When we sat down with Al Oppenheiser, lead Camaro engineer, during the 2016 New York International Auto Show, he was quite pleased with the identity the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro has taken on. It’s not a pony car anymore, and it was never a muscle car. This is a sports car. No doubt about it.
The fact we can even mention a Chevrolet and BMW in the same sentence should warrant a pat on the back for the Camaro team. The fact it wipes the floor with a BMW M4 should warrant champagne showers.
The latest Head 2 Head from Motor Trend provides nearly 24-minutes of video evidence as to how BMW has fallen from grace with its M division, and how Chevrolet welcomes sports car loyalists with a fun to drive, well thought out package for the masses.
Objectively and subjectively, the 2016 Camaro reined supreme, not to mention, it beat or tied the M4 in the standard slew of textbook tests.
We couldn’t help but love the cheeky shot at naysayers, who have criticized MT for being bought off by Chevrolet as well. “Did you get your check from Chevrolet?” Jonny Lieberman asks. There are no buyouts. This is the real world. A brave new world, indeed.
Comments
Shameful for BMW to put cloth on a 81k M4
Has the grasshopper become the master – Is Camaro the new benchmark for performance Coupes and not just pony car’s?
That was a good video! entertaining also!
The alpha platform is too good to not max leverage. This comparison is great for Camaro cred, but the Camaro is never going to steal M4 buyers away. GM should have an alpha Buick GNX match the performance for 15k less. And then have an ATS V+ beat it handily at 5k less.
You are right in a way. consumers buying a BMW are still buying it for the name.
NH an alpha based Buick would definitely grab some consumers looking at a BMW.
Chevy is the “lowest” division in the General Motors hierarchy. many of the consumers shopping for a BMW do not want the Chevy emblem on their vehicle…and that is an unfortunate truth. In the mid 2000s Pontiac was going to be the BMW fighter but they are long gone. A Pontiac G6 on the alpha platform might have been what the doctor ordered to do battle and steal some BMW consumers.
BMW’s gotten a bit fat and stale and this has been approaching for some time.
The $45,000 Camaro SS embarrassed the $81,000 BMW M4. Not just performance and handling but content too. But who are they going to embarrass next with the performance of the Camaro 1LE, ZL-1 and the Z-28?
Porsche, Audi, AMG, Lexus, Acura, Nissan……
Hmmm..
Porsche, perhaps the 918, Audi doesn’t have anything that could compare except perhaps the R10, AMG might have some models that could compare with the ZL-1 or Z-28. Lexus doesn’t really have any sporty cars except maybe the IFA and Nissan GT-R would be their only hope.
Anyway, as good as the Camaro SS is I look forward to seeing the comparisons with the ZL-1, Z-28 and even the 1LE.
Lexus has the RC-F… and is rumored to be coming back with the IS-F. It also has the GS-F. Neither one deliver performance or driving experience on the level of their closest competitors.
Porsche 918? Seriously? No way in hell, sorry to burst your bubble. All the rest of porsche’s lineup perhaps if the Z/28 engineers get it right. The 918 is even out of the Z06’s league at this point but when a midengined Vette arrives, maybe then. Don’t let the high end Audi S series fool you, they have HP and AWD getting it to the ground so we’ll have to wait and see. AMG has some serious $hit too so lets not count our victories until the Z’s hatch and prove their prowess. In any event, bang for the buck will be phenomenal with the yet to arrive Z’s and 1LE costing much less than the above mentioned adversaries. Let’s not forget that ford may have a surprise or two coming too. Let’s hope the Camaro in it’s newest variants will prevail.
I would not get too carried away here as the 918 is a very potent car. I am not a Porsche fan but I am also not delusional.
Now if you want to pin your hopes on a $200K Mid engine Corvette that could put down some competitive performance with some exotics then you may have something to brag about.
Keep in mind that BMW has a lot of issues to deal with today. First is the eco issues in Germany. They will be having a fit with this just as they pointed out in the video.
Second the Camaro is not the only lower priced car that is improving their performance to nearly match of beat them.
But they still hold the image card and that is where most of the money is earned right now. They may not be the Ultimate Driving Machine but they are still seen as the Ultimate Image car for many.
The one thing that would be killer is if they do come through with the V6 and Turbo 4 1LE. This would bring some really great performance to a price range where there really is nothing.
Why does it need to be mid 200k?? The LT4 with a power handling transaxle would be incredible. Better yet, an LT1 with TT for efficiency and max power with all the good LT4 internals/block for durability. If a Ferrari 488 can do it with 4.8L & 661HP, why not a mid engined Vette for far less like a Z06? $150k is totally doable and if you want more for better, less than $200k will get it done, easily.
The only thing GM lacks here is Image with Chevy as they are a Volume brand. Now do the same with a Cadillac, keep it at lower volumes and add more high end features at the same or just slightly lower price and over time you will gain that same image.
Pontiac always wanted to be the BMW like model but it was never permitted to be. Since the Days of Knudsen and Delorean they were trying to make it a real Euro like car but GM stopped it every time. By the end even the G8 would never have been able to battle the Germans on Image.
The Camaro will gain in image as time goes on as talent like this will not go noticed. Continued refinement and continue high levels of execution of performance it will gain in status. As for volume it is needed so that will have to stay.
I am waiting to see just what the new management has in mind for Cadillac as what we have now is termed not good enough. Note they did not do these cars either.
BMW should look up the definition to the word stagnation as their 2015 M4 is a perfect example as they’ve sat on their laurels while the media have essentially given them the benefit of doubt and this is how you explain cloth seats in a car costing over $81K; this is why in head-to-head competition with a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS costing almost half the price, it’s the Camaro that walks away as the victor.
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS is just the first shot across the bow.. and there’s not much time for Bavaria to react because the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with a 640hp LT4 supercharged 6.2L V8 has been announced.
The car magazines need to do more equal priced vehicle comparisons to be fair. Cars must be similar in size and weight, as well.
Pick a $45,000 Camaro vs. a $45,000 BMW. Bear in mind, the BMW may need aftermarket heater and radio for this price point.