie provides a great opportunity to start a new relationship with customers seeking the Camaro. Let?s use this opportunity to sell not only a Camaro in 2009, but a current Chevrolet car or truck -- let?s transform some rides now!!!
Sincerely,
Ed J. Peper, Jr.
General Manager
Chevrolet Motor Division
Q. Why is the Chevy Camaro concept starring in the Transformers movie?
A. Camaro is starring in Transformers to keep up the excitement that was first generated at its unveiling in 2006. The Transformers movie will also help the new Camaro gather new fans ? women, just as likely as young men. The movie uses the latest graphic, computer-animated detail to visualize the old Camaro transforming into the Camaro concept in a way that no press conference or ad campaign ever could. It?s a powerful way to link the upcoming Camaro to a Camaro of old and tie in the lengthy Camaro heritage for consumers.
Q. Is there a rich heritage surrounding Camaro?
A. Since it roared to life in the fall of 1966, Camaro has given millions a taste of ?performance ? American style,? with muscular V8s, great road-handling suspension components, and uncompromised styling that really turns heads. And after 35 years, Camaro remains the ?purest of the breed? and part of the great American motoring landscape. Camaro has touched many lives ? and graced many garages ? with nearly 4.8 million produced between 1967 and 2002. More than 1,000 Camaro clubs exist globally and thousands of Camaro web sites pay homage to the sports coupe.
Q. When will the Camaro production vehicle be available for sale to the public?
A. The Camaro production vehicle will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2009.
Q. Why is the Camaro taking so long to launch? Is it late?
A. Back in August of 2006, GM announced that the all-new Camaro will go sale in the first quarter of 2009. Nothing has changed. This is still the target date for production. GM is using this timeframe to further develop its new global rear-wheel-drive architecture and fine tune Camaro?s fuel-efficient powertrain, sophisticated chassis and contemporary design.
Q. Was a production Camaro the plan from the beginning?
A. Camaro production is a direct result of the overwhelming enthusiastic response to the Chevy Camaro concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The concept vehicle has spurred consumers to start petitioning drives and begin sending in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits.
Q. What performance features and engines will be offered in the Camaro production vehicle?
A. The Camaro production vehicle will incorporate an independent rear suspension and offer a manual and automatic transmission. Customers will be able to choose from a V6 engine or a V8 engine to power their production Camaro. Horsepower ratings have yet to be announced for the production Camaro. The Camaro concept houses a small-block V8 engine, rated at 400 horsepower. More Camaro production features will be announced in the future.
Q. Will there be a production Camaro convertible?
A. Yes, there will be a production Camaro convertible. It will be available for sale within one year of the production Camaro coupe.
Q. Where will the production Camaro be built?
A. Production will take place in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Q. Has pricing been announced for the production Camaro?
A. Pricing for the production Camaro has yet to be announced.
Q. Are vehicles like the production Camaro compatible with growing concerns about fuel economy?
A. GM offers a wide range of fuel saving technologies. Although it is too early for specifics regarding the Camaro production vehicle, it?s safe to say that Chevrolet and GM are continuing to look for ways to improve fuel economy and offer the latest fuel saving technologies. The Camaro production vehicle is being designed with fuel economy concerns in mind.
Q. What vehicles will the production Camaro compete against?
A. Customers interested in the Camaro production vehicle will also be shopping the Ford Mustang and the new 2008 Dodge Challenger. The Camaro production vehicle will be designed to hold a number of product advantages over this competition and surely be able to hold its own against any high-performance competitor out there.
RUMORS / SPECULATION / NOT FACTS YET
When will the car be on sale?
Production starts late 2008. So my guess is that that will be scattered across dealerships in late 2008, but it's safe to say first quarter of 2009 is when they'll be widely available.
Where will the car be built?
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. For those crying that it won't be built in the US, please note that Oshawa is one of GM's highest quality plants, which in turn will make for a better Camaro.
Any words on pricing?
Bob Lutz has stated himself he wants to keep pricing as close to the competition as possible (This being the Mustang).
I haven't seen a convertible yet, will there be one available?
A 'vert is rumored to show up some time in the 2007 auto show season. If one makes it too production, it likely that it wouldn't be available several months after production has started.
