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Friday Night
at "Bob's Big Boy"
Out in
California, on 7 July, Tom Henry Racing's Jr. Asst. Webmaster got a
close look at the 2008 Camaro Concept Car.
Fridays
are cruise nights at "Bob's Big Boy" restaurant in Toluca Lake, north of
downtown L.A. Bob's opened in 1949, is the birthplace of the "Double
Deck Hamburger" and, for about the last half century, an institution in
the Southern California hot rod community. Cruise nighters almost choked
on their burgers and fries when, about 5 P.M., Al Oppenheiser, Director
of Concept and Vehicle Engineering for the GM Performance Division,
backed the Camaro Concept into a space between a restored '69 Z28 and a
'32 Ford Roadster. Oppenheiser was at Bob's with the Concept to do a "Hot
Rod" magazine photo shoot, let cruisers get close to the sensation
of the 2006 Detroit and L.A. Auto Shows and get some face-time with
Chevrolet enthusiasts.
We all
viewed content from the shows, but seeing the actual car offers a more
dramatic perspective on the '08 Camaro Concept. While having design cues
from the '69 Camaro, it's not as "retro" as is Chrysler's Challenger
concept nor the current Ford Mustang. It uses the '69 as a theme...as
inspiration, rather than substance. For more on this, see our interview
with Peters.
At Tom Henry Chevrolet, we can hardly wait to get 2008 Camaros because
we think people shopping for a reasonably-priced, 2+2 coupe and who
don't want the totally-retro Challenger or the mostly-retro (and by
then, a bit stale) Mustang will get hooked by its intriguing mix of
timeless and contemporary design.
The
Concept is killer gorgeous from elevated 3/4 front, side, 3/4 rear and
rear. You can't help but like the '69 inspiration blended with a modern
look. It's rendering of the classic long hood, short deck is great eye
candy. The rear treatment hooks you with its rounded shape, intriguing
"inverted trapezoid" taillights, lip spoiler and brawny D-port exhaust
tips.
 Have
we got opinions on what could make the car better? You bet. First: while
lunatic-fringe fans of the '69 like the interior, it's a bit too
art-deco. Apparently, some in GM feel the same way. Sources tell us the
production version will have a different interior. We think the front
end is a bit heavy and the toothed grille with its "sinister grin" is a
bit overstated.
We made
an interesting discovery when we got on our knees and looked under the
Concept. Those CAD drawings, on the Internet since mid-June and said to
show the '08's undercarriage are bogus. Leaked by someone associated
with a GM supplier, that CAD is the Concept chassis, not the production
car. Some sites thought they had the real deal. Oops.
We sat
down with Al Oppenheiser and GM Communications representative, Jeff
Holland, for beers, burgers and fries at "Mo's Restaurant", across the
street from the very crowded and noisy Bob's. They wouldn't give
specifics about the new Camaro, but they reminded us that the Concept is
as much a concept for the powertrain and chassis as it is for the body.
We came away from our beer and burger session having a little better
understanding of the new car. It will be front-engine/rear-drive with
independent rear suspension. The Concept used a lot of Cadillac CTS-V
pieces, including its McPherson Strut front suspension and we'll bet
front struts will appear on the '08, too, as will the Concept's
Corvette-like saddle fuel tanks. The base engine might be the 3.9L V6
and the performance option will be a Gen 4 Small-Block V8, perhaps the
400hp LS2 used in the Concept. Both will have GM Powertrain's "Active
Fuel Management" which, under certain conditions, allows the engine to
run on half its cylinders and get higher fuel economy. Transmissions
will probably be six-speeds, both the 6L60-E automatic and the T56
manual.
Other
interesting scuttlebutt? First, the '08 car's "utility". We know that's
a weird word to use in a Camaro discussion but, during the 4th Gen.
years, most Camaros sold were not Z28s or SSes. They were Sport Coupes,
many of which went to empty nesters and young families, segments
concerned with rear seat volume and cargo space. That the '93-'02 fell
short in utility is one reason Mustang outsold Camaro back then. We
questioned GM on this issue and spokesperson Tom Wilkinson replied,
"Safe to say: we will insure that (the '08 Camaro) has a competitive
interior package without compromising the design. We learned a lot (good
and bad) from the Gen 4 car."
"Autoextremist",
a web site read by industry insiders and hardcore enthusiasts, has a
knack for what it calls "unvarnished truth". In mid-May, Editor, Peter
DeLorenzo said about the coming '08, "The make-or-break business case
for the new Camaro won't be the 400HP V-8, six-speed version, because GM
can do that car in its sleep and make it great. The real issue is the
V-6 version, a car that must be worthy of the Camaro nameplate, first of
all, and be premium in every respect while delivering an outstanding
performance/value equation vis-a-vis the competition. This is the car
that GM must get right if the Camaro is going to be a success in the
market."
 We
agree and we're happy to say that we get the feeling those responsible
for turning the Camaro Concept into something you'll be able to buy at
Tom Henry Chevrolet in about 18 months are focused on making the new,
V6es the cars people driving base Mustangs, Toyota Celicas and
Mitsubishi Eclipses will get out of to buy Camaros.
In
the meantime, the countdown to the introduction of the 2008 Camaro
continues.
Time Till We Think
the Camaro Will Be Introduced:
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