BWAHAHAHA...the Camaro is officially a "gay" car

[fiveoh2go]

GM tries to pitch new Camaro to gay men - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topst">http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topst</a><!-- m --> ... y-men.aspx

The models lean seductively over the hood of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, wearing only tiny yellow underwear emblazoned with the car's logo. Grasping a wash cloth, they rub down the car until it sparkles as an unseen cameraman asks about the car.

The videos, broadcast on YouTube, use sex appeal to sell Camaros to guys. Only the models aren't women, they're men.

The racy commercials are part of a new advertising campaign targeting gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

In addition to highlighting the Camaro, the online videos illuminate a new challenge for General Motors and rival Chrysler: marketing the same car model to different audiences.

Before the current restructuring, the car companies had enough models to make "a car for every purse and purpose," as long-time GM-president Alfred P. Sloan famously said. But not anymore. GM once had 11 brands, including international ones. It plans to shed or spin-off at least four. That means instead of having several cars for soccer moms in various income brackets and several other cars aimed at, say, young, childless men, the car companies must market the same car to both groups.

"We are trying to broaden the appeal," said John Fitzpatrick, marketing manager for the Camaro.

The Camaro, for example, is a model that GM hopes to market as an affordable muscle car for the masses. GM is using the new Transformers movie - a film about machines that turn into robots based on a popular comic book - to market the sports car to young people and hip parents. The company is also marketing the car in the Middle East with a message focused on performance and power, says Fitzpatrick. The car will eventually need to be sold in Europe as well, a very different market that tends to prize features such as fuel-efficiency.

In the U.S., GM has tacitly supported online campaigns by homosexual Camaro fans. The YouTube videos were created by a Camaro enthusiast to promote "Gay Day at the Movies," a Los Angeles event featuring a screening of the new Transformers movie. Chevrolet supplied the vehicle used in the video, said company spokesman Adam Denison.

Fitzpatrick acknowledges that appealing to so many different groups with the same car is challenging. The Internet has enabled folks in different countries to see advertising campaigns intended for different audiences.

"It is a lot more difficult to do in today's day and age because of what the Internet can do," said Fitzpatrick, adding that focusing on the technology has helped broaden the Camaro's appeal.

So far, GM is pleased with how the Camaro campaigns are going. The 2010 model, which hit dealerships in April, has sold the most vehicles in its class, said Fitzpatrick. More than 9,000 Camaros were sold in June and GM is working to fill orders for another 25,000 vehicles.

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[REED]

ha, why is there a picture of a DSM with that article?

[D_Eclipse9916]

Its not a dsm, its a stealth.......gosh just get it right guys...*lisp impersonated*

[Mike]

isn't a stealth a dsm?

the camaro is fail. the people buying it this year are the diehard camaro fans. it's doesn't have broad appeal.

[HAULN-SS]

I think you misunderestimate how many v6's you are going to see on the road in the next few years

[Mike]

i hope for the sake of GM, but i really don't think i will.

[Evan]

there is a shortage of camaros and many are selling over sticker price. in this economy.
i think the rough figures are over 5,000 a month.

so there are either a whole lotta diehard camaro fans or a lotta fags buying camaros.

[fiveoh2go]

there is a shortage of camaros and many are selling over sticker price. in this economy.
i think the rough figures are over 5,000 a month.

so there are either a whole lotta diehard camaro fans or a lotta fags buying camaros.

I think a lot of it has to do with all of the media hype.

There were sooooooo many people who bought into the buzz surrounding the '05 Mustang when it first came out that prior to that cars introduction would have never even thought about buying a Mustang let alone a Ford. The Camaro is the "it" car right now, just like the Mustang was back in '05. Once the cars celebrity wears off GM will probably kill it again due to declining sales before going out of business themselves.

I mean there are only so many mullet wearing, PBR drinking, Lynyrd Skynyrd listening, Skoal spitting, DUI driving rednecks to sell these cars to who can afford them.

[Evan]

I mean there are only so many mullet wearing, PBR drinking, Lynyrd Skynyrd listening, Skoal spitting, DUI driving rednecks to sell these cars to who can afford them.

:lol: coming from a mustang guy?

Pot, meet Kettle

[HAULN-SS]

I think that it's a good sign that they are selling for at least 2500 over MSRP right now. I really think you guys are underestimating bringing a 300+ HP v6 to market for low 20's (and more importantly cheaper than Mustang GT).

[ViPER1313]

Looks better than the Mustang too. I really like that car - I think it has a lot of staying power.

[Mike]

I think that it's a good sign that they are selling for at least 2500 over MSRP right now. I really think you guys are underestimating bringing a 300+ HP v6 to market for low 20's (and more importantly cheaper than Mustang GT).

i very well might be. there is a lot of middle america out there that i can't understand/really account for. :dunno:

i see the car selling well for a year, maybe two, maybe three, but it lacks staying power [in my mind].

[fiveoh2go]

I mean there are only so many mullet wearing, PBR drinking, Lynyrd Skynyrd listening, Skoal spitting, DUI driving rednecks to sell these cars to who can afford them.

:lol: coming from a mustang guy?

Pot, meet Kettle

What?

We Mustang guys are nothing like Camaro owners. We wear mohawks, drink Natty Light, listen to Ram Jam, chew Copenhagen, and hire counsel to get our traffic violations reduced. You see, we're totally different.




















**Disclaimer** The above post is FULL of sarcasm. :mrgreen:

[WRXtranceformed]

It seems history is repeating itself with the Camaro and GM's build quality. Judging from the shape my buddy's new Tahoe is in already, it doesn't surprise me.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/07/camaro-selling-briskly---but-quality-control-seems-shaky.html">http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/07/cam ... shaky.html</a><!-- m -->

Camaro Selling Briskly - But Quality-Control Seems Shaky
By Bill Visnic - Edmunds' AutoObserver

One of the bright spots in a bleak inventory of sales numbers for the new General Motors Co. has been the 2010 Camaro. GM executives in recent weeks have pointed to the new-age Camaro as the example of how GM can connect expressive cars with customers willing to pay full price.

Luckily for GM, the car has a receptive audience - after just three months on the market, the Camaro made a major statement by outselling the Ford Mustang in June - because the Camaro's launch has been anything but smooth, largely due to quality-control issues.

After fits and starts, the Camaro rollout hit another pothole this week when GM confirmed to Camaro-enthusiast website Camaro5.com that the company is suspending shipments of Camaro SSs (V8-engined) with manual transmissions while engineers investigate reports of failed output shafts.

It isn't yet known if GM will recall manual-transmission Camaro SSs already sold, but one insider tells AutoObserver it is unlikely given the low numbers involved. Through June, Chevrolet sold a total of 15,397 Camaros, but manual-transmission SS models represent a markedly smaller population.

In January, GM delayed Camaro production for one month, pushing back the start of production at its Oshawa, Ont., Canada, assembly site from Feb. 16 to March 16 as engineers grappled with quality-control and supplier issues.

From there, the Camaro has endured a litany of confirmed and anecdotal quality problems perhaps most entertainingly characterized by an unintentionally humorous list posted at Camaro5.com to help potential new owners scour their Camaro for quality issues reported by other buyers.

The lengthy - and sometimes hilarious - checklist includes such worrying entries as loose oil-pan bolts and oil-cooler leaks; "mismatched paint on parts of the vehicle;" hoods that won't unlatch, intermittent air-conditioning operation; loose emblems and interior trim pieces and misaligned and poorly fitting body panels.

Here's the entire checklist of 65 items the forum suggests new owners inspect before taking Camaro delivery:

001. Loose Bolts that hold fluid back causing leaks (ex: on oil pan, tranny fluid)
002. Trunk Locking mechanism (issues with opening w/o adding down pressure to top of trunk first and/or emergency release appears to be loose keeping the trunk from locking properly)
003. Loose plastic paneling around the 4-gauges cluster, launch control, cigarette power plug as well as Left and Right A-Pillars Trim Loose, sill trim loose, and dash pannel where doors and dash meet popping open.
004. Loose Spoiler/installed correctly (Re-torque Spoiler bolts)
005. Wiper transmission cable overheating from engine causing a short circuit.
006. Matching Headlight Halos strength. (one defective being dimmer then the other).
007. Mismatched paint on parts of the vehicle (including gas door). As well as paint runs or clear coat runs. Paint Chips.
008. Loose Rocker Panel "Chevrolet" causing it to peel off.
009. Minor Problem With Window Indexing.
010. Ambient Lighting on doors defective.
011. Bad radiator (leaks).
012. Hood release/latch issues (won't unhook to open the hood).
013. Gap at base of OnStar Antenna.
014. Battery cable routing near the starter has been done.
015. Digital Speedometer is off. Also keeps going on and off.
016. Bottom pulley shakes and needs replacement per dealer.
017. Broken tranny.
018. Ignition Mechanism Issue with key getting stuck in car.
019. Non RS taillights installed on RS equipped cars (all 4 of them).
020. Rocker Panel aligned with body and clipped in correctly.
021. Bumper rubs with body
022. Trunk opens with switch and remote
023. Correct speedo/tach gauge ring color
023. Ambient lighting on drivers door as bright as passenger door
024. Doors gaps /alignment
025. Dirt/bubbles in rally stripes
026. Door panel not scratched from seat belt.
027. Shift knobs wearing out extremely fast could be faulty material
028. AC system stops blowing cold air in random durations, most likely blockage in AC drainage and/or AC draining into the car instead of beneath it
029. Clunking noise in changing gears
030. Trunk opens with remote and laser cut key
031. USB drive and aux port works
032. Squeaky Breaks
033. GFX installed correctly
034. Rims and tires in good condition (coming off carrier in bad condition/damaged)
035. Check for damage in the interior, basic procedure
036. Check the locking mechanism of both doors
037. Scraping sound for a second when backing up
038. SS emblem on trunk is loose
039. Loose interior windshield trim loose
040. The front GFX lip is not coming loose at the double sided tape
041. The front passenger brake rotors are not wearing with a dark colored groove
042. Hood latch handle on inside of cab doesn't retract properly (just hangs)
043. Scratches in seats
044. Oil cooler leaking
045. Once in every 10-15 times I unlock the car, the drivers side door is still locked, while
the locking knob on the door is in the "up" position
046. Faulty as gauge (improper readings)
047. Missing paint around the headlights
048. Bleed screw on clutch slave cylinder loose
049. Stickers on rockers peeling
050. Scratches on window pillars
051. Misaligned body & door panels as well as hood not centered properly (more to one side then the other)
052. Alignment of doors to dash interior the door interior seems to sag below the dash interior
053. Drivers side roof light( the one with the toggle switch) only works when its toggled over to the passenger side
054. Door sill decals peeling up
055. Paint swirls in driver/passenger door
056. Drive-shaft connection to the differential cracking when dropping the clutch
057. Tach Needle Sticking
058. Wiper motor wiring comes through bottom of the cowling-well in front of the driver. (The fix (decided upon between the dealer and myself) was to re-insulate the wires, cover the harness with a hard, slick plastic covering, drill a small hole in the bottom of the cowling-well (fill the hole with silicone) and use a cable tie down like the rest of the wiper harness uses to secure the harness to the floor of the cowling (the grommet will collapse downward with little force), far away from harm from the wiper arms.)
059. engine makes continuous clicking noise, starting roughly 5 seconds after engine starts
060. Door Sill plates wrinkled on outside edges (both sides)
061. Trunk gasket at bottom of rear window coming off
062. Uneven Dash (driver's side dash is lower then passenger's side)
063. Passenger/Driver's side Fender alignment off. (wheel cover well had to come off, then loosen fender bolt, and it pops right in place)
064. Key won't stay in folded position
065. Faulty Tail lights.

[Mike]

meh, all cars have problems. my dad's chevy impala had a new trans after 1500 miles

[WRXtranceformed]

A lot of those are just laziness / incompetence at the factory though, not necessarily material quality. IE improperly installed spoilers, dirt / bubbles / runs in the paint

[Evan]

UAW's new slogan:
Union labor. Not even good enough for government work.

[fiveoh2go]

It seems history is repeating itself with the Camaro and GM's build quality. Judging from the shape my buddy's new Tahoe is in already, it doesn't surprise me.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/07/cam">http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/07/cam</a><!-- m --> ... shaky.html

Camaro Selling Briskly - But Quality-Control Seems Shaky
By Bill Visnic - Edmunds' AutoObserver

One of the bright spots in a bleak inventory of sales numbers for the new General Motors Co. has been the 2010 Camaro. GM executives in recent weeks have pointed to the new-age Camaro as the example of how GM can connect expressive cars with customers willing to pay full price.

Luckily for GM, the car has a receptive audience - after just three months on the market, the Camaro made a major statement by outselling the Ford Mustang in June - because the Camaro's launch has been anything but smooth, largely due to quality-control issues.

After fits and starts, the Camaro rollout hit another pothole this week when GM confirmed to Camaro-enthusiast website Camaro5.com that the company is suspending shipments of Camaro SSs (V8-engined) with manual transmissions while engineers investigate reports of failed output shafts.

It isn't yet known if GM will recall manual-transmission Camaro SSs already sold, but one insider tells AutoObserver it is unlikely given the low numbers involved. Through June, Chevrolet sold a total of 15,397 Camaros, but manual-transmission SS models represent a markedly smaller population.

In January, GM delayed Camaro production for one month, pushing back the start of production at its Oshawa, Ont., Canada, assembly site from Feb. 16 to March 16 as engineers grappled with quality-control and supplier issues.

From there, the Camaro has endured a litany of confirmed and anecdotal quality problems perhaps most entertainingly characterized by an unintentionally humorous list posted at Camaro5.com to help potential new owners scour their Camaro for quality issues reported by other buyers.

The lengthy - and sometimes hilarious - checklist includes such worrying entries as loose oil-pan bolts and oil-cooler leaks; "mismatched paint on parts of the vehicle;" hoods that won't unlatch, intermittent air-conditioning operation; loose emblems and interior trim pieces and misaligned and poorly fitting body panels.

Here's the entire checklist of 65 items the forum suggests new owners inspect before taking Camaro delivery:

001. Loose Bolts that hold fluid back causing leaks (ex: on oil pan, tranny fluid)
002. Trunk Locking mechanism (issues with opening w/o adding down pressure to top of trunk first and/or emergency release appears to be loose keeping the trunk from locking properly)
003. Loose plastic paneling around the 4-gauges cluster, launch control, cigarette power plug as well as Left and Right A-Pillars Trim Loose, sill trim loose, and dash pannel where doors and dash meet popping open.
004. Loose Spoiler/installed correctly (Re-torque Spoiler bolts)
005. Wiper transmission cable overheating from engine causing a short circuit.
006. Matching Headlight Halos strength. (one defective being dimmer then the other).
007. Mismatched paint on parts of the vehicle (including gas door). As well as paint runs or clear coat runs. Paint Chips.
008. Loose Rocker Panel "Chevrolet" causing it to peel off.
009. Minor Problem With Window Indexing.
010. Ambient Lighting on doors defective.
011. Bad radiator (leaks).
012. Hood release/latch issues (won't unhook to open the hood).
013. Gap at base of OnStar Antenna.
014. Battery cable routing near the starter has been done.
015. Digital Speedometer is off. Also keeps going on and off.
016. Bottom pulley shakes and needs replacement per dealer.
017. Broken tranny.
018. Ignition Mechanism Issue with key getting stuck in car.
019. Non RS taillights installed on RS equipped cars (all 4 of them).
020. Rocker Panel aligned with body and clipped in correctly.
021. Bumper rubs with body
022. Trunk opens with switch and remote
023. Correct speedo/tach gauge ring color
023. Ambient lighting on drivers door as bright as passenger door
024. Doors gaps /alignment
025. Dirt/bubbles in rally stripes
026. Door panel not scratched from seat belt.
027. Shift knobs wearing out extremely fast could be faulty material
028. AC system stops blowing cold air in random durations, most likely blockage in AC drainage and/or AC draining into the car instead of beneath it
029. Clunking noise in changing gears
030. Trunk opens with remote and laser cut key
031. USB drive and aux port works
032. Squeaky Breaks
033. GFX installed correctly
034. Rims and tires in good condition (coming off carrier in bad condition/damaged)
035. Check for damage in the interior, basic procedure
036. Check the locking mechanism of both doors
037. Scraping sound for a second when backing up
038. SS emblem on trunk is loose
039. Loose interior windshield trim loose
040. The front GFX lip is not coming loose at the double sided tape
041. The front passenger brake rotors are not wearing with a dark colored groove
042. Hood latch handle on inside of cab doesn't retract properly (just hangs)
043. Scratches in seats
044. Oil cooler leaking
045. Once in every 10-15 times I unlock the car, the drivers side door is still locked, while
the locking knob on the door is in the "up" position
046. Faulty as gauge (improper readings)
047. Missing paint around the headlights
048. Bleed screw on clutch slave cylinder loose
049. Stickers on rockers peeling
050. Scratches on window pillars
051. Misaligned body & door panels as well as hood not centered properly (more to one side then the other)
052. Alignment of doors to dash interior the door interior seems to sag below the dash interior
053. Drivers side roof light( the one with the toggle switch) only works when its toggled over to the passenger side
054. Door sill decals peeling up
055. Paint swirls in driver/passenger door
056. Drive-shaft connection to the differential cracking when dropping the clutch
057. Tach Needle Sticking
058. Wiper motor wiring comes through bottom of the cowling-well in front of the driver. (The fix (decided upon between the dealer and myself) was to re-insulate the wires, cover the harness with a hard, slick plastic covering, drill a small hole in the bottom of the cowling-well (fill the hole with silicone) and use a cable tie down like the rest of the wiper harness uses to secure the harness to the floor of the cowling (the grommet will collapse downward with little force), far away from harm from the wiper arms.)
059. engine makes continuous clicking noise, starting roughly 5 seconds after engine starts
060. Door Sill plates wrinkled on outside edges (both sides)
061. Trunk gasket at bottom of rear window coming off
062. Uneven Dash (driver's side dash is lower then passenger's side)
063. Passenger/Driver's side Fender alignment off. (wheel cover well had to come off, then loosen fender bolt, and it pops right in place)
064. Key won't stay in folded position
065. Faulty Tail lights.

That reminds me of this
http://www.mmsports.org/forum/viewtopic....10#p174610

[WRXtranceformed]

Yeah excerpted from the same article.

[HAULN-SS]

I also wouldn't take too much stock in an entirely new model line. If it was a retooled 2nd gen, same platform, i'd expect to see less problems. Any car that comes out from scratch has problems