Will there be a Firebird?
UNlikely. The GTO is expected to take over as Pontiac's halo car. It's a better bet for Pontiac, since it will be the larger, more "upscale" RWD V8 coupe. Thus, not competing with the Camaro.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guionM
1. Will the Firebird Return?
If you mean as a clone of the Camaro, nope.
A few people from GM have weighed in on this since the concept came out last January. Although the common thread is never say never, the thing that comes through is that IF GM used the Firebird name, it would be on a car very different from the Camaro.
2. Will the Trans Am name ever return?
To paraphrase Chris Tucker, not only no, but H*LL NO!!!
The problem as mentioned is that the Trans Am name is owned by the SCCA (www.SCCA.org (http://www.scca.org/)). To make a long story short, John Delorean who had a habit of stealing race course names to apply to Pontiacs earned GM a threatened lawsuit when the Trans Am name was used on a Firebird appearence package. GM settled by giving $5 to the SCCA for each Trans Am sold. GM tried to get out of the deal when the 3rd gen Firebirds came out by naming the performance version T/A, which was dropped when the SCCA again threatened legal action, and GM decided using the full name & paying $5 per car was easier and cheaper than tying up their legal department when there was bigger fish to fry.
With the lapse in production, GM would have to renegotiate the useage of the Trans Am name with the SCCA, who will no doubt demand alot more than $5 per car. After 40 years of inflation and an equally long amount of built up fans, not to mention being locked to a $5 royalty that became relatively worthless by the time "Smokey and the Bandit" came out (we had runaway inflation in the 70s), you can't blame them. With all the other names GM owns and can create, GM would probally rather stick forks in their eyes than give away money to use the Trans Am name again.
To top it off, Pontiac no more wants to be associated with the historic Pontiac Trans Ams any more than Buick wants to be associated with Grand Nationals (another revenue negative name that has zero chance of returning).
3. What is the most likely way the Firebird name will return?
As a mid sized, G6 sedan replacement........ relax, I'm just kidding.
In order, first most likely the Firebird will be a sports coupe version spinoff of GM's upcoming small RWD architecture the way Camaro is a spinoff of Kappa. The next most likely candidate is a GTO-like car based on Camaro. Basically a high content, low-to-no option car that would start well into the $30K range. The $32,000 WS6 Trans Am was the most popular Firebird while the cheap Formula LS1 barely sold 1000 cars it's final year. Firebird customers have been far more willing to pay almost ridiculous amounts of money compared to the prices on the same car in Camaro showrooms.
4. Is it possible that if the Camaro is a success, then Pontiac will have a Firebird the following year or 2 later?
Only in the minds of 2nd tier car rags and never-say-die Pontiac enthusiasts..... as if GM would make a Camaro if they didn't expect it to be a success.
If the coupe market Exploded (as in with a capital "E"!), then we have an entirely different set of circumstances. But even then, expecting a Camaro with a Pontiac nose grafted on and new tail lights ala previous Firebirds and marketed to people who want a "Pontiac Camaro", again isn't going to happen. We'd probally see an upmarket coupe with a different personality and different pricing as I mentioned.
Also, it takes at least 18 months from approval to get a car to showrooms. No automaker is going to bring out a new vehicle, sit around and wait for the 1st year figures, then bring out a model the following year. Anything that comes out within a 2 year timeframe was already planned.
In short, whatever Camaro spinoff that comes along 1 to 2 years later didn't come along simply because anyone waited to see how Camaro would sell.
For more information, see these threads:
http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=453914 (http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=453914)
http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537798 (http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537798)
What are rumored engine options?
There have been several engines thrown out there for use in the Camaro. The only thing we know is that these engines are NOT in production now.
Rumored:
3.6 Direct Injection DOHC V6
6.2 LS3 (Due to replace the LS2 next year as GM's standard RWD V8 performance engine, aka Corvette engine)
Supercharged 6.2 - Not much is known about the engine other than there will be a positive displacement blower sitting on top of the LS3
Will the Camaro have the 6 speed AUTOMATIC transmission?
Since the 4 speed is supposed to be phased out over the next couple years, its a safe bet that the A6 will be the tranmission behind the LS3.
What will be car trim levels?
