GM Delays Camaro Production

[oestek]

I guess it's about a month or so..

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090109/FREE/901099971

[Chevrolaine]

LOL, No way, what a shocker, you're kidding!
:bsjerk: They'd be lucky if they could bolt together a little red wagon right now.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

i KNEW IT!..

thats it.. game over.

[MrQuick]

woosies....I will never lose hope!!


vince

[1969CamaroRS]

Its just a month...

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

^ famous last words..

[Twentyover]

I don't understand why some people are revelling in the problems GM is having now. Thes guys provided the basis for the cars we purport to enjoy. Why do people seem so anxious to dance in anticipation of their burial?

[buickfunnycar.com]

I don't understand why some people are revelling in the problems GM is having now. Thes guys provided the basis for the cars we purport to enjoy. Why do people seem so anxious to dance in anticipation of their burial?

maybe,just possibly it might have something to do with the fact that they've teased us about this car for seemingly like 10 years now...and it's not to market yet?:idea:

wake me up when it's ACTUALLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE...until then,let's concentrate on cars that ARE ACTUALLY BEING PRODUCED AND SOLD.

[maldo]

what I will hold my breath .... scratch that .... Please GM is like a dog thats chases their tail and gets now where, gezzz let's look at how that have dropped the ball again.. when will they ever learn .... I like the camaro but it does not set the fire under my butt to run out and buy one.. I remember when the G-8 was coming out and I could not wait to buy one... I got a chance to sit inside one of them(auto show in nyc) and I was sorely disappointed with the inside of the car and how it felt inside (small inside and the way things were laid out sucked) and thought to myself dammmm... they missed again .... I just did not like it ... and bought something else... you don't see many of them out there and i don't wonder why ..... because they missed the market for a buyer like me .... and many more

[oestek]

I'm not reveling in this news, I'm saddened... I think they need to get this car to the streets and start selling 'em! Lots of people want this car!

[PonchoJohn]

"GM is suing Cadence Innovation, a supplier of interior parts that is liquidating, to get machines and parts needed to make the Camaro. GM provided equipment to the supplier to make the Camaro parts, a standard industry practice.

GM has said if it didn't get the production equipment back by Jan. 12, the start of Camaro production would be delayed. Rhadigan said the postponement isn't connected to the Cadence dispute."

I heard this over a month ago, so I know that is, at least, one of the reasons for the delay.

[Twentyover]

While a little off topic, between the last time I posted and now I've lost my job as a engineer at a Tier 1 automotive supplier. I'm not the first, I won't be the last.

[jaybee]

Hey, sometimes we all have to put our projects on hold until we can scrape up a little more cash. http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/gm_covered_with_giant_tarp

[JEFFTATE]

Don't worry about the Camaro.
It will come.
GM is gonna' keep going.
They have too much to lose.

[Jim Nilsen]

Hey, sometimes we all have to put our projects on hold until we can scrape up a little more cash. http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/gm_covered_with_giant_tarp


After reading that I am wondering if Rick is even smart enough to deal with this. Maybe when they get their heads on straight he will start to call the carburetor plant dead and ressurect it to a throttle body plant at least.

The new cars aren't even in their minds if they are still dealing with crap like this. It will cause all kinds of problems if they walk away from these places too.
I am wondering if some of what is going on is to get us all excited as a public against the union and the car companies and the Big 3 will move to foreign countries with no fight and will have to keep the door from hitting them in the ass. We will be so glad to see em all go that we won't even notice the jobs are gone until it is too late.

What we need the most is a kickass electric fleet not just a car.

I hope the Camaro will be able to get the line moving and stay moving even if it is slow moving.

[trapin]

Funny how some take this as a negative. I take it as a positive. I know the C5 had a few wrinkles that surfaced as a result of test mule evaluations which were coming back from drivers. Small stuff, but you still want to address them. I see this as a company that just wants to bring the best possible product to market at all costs. Is that such a bad thing?

And it's only 1 month. Geez. You've waited 3 and a half years, what's another 4 weeks?

[moreHP]

Funny how some take this as a negative. I take it as a positive. I know the C5 had a few wrinkles that surfaced as a result of test mule evaluations which were coming back from drivers. Small stuff, but you still want to address them. I see this as a company that just wants to bring the best possible product to market at all costs. Is that such a bad thing?

And it's only 1 month. Geez. You've waited 3 and a half years, what's another 4 weeks?

I sure hope you are right! I am big time bummed about the delay but saw they have 10,000 pre-orders sold which is encouraging.

[6'9"Witha69]

No big surprise. I am sure similar issues have come about for other cars and manufacturers, we just want the Camaro out and are focused on every day delay. That is the only reason this is news.

[Damn True]

Far better to delay for a month to get it right than to allow the customers to perform their R&D.

[jknight16]

After reading that I am wondering if Rick is even smart enough to deal with this. Maybe when they get their heads on straight he will start to call the carburetor plant dead and ressurect it to a throttle body plant at least.

The Onion is a spoof news site, meant to be humorous and not always factual, so take it all with a grain of salt.

[jaybee]

the onion is a spoof news site, meant to be humorous and not always factual, so take it all with a grain of salt.

:) .

[1969CamaroRS]

I would think most would welcome the new Camaro and want it to succeed. If the Gen5 takes off it should result in a large increase in 1st and 2nd gen prices just like the new Mustang did for old Mustang prices (probably not as much given this current economy).

[86Cutlass383SR]

Guns N Roses "Chinese Demrocacy" was eventually released...maybe the "New Camaro" will be too...

It shouldn't take more than 2-3 years to bring a new model from conception to dealers. It's been how long now...?

Some people can't wait to get a new car or buy a new one just because it's released. With every delay GM is losing more and more potential buyers to other companies.

[Dayton]

I just hope there are some Chevy dealers still in business this spring. Here in Nor Cal, new car dealers are closing almost every day. One dealer in Redding, Ca used to have 170+ employees several years ago. Now down to 6.

[Vegas69]

There will be.....the strongest will ride the wave and come out smelling like a rose eventually.

[Twentyover]

It shouldn't take more than 2-3 years to bring a new model from conception to dealers. It's been how long now...?



With all due respect, what's your basis for making this claim? It's one thing to make a one-off, but to industrialize a design, making the product buildable with the requisite levels of performance and durability (and I'm talking about systems non-engine related), for a complex system like an automobile is no small task.

[paul67]

I think it shouls even quicker ie 12-18 mths with CAD yrs ago the japs were bringing new models every 12mths,this camaro taking to long missed the boat,the Gov only have to bring in new EPA regs and its screwed,or it gets a 4pot or v6 ,who's going to buy it then.As some of these car designers that I see on the Discovery Channel showing what the future of car driving going to be like live in la la land and not the real world.

[jaybee]

Paul, I agree with you that a mfr can miss the boat if they take to long to bring a product to market, but what makes you think the japanese were finishing one model completely and bringing it to market before they started on the next one? Product cycles often overlap, in fact one generation often overlaps enought to pick up hints of the next model's styling.

[shudog]

maybe,just possibly it might have something to do with the fact that they've teased us about this car for seemingly like 10 years now...and it's not to market yet?:idea:

wake me up when it's ACTUALLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE...until then,let's concentrate on cars that ARE ACTUALLY BEING PRODUCED AND SOLD.


Actually the production date of spring 09 is earlier than what was initially announced to be fall 09. Really no tease at all. I suppose you'd rather they rushed to market with a crappy product, built with alot of off-the-shelf parts like Chrysler's new Challenger or a luke-warm makeover of an aging model like Ford's Mustang???

[shudog]

With all due respect, what's your basis for making this claim? It's one thing to make a one-off, but to industrialize a design, making the product buildable with the requisite levels of performance and durability (and I'm talking about systems non-engine related), for a complex system like an automobile is no small task.

Lining up all the individual suppliers for interiors, parts makers for body components, power train, etc. And once production-ready units are available, how about all the government testing for epa, mileage, noise, crash testing, etc? a 3 yr development cycle from design to production of an ALL NEW MODEL is incredibly short. It was only 2006 that the first sketches of the prototype were released and Jan 2007 that a real prototype was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show. I'd say they're doing pretty good.

[buickfunnycar.com]

Actually the production date of spring 09 is earlier than what was initially announced to be fall 09. Really no tease at all. I suppose you'd rather they rushed to market with a crappy product, built with alot of off-the-shelf parts like Chrysler's new Challenger or a luke-warm makeover of an aging model like Ford's Mustang???

Call the Mustang "lukewarm" if you will...but they aren't the leader in this class for nothing and everyday GM drags it's feet on the new Camaro is more sales lost to the lowly lukewarm Mustang and upstart Challenger...and we won't even touch upon the newly-freshened '10 model that will be arriving at showrooms in March...0.93 on the skidpad.:enguard:

GM has done it before with the SSR (ie:teased us seemingly for years resulting in NO market and ZERO interest when it finally was released) and while I understand the new Camaro is basically a one-off in terms of sharing platforms...it seriously should NOT take this long to bring this car to market.Seriously should not...

[shudog]

Your concept of how long it takes to develop a car from scratch with no shared platform shows your ignorance. And your comment about the Mustang leading the class, what class? The Challenger just came out late last summer and had a limited production. The dealers lots are full of them now and the reviews are not good - too heavy & cheap interior. The current Mustang GT is barely going to be able to hold off the new Camaro V6 in straight line acceleration & it won't even compete with the V8. The retro design the Mustang came out with in 05 looks totally dated already. The "lukewarm" refreshening it gets for 2010 is not enough to hold my attention. But if you like it, that's cool.

[paul67]

We in the UK do not have a car industry due to the same delays in bringing new designs to the market.

[nickdoe6]

Guns N Roses "Chinese Demrocacy" was eventually released...maybe the "New Camaro" will be too...


The big difference: I'm confident the new Camaro won't be forgotten as quickly as the latest Guns N Roses release.
Big mistake by giving Best Buy the exclusive.
I'm not a big Best Buy fan, so I'll have to pass on the Guns.
Still want a new Camaro though...

Nick

[Jim Nilsen]

The new Camaro is the only new car I want and could afford and it already comes with the best financing available " A DELAYED PAYMENT PLAN" GM doesn't have them , we don't have to pay.
I'm not too certain the new financing is quite working in their favor but I still have my money/I mean the banks,lol

[PonchoJohn]

With all due respect, what's your basis for making this claim? It's one thing to make a one-off, but to industrialize a design, making the product buildable with the requisite levels of performance and durability (and I'm talking about systems non-engine related), for a complex system like an automobile is no small task.
I dunno... Pontiac did it w/ the Solstice.
I am truely surprised that more competition hasn't snapped up design/styling from it and popped out their own versions.
You remember how secretive GM was being on the C5/C6 deal? Or Ford w/ the current Mustang?

[Wrecked Em]

Your concept of how long it takes to develop a car from scratch with no shared platform shows your ignorance. And your comment about the Mustang leading the class, what class? The Challenger just came out late last summer and had a limited production. The dealers lots are full of them now and the reviews are not good - too heavy & cheap interior. The current Mustang GT is barely going to be able to hold off the new Camaro V6 in straight line acceleration & it won't even compete with the V8. The retro design the Mustang came out with in 05 looks totally dated already. The "lukewarm" refreshening it gets for 2010 is not enough to hold my attention. But if you like it, that's cool.

Even though the last Firebird/Camaro had a horsepower advantage, the V6 Mustang outsold all Firebird and Camaro models combined.

With the new Camaro the MSRP for the V8 is $31k and the Mustang is $28k. I would bet Mustangs will still sell more. Even the base Mustang is still over $1k cheaper than the Camaro.

[moreHP]

Even though the last Firebird/Camaro had a horsepower advantage, the V6 Mustang outsold all Firebird and Camaro models combined.

With the new Camaro the MSRP for the V8 is $31k and the Mustang is $28k. I would bet Mustangs will still sell more. Even the base Mustang is still over $1k cheaper than the Camaro.

Maybe so, but the base camaro V6 has more power than the V8 mustang unless you spend the bucks for a shelby.

[trapin]

I remain cautiously optimistic that we'll sell a bunch of them. If not for this ecomony I would feel a lot better.


Call the Mustang "lukewarm" if you will...but they aren't the leader in this class for nothing and everyday GM drags it's feet on the new Camaro is more sales lost to the lowly lukewarm Mustang and upstart Challenger...and we won't even touch upon the newly-freshened '10 model that will be arriving at showrooms in March...0.93 on the skidpad.
I gotta be honest with you...I have not seen very many of those Challangers around...and it's been in production since before Summer. I've seen maybe 6 or 8 of them since then, I'm dead serious.

....and I live in Detroit. Go figure.

As far as Mustang is concerned, I love the looks of the car but that modular engine is the pits. Ford needs to dump that thing and go back to a push rod engine. You can't modify them without having to spend $8000 on a supercharger. Takes all the fun out of owning one. And they're slow too. LSX's are pushrod engines and they get great gas mileage and make amazing power.

[Damn True]

I've seen 4 on the road. One SRT8.