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Thread: M4 vs ... Camaro SS

  1. #1
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    M4 vs ... Camaro SS



    The guys say that the Camaro SS is better in every way than the M3/M4.
    Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by hundreds of engineers that get paid thousands of dollars for something you bought at Pep Boys because your buddy who doesn't have a job told you it was 'better'?!?

  2. #2
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    And they stand behind their product...

    Good news for owners of sixth-gen Camaros: Tracking your car won’t void your warranty. According to an interview with Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser on the Motor Authority website, Chevrolet will honor the warranty of track-driven SS model Camaros and above (that means ZL1, 1LE, and the future Z/28 models) as long as the car remains 100-percent stock.


    According to Oppenheiser, “If you’re not modifying your car and you take your production car to a track day and you have an issue with one of your parts, it’s covered under warranty. We know when somebody changes their ECM calibration, and we know if they changed to a cold-air intake, we can tell all that. But driving it as you break it in from the dealership, if you have a half-shaft or whatever, it’s covered.” Remember, this is coming from the same guy who told us during a track drive for the 2014 Camaro Z/28 that the primary motivation of his team was “to beat the shit out of anything Ford puts on the road,” so he’s definitely passionate about his work.
    Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by hundreds of engineers that get paid thousands of dollars for something you bought at Pep Boys because your buddy who doesn't have a job told you it was 'better'?!?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevlar View Post
    And they stand behind their product...

    Good news for owners of sixth-gen Camaros: Tracking your car won’t void your warranty. According to an interview with Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser on the Motor Authority website, Chevrolet will honor the warranty of track-driven SS model Camaros and above (that means ZL1, 1LE, and the future Z/28 models) as long as the car remains 100-percent stock.


    According to Oppenheiser, “If you’re not modifying your car and you take your production car to a track day and you have an issue with one of your parts, it’s covered under warranty. We know when somebody changes their ECM calibration, and we know if they changed to a cold-air intake, we can tell all that. But driving it as you break it in from the dealership, if you have a half-shaft or whatever, it’s covered.” Remember, this is coming from the same guy who told us during a track drive for the 2014 Camaro Z/28 that the primary motivation of his team was “to beat the shit out of anything Ford puts on the road,” so he’s definitely passionate about his work.
    That's great if so but I ain't buyin' it. No way GM is going to, in effect, sponsor your racing.

    I'd have a thorough read of the warranty booklet as it trumps anything that engineer says.
    It is nice to see the American iron prevail in this comparison even if it's retro styling looks ridiculous. At least the engine sounds are real.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  4. #4
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    Wow this was one of the best produced Motortrend videos I've seen to date.

    On a serious note though, credit must be given where it is due. Chevy, the rest of GM, and even the other American car companies have massively improved the quality of their vehicles in recent years. In the 1990's and early 2000's the majority of American cars were total garbage. In all honestly, it was a good thing that the big three American auto manufacturers nearly went bankrupt in the 2008 recession. Because since then, they've been putting more time and effort into producing higher quality vehicles that satisfy their customers, whether it be average consumers or the enthusiast sector. I especially applaud Chevy for engineered the new Camaro specifically for the enthusiasts. They did not try to cut corners or compromise its performance and handling for the sake of appealing to a wider audience in order to make more money. Also, the fact that Chevrolet will honor the warranty of SS Camaros demonstrates that GM is in-tune with their customers and is willing to attend to their needs.

    Unfortunately the same level of praise cannot be said about our beloved Bavarian Motor Works. The company's priorities have slowly shifted away from producing high quality driver cars, and moved towards prioritizing the maximization of profits and satisfying stock holders. This shift in priority is evident throughout all of BMW's latest vehicles. None of them have the same characteristics, such as great steering, sporty feeling, dynamic handling, and attention to detail, that so boldly defined the brand. Why? Because BMW's executives understands that such attributes only appeal to a certain sector of the market, and unfortunately BMW no longer wants to just appeal to specific sectors; rather, they want to appeal to the mass market, because that's what their new business priorities dictates. Their cars are bigger because the mass market demands spacious cars. They have 30 models in their lineup, because each new model is an opportunity to tap into new markets. They invest more in technological gimmicks because average consumers are influenced more by gimmicks. They tune their suspensions to be softer, because the average consumer prefers a more comfortable ride. Even their M cars have lost their flare. They no longer have 50/50 weight distribution, finely tuned suspensions, high feedback steering, and naturally aspirated engines. Instead they've produced cars that put down great numbers, whether or not they feel satisfying to drive. All that M cars have become, are statistic-makers. Because the reality is that even this appeals more to the mass market. An average Joe is more susceptible to buy a car after hearing numbers like "It has 425 horsepower, and gets 0-60 in 4.1 secs, and 60-0 in half that time, and it has 5 different driver settings, and bla bla bla bla." It's only an enthusiast that cares about weight distribution, center of gravity, steering feel, handling characteristic, and engine personality.

    Maybe all of this criticism BMW has received in recent years will be a wake-up call. Maybe they'll realize that their new business philosophy is not helping their reputation. Maybe they'll even realize that their new business philosophy is not sustainable. You see, a lot of car manufacturers had this "maximizing profits and satisfying stockholder" philosophy. However, BMW's highest priority back in the day wasn't to maximize profits; rather, it was to make great cars. This principle was the foundation behind BMW's success, and it was this principle which bred such immense loyalty among its customers. However, whenever a company tries to appeal to consumers through gimmicks, they may maximize profits in the short-term, but not in the long-term. This business philosophy does not breed loyalty among its consumers, who will more than happily buy their products again and again. Companies that rely on gimmicks may attract a wider consumer base initially, but that consumer base will move on and buy a different brand car if it happens to offer more gimmicks. It simply is not a business model that is sustainable in the long run. GM is a perfect example. Just look at how their business model of 90's and early 2000's nearly led them to bankruptcy. Ironically, GM has now learned from its mistake, and now prioritizes the production of high quality vehicles that attend to the enthusiast's wants. This is similar to how BMW used to be, however it's now BMW that operates like how GM used to be. Don't you see the parallels between the GM of then and the BMW of now? Wide array of vehicles... Less focus on quality... Relying on gimmicks... ???

    Wow, I didn't expect to write a mini English essay, but it just saddens me to see BMW going down such a path. I hope BMW gets their act together and start making driver's cars again.
    Last edited by Arezi; 04-20-2016 at 01:35 PM.

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