Base Camaro featuring the V6. The SS will likely be the base V8. With the Z28 returning as the top level road course king
How much change from concept to production are we going to see?
No one knows as of yet. Scott says we're likely to see the width turned down a bit. (The concepts width is 78 inches, compared with 74 inches of the 3rd/4th gens, and 72 inches of the first gens.)
Bob Lutz himself also said we are likely to see smaller wheels. (18s, 19s standard). A toned down interior, and likely a higher roofline.
How much will the car weigh?
Again, another question with no certainty. The target weight is around 3500lbs. Due to future government regulations regarding safety and gas mileage, don't be suprised if they weigh in around 3600-3700lbs.
What other cars are likely to share the same platform
We will probably see the Impala, GTO, A Chevy GTO (Larger V8 Coupe), Cadillac DTS, Buick Lucerne.
----
Anything anyone would like to add, change, delete? I figured this could be used to cut back on the repetitive threads we will likely be seeing in the future.
__________________
Link to website: http://web.camaross.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=61 (http://web.camaross.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=61)
Scott Settlemiere who goes by FbodyFather over there is a big wig at GM and has let info out on occasion.
GM memo to dealers regarding 5th Gen
Quote:
Originally Posted by dover179
Date: June 29, 2007
To: All Chevrolet Dealers
From: Ed Peper
Subject: Chevrolet Camaro
As evident from our current sales event, the upcoming ?Transformers? movie is expected to create a lot of buzz for Chevrolet. One of the movie stars who will help create the "buzz" is the Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee". The Camaro ?Bumblebee? plays a huge role in the movie; and as a result, you may get a number of inquiries from customers regarding the Camaro.
At the conclusion of this letter you will find a list of frequently asked questions and answers that were developed around Camaro's appearance in the movie. In addition to these questions and answers, there are a couple of other Camaro points that have been announced to the public that everyone should be familiar with:
?The Chevy Camaro Coupe will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2009.
?The Chevy Camaro Convertible will be available for sale within one year of the Coupe.
?Customers will be able to choose from a V6 or V8 engine and a manual or automatic transmission.
?Camaro will incorporate an independent rear suspension.
?Production will take place in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Everyone within General Motors shares in the excitement and anticipation for Camaro's re-entry in to the Chevrolet line-up -- and the movie will only add to that anticipation. It would be great if all the details regarding the Camaro could be announced today; however, given that actual retail production will not begin for well over a year away, it would be competitively unwise to share further details at this time.
If you seek more information about Camaro, "chevylaunch.com" has been updated with previously issued press releases and Camaro Concept Convertible Hero Card. "Chevylaunch.com" will be the primary distribution point for future Camaro announcements to our dealer and wholesale members.
If you have customers seeking information, please direct them to ?Chevy.com? or ?ChevyNation.com.? Under the "Clubhouse" section of ChevyNation, customers can learn about the history of the Camaro, and various activities leading up to Camaro's start of production. Both sites offer customers a section to sign up for Camaro Hero Card and the opportunity to ?stay-in-touch? with Camaro?s development.
The ?Transformers? movie provides a great opportunity to start a new relationship with customers seeking the Camaro. Let?s use this opportunity to sell not only a Camaro in 2009, but a current Chevrolet car or truck -- let?s transform some rides now!!!
Sincerely,
Ed J. Peper, Jr.
General Manager
Chevrolet Motor Division
Q. Why is the Chevy Camaro concept starring in the Transformers movie?
A. Camaro is starring in Transformers to keep up the excitement that was first generated at its unveiling in 2006. The Transformers movie will also help the new Camaro gather new fans ? women, just as likely as young men. The movie uses the latest graphic, computer-animated detail to visualize the old Camaro transforming into the Camaro concept in a way that no press conference or ad campaign ever could. It?s a powerful way to link the upcoming Camaro to a Camaro of old and tie in the lengthy Camaro heritage for consumers.
Q. Is there a rich heritage surrounding Camaro?
A. Since it roared to life in the fall of 1966, Camaro has given millions a taste of ?performance ? American style,? with muscular V8s, great road-handling suspension components, and uncompromised styling that really turns heads. And after 35 years, Camaro remains the ?purest of the breed? and part of the great American motoring landscape. Camaro has touched many lives ? and graced many garages ? with nearly 4.8 million produced between 1967 and 2002. More than 1,000 Camaro clubs exist globally and thousands of Camaro web sites pay homage to the sports coupe.
Q. When will the Camaro production vehicle be available for sale to the public?
A. The Camaro production vehicle will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2009.
Q. Why is the Camaro taking so long to launch? Is it late?
A. Back in August of 2006, GM announced that the all-new Camaro will go sale in the first quarter of 2009. Nothing has changed. This is still the target date for production. GM is using this timeframe to further develop its new global rear-wheel-drive architecture and fine tune Camaro?s fuel-efficient powertrain, sophisticated chassis and contemporary design.
Q. Was a production Camaro the plan from the beginning?
A. Camaro production is a direct result of the overwhelming enthusiastic response to the Chevy Camaro concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The concept vehicle has spurred consumers to start petitioning drives and begin sending in certified checks in hopes of placing early deposits.
Q. What performance features and engines will be offered in the Camaro production vehicle?
A. The Camaro production vehicle will incorporate an independent rear suspension and offer a manual and automatic transmission. Customers will be able to choose from a V6 engine or a V8 engine to power their production Camaro. Horsepower ratings have yet to be announced for the production Camaro. The Camaro concept houses a small-block V8 engine, rated at 400 horsepower. More Camaro production features will be announced in the future.
Q. Will there be a production Camaro convertible?
A. Yes, there will be a production Camaro convertible. It will be available for sale within one year of the production Camaro coupe.
Q. Where will the production Camaro be built?
A. Production will take place in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Q. Has pricing been announced for the production Camaro?
A. Pricing for the production Camaro has yet to be announced.
Q. Are vehicles like the production Camaro compatible with growing concerns about fuel economy?
A. GM offers a wide range of fuel saving technologies. Although it is too early for specifics regarding the Camaro production vehicle, it?s safe to say that Chevrolet and GM are continuing to look for ways to improve fuel economy and offer the latest fuel saving technologies. The Camaro production vehicle is being designed with fuel economy concerns in mind.
Q. What vehicles will the production Camaro compete against?
A. Customers interested in the Camaro production vehicle will also be shopping the Ford Mustang and the new 2008 Dodge Challenger. The Camaro production vehicle will be designed to hold a number of product advantages over this competition and surely be able to hold its own against any high-performance competitor out there.
RUMORS / SPECULATION / NOT FACTS YET
When will the car be on sale?
Production starts late 2008. So my guess is that that will be scattered across dealerships in late 2008, but it's safe to say first quarter of 2009 is when they'll be widely available.
Where will the car be built?
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. For those crying that it won't be built in the US, please note that Oshawa is one of GM's highest quality plants, which in turn will make for a better Camaro.
Any words on pricing?
Bob Lutz has stated himself he wants to keep pricing as close to the competition as possible (This being the Mustang).
I haven't seen a convertible yet, will there be one available?
A 'vert is rumored to show up some time in the 2007 auto show season. If one makes it too production, it likely that it wouldn't be available several months after production has started.
Will there be a Firebird?
UNlikely. The GTO is expected to take over as Pontiac's halo car. It's a better bet for Pontiac, since it will be the larger, more "upscale" RWD V8 coupe. Thus, not competing with the Camaro.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guionM
1. Will the Firebird Return?
If you mean as a clone of the Camaro, nope.
A few people from GM have weighed in on this since the concept came out last January. Although the common thread is never say never, the thing that comes through is that IF GM used the Firebird name, it would be on a car very different from the Camaro.
2. Will the Trans Am name ever return?
To paraphrase Chris Tucker, not only no, but H*LL NO!!!
The problem as mentioned is that the Trans Am name is owned by the SCCA (www.SCCA.org (http://www.scca.org/)). To make a long story short, John Delorean who had a habit of stealing race course names to apply to Pontiacs earned GM a threatened lawsuit when the Trans Am name was used on a Firebird appearence package. GM settled by giving $5 to the SCCA for each Trans Am sold. GM tried to get out of the deal when the 3rd gen Firebirds came out by naming the performance version T/A, which was dropped when the SCCA again threatened legal action, and GM decided using the full name & paying $5 per car was easier and cheaper than tying up their legal department when there was bigger fish to fry.
With the lapse in production, GM would have to renegotiate the useage of the Trans Am name with the SCCA, who will no doubt demand alot more than $5 per car. After 40 years of inflation and an equally long amount of built up fans, not to mention being locked to a $5 royalty that became relatively worthless by the time "Smokey and the Bandit" came out (we had runaway inflation in the 70s), you can't blame them. With all the other names GM owns and can create, GM would probally rather stick forks in their eyes than give away money to use the Trans Am name again.
To top it off, Pontiac no more wants to be associated with the historic Pontiac Trans Ams any more than Buick wants to be associated with Grand Nationals (another revenue negative name that has zero chance of returning).
3. What is the most likely way the Firebird name will return?
As a mid sized, G6 sedan replacement........ relax, I'm just kidding.
In order, first most likely the Firebird will be a sports coupe version spinoff of GM's upcoming small RWD architecture the way Camaro is a spinoff of Kappa. The next most likely candidate is a GTO-like car based on Camaro. Basically a high content, low-to-no option car that would start well into the $30K range. The $32,000 WS6 Trans Am was the most popular Firebird while the cheap Formula LS1 barely sold 1000 cars it's final year. Firebird customers have been far more willing to pay almost ridiculous amounts of money compared to the prices on the same car in Camaro showrooms.
4. Is it possible that if the Camaro is a success, then Pontiac will have a Firebird the following year or 2 later?
Only in the minds of 2nd tier car rags and never-say-die Pontiac enthusiasts..... as if GM would make a Camaro if they didn't expect it to be a success.
If the coupe market Exploded (as in with a capital "E"!), then we have an entirely different set of circumstances. But even then, expecting a Camaro with a Pontiac nose grafted on and new tail lights ala previous Firebirds and marketed to people who want a "Pontiac Camaro", again isn't going to happen. We'd probally see an upmarket coupe with a different personality and different pricing as I mentioned.
Also, it takes at least 18 months from approval to get a car to showrooms. No automaker is going to bring out a new vehicle, sit around and wait for the 1st year figures, then bring out a model the following year. Anything that comes out within a 2 year timeframe was already planned.
In short, whatever Camaro spinoff that comes along 1 to 2 years later didn't come along simply because anyone waited to see how Camaro would sell.
For more information, see these threads:
http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=453914 (http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=453914)
http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537798 (http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537798)
What are rumored engine options?
There have been several engines thrown out there for use in the Camaro. The only thing we know is that these engines are NOT in production now.
Rumored:
3.6 Direct Injection DOHC V6
6.2 LS3 (Due to replace the LS2 next year as GM's standard RWD V8 performance engine, aka Corvette engine)
Supercharged 6.2 - Not much is known about the engine other than there will be a positive displacement blower sitting on top of the LS3
Will the Camaro have the 6 speed AUTOMATIC transmission?
Since the 4 speed is supposed to be phased out over the next couple years, its a safe bet that the A6 will be the tranmission behind the LS3.
What will be car trim levels?
Base Camaro featuring the V6. The SS will likely be the base V8. With the Z28 returning as the top level road course king
How much change from concept to production are we going to see?
No one knows as of yet. Scott says we're likely to see the width turned down a bit. (The concepts width is 78 inches, compared with 74 inches of the 3rd/4th gens, and 72 inches of the first gens.)
Bob Lutz himself also said we are likely to see smaller wheels. (18s, 19s standard). A toned down interior, and likely a higher roofline.
How much will the car weigh?
Again, another question with no certainty. The target weight is around 3500lbs. Due to future government regulations regarding safety and gas mileage, don't be suprised if they weigh in around 3600-3700lbs.
What other cars are likely to share the same platform
We will probably see the Impala, GTO, A Chevy GTO (Larger V8 Coupe), Cadillac DTS, Buick Lucerne.
----
Anything anyone would like to add, change, delete? I figured this could be used to cut back on the repetitive threads we will likely be seeing in the future.
__________________
Link to website: http://web.camaross.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=61 (http://web.camaross.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=61)
Scott Settlemiere who goes by FbodyFather over there is a big wig at GM and has let info out on occasion.