Pontiac Firebird & Chevrolet Camaro…Successful budge engineering

Pontiac Firebird

---

When we say “Budge engineering” usually, it does not mean very good.
Simply it means replace name plate and sell as different model. Especially 80s GM was known for it and was criticized a lot.

But there are some successful examples too.
Chevrolet Camaro & Pontiac Firebird are one of the successful one.
If you see them, right away you will know they are sharing the platform. But I have never hard people criticizing about it.

Why was it?

This is Chevrolet Camaro.

---

First of all, both are quite good-looking. Pontiac is a bit more luxurious or more aggressive front end and Chevrolet is more simple or basic looking.

Second, the price difference was not very big.

This say, as long as cars are attractive and reasonably priced, nobody complains about “budge engineering”.

If the cars are not attractive and badly over-priced, people will criticize about it.

Cadillac Cimaron….this over-decorated Chevrolet Cavaliar was supposed to compete with BMW 5 series….but of course, nobody liked it.

---

For example, Cadillac Cimaron was well-known disaster which was only well-equipped Chevrolet Cavariar and priced double..

At least, Camaro/ Firebird relationship lasted until 2002 models when they were withdrawn from market. That was simply because they were attractive.

Now, only Camaro is back in the market and no more Firebird because of  closure of Pontiac division.

Car Design…..Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro came back after 7 years of absence since last produced as 2002 model.

After the long blank, they gave up new design and came back with the 60’s retro outfit like what Mustang did.

What’s an ugly pig!!………….that was my honest impression when I first look at the real one although they are considered as hot in the market.

First of all, why did it have to be that big? Remember the previous one? It was low and wide……but believe it or not, current model is even wider than the previous although it looks normal style…. !!! What is for?
Of course it is taller as well.

Look at how huge those wheels are……..what is the point of having 20 inches wheels???? Remember….big wheels are always heavy and it affect “unspring mass”.

There is nothing good about increasing “unspring mass”.

Imagine how much those tires are going to cost!

To adjust to the unnecessary huge wheel, they had to make the body taller and that is why Camaro looks huge and heavy. They did the same thing as Chrysler 300 did.

Also because of the huge wheels, the body looks popped up. Too much ground clearance makes car look unstable as well.

This is the one I modified by Photoshop.
First of all, I did not touch  wheels size because If I change, I will have to re-shape wheel arches and then, I will have to adjust whole body style as well.

1.Sliced body to reduce  height.
I you get into this car, you will notice how high the dash board and windows for nothing.

 

2.Lowered down the body to reduce the clearance between Wheel and wheel arch.

It is very important part for car design….but modern designers does not care too much. They are just happy as long as they fit huge chrome wheels.

Even those 2 things made way better than the original.

Camaro is using “Zeta platform” which was originally developed by Australian “Holden”.
Holden Commodore is reasonably good car….but why did they have to make things worse than what they did in Australia?

Big fat ugly body, tight interior, high dashboard and windows and too much unnecessary space above the head……everything is coursed by this design problems.

Retro style is always difficult.
All the cars need model change after certain period of time, but what are they going to be?
As long as they are dead copy of original, there is not much they can do. Maybe what they can do for Camaro next time is……what I did here, then it is the end again.

By the way, this is the original Camaro from late 60s….well they tried to trace it….but it does not look a like at all…..

Turning into Retro design means giving up evolution and trying to find easy ques from past history. It means designer is admitting they are not as good as past people.

Then, all they can do later is….get closer to the original model. Then, what are they going to do after that? That is the end!!

You designers!! Do your job!!