The GM f-bodies. Namely: Camaro Z28 and SS as well as Firebird Formula and Trans Am. Brothers by birth. Great cars by far. Despite the plummeting sales, and the possibility of GM taking them off of production, these will be some of my favorite sports cars ever built. If not for the American sports V8's that started off with Ford's ponies in 1965, we would all be driving supercharged 4-bangers watching Porches and Beamers wiz by us. True sports cars are supposed to cost