5TH Generation compared to 1st,2nd

[Ides of March]

I dont' know if this goes into this section or not but here goes.
I am a huge fan of 1st gen and 2nd gen Camaros. Love them. But when I look at them at a car show or pics I am curious why on the earlier Camaros the windows are larger, on the side and in the front (windshield) but not on the 5th gens. Seems like you can see better on the older models visibility wise. It seems like the cabin isn't as cramped as the older models either. If these 5th gens were supposed to be retro in a way, they should have stuck to this.

[Evergreen6]

Originally Posted by Ides of March

I dont' know if this goes into this section or not but here goes.
I am a huge fan of 1st gen and 2nd gen Camaros. Love them. But when I look at them at a car show or pics I am curious why on the earlier Camaros the windows are larger, on the side and in the front (windshield) but not on the 5th gens. Seems like you can see better on the older models visibility wise. It seems like the cabin isn't as cramped as the older models either. If these 5th gens were supposed to be retro in a way, they should have stuck to this.

It's all in the name of federal safety standards and meeting crash standards. NHTSA and Euro/NCAP.

Line up a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th gen next to a 5th gen, and the 5th gen will feel as tall as a truck, comparatively.

The car still needs to be low, but the doors, hood, trunk all need to be high to protect occupants, so it looks and feels like a tank with short little windows.

[ChrisBlair]

Then too, high beltlines are a styling trend we have had for 15 years or so...as well, an airbag probably would pop out a 1 or 2 Gen windshield

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by ChrisBlair

Then too, high beltlines are a styling trend we have had for 15 years or so...as well, an airbag probably would pop out a 1 or 2 Gen windshield

Yup. Airbags and other safety standards have a lot to do with design today. Not so much back in the 60s/70s.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Ides of March

I dont' know if this goes into this section or not but here goes.
I am a huge fan of 1st gen and 2nd gen Camaros. Love them. But when I look at them at a car show or pics I am curious why on the earlier Camaros the windows are larger, on the side and in the front (windshield) but not on the 5th gens. Seems like you can see better on the older models visibility wise. It seems like the cabin isn't as cramped as the older models either. If these 5th gens were supposed to be retro in a way, they should have stuck to this.

Airbags & rollover (roof-crush) make for the 'thick roof' above the doors. Styling is mostly responsible for the high belt line. Every car that is smaller than the Camaro (such as the Corvette or the BRZ/FRS) has to meet the same crash standards regarding pedestrian and side impacts, and their windows aren't 3" tall because of it.

Why would GM intentionally sacrifice visibility like that? Because the 5th gen Camaro was born as a concept car, and most consider the chopped look to be badass. The design of concept cars rarely gives attention to practical matters like visibility, instead favouring dramatic proportions. People loved the look of said concept car so much that GM decided to only make the most minimal changes to it when they turned it into a production vehicle a few years later.

But you are mistaken in thinking that the Camaro is supposed to be 'retro'. The intent, which I feel they pulled off, was to make a fully modern Camaro that looked as if the 1st gen had continually evolved over the years -rather than the radical styling changes that happened with each generation. So yes, it is based off of the 1st gen, but its not meant to be a copy of it. The Challenger is retro. The Ford T-bird from a a number of years ago was retro. The Camaro is not.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Airbags & rollover (roof-crush) make for the 'thick roof' above the doors. Styling is mostly responsible for the high belt line. Every car that is smaller than the Camaro (such as the Corvette or the BRZ/FRS) has to meet the same crash standards regarding pedestrian and side impacts, and their windows aren't 3" tall because of it.

Why would GM intentionally sacrifice visibility like that? Because the 5th gen Camaro was born as a concept car, and most consider the chopped look to be badass. The design of concept cars rarely gives attention to practical matters like visibility, instead favouring dramatic proportions. People loved the look of said concept car so much that GM decided to only make the most minimal changes to it when they turned it into a production vehicle a few years later.

But you are mistaken in thinking that the Camaro is supposed to be 'retro'. The intent, which I feel they pulled off, was to make a fully modern Camaro that looked as if the 1st gen had continually evolved over the years -rather than the radical styling changes that happened with each generation. So yes, it is based off of the 1st gen, but its not meant to be a copy of it. The Challenger is retro. The Ford T-bird from a a number of years ago was retro. The Camaro is not.

This sums it up nicely. And personally, I am very grateful that the Gen5 looks nothing like Gen2 & 3, but that's not the topic. The Gen5 is definitely a evolution from the earliest models and has incorporated the government safety mandates very well, in my opinion.

[Jamie Mac]

There's a big difference in having a 5th gen that is inspired by the 1st gen and recreating a 1st gen. If you want to build a modern 1st gen then go to Summit. They have all you need

[91Zman]

[SAWMILL]

Then new 5th Gen is a nice updated version from the 1st, and is much nicer to drive. But from an old school guy, when ever I see a 1st gen it takes me back to the glory days. That was muscle at its finest.