Hopefully Chevy Understands the New Camaro Design is More Important than a 0.5 Second Faster 1/4 Mile

[Stonehauler]

I personally wouldn't care if the lower trims of V8 equipped Camaros turn corners better than the Mustang. I just want the engine power to hit nicely between 0 and 60. Manual transmission. 2 doors. And I want good sound and comfortable. To me that's what the pony car segment is about, not razor edge handling.

Sure, do a 1LE model with spine cracking suspension and O-ring tires that last 1,000 miles, but don't set up the base V8 that way.

Unfortunately, we have the conundrum of the auto world...Good, Fast, and Cheap.

You can make a really good car with a great suspension that handles well in the turns and won't break your back, but it won't be cheap. You can have a cheap car that does well in the turns, but it will be back breaking and probably have other issues, or you can have a car with a comfortable suspension that isn't expensive, but it won't handle well in the turns.

 

[PDXSSCE]

problem is GM has just Alpha to do it and as we all know Alpha isn’t cheap. So keeping an6 Chevy version under $35,000 by 2027 will be huge and that won’t pull in many Accord or Camry buyers.

I feel certain that the new Camaro will start at $40K - at best.

 

[Hack]

Why is the Alpha architecture expensive to use in 2026? It's well over a decade old, base R&D must have been recouped long ago, and manufacturing is simply about churning out metal and plastic pieces like with every other architecture, I don't think it has anything special in terms of material science.

I know I'm oversimplifying it, but conceptually what is causing the high cost of using Alpha for a 2028 model year car?

This is a good question. I'm interested to know if anyone has insights on this.

Unfortunately, we have the conundrum of the auto world...Good, Fast, and Cheap.

You can make a really good car with a great suspension that handles well in the turns and won't break your back, but it won't be cheap. You can have a cheap car that does well in the turns, but it will be back breaking and probably have other issues, or you can have a car with a comfortable suspension that isn't expensive, but it won't handle well in the turns.

True, and springs/shocks/bars can be different between trims. That is what I'm advocating.

The Camaro hasn't had high buck suspension design in the past, with struts front and multilink rear. But it handled well due to keeping the weight reasonable and stiff suspension. The Mustang suspension is somewhat similar in design. And Challenger has SLA front suspension, which is superior in theory, but the car's weight limits handling.

The Mustang lower trim cars and even PP1 trim are really comfortable. Very soft and actually too soft for my taste. My LT1 suspension was harsher than a GT350. I'm advocating for GM to change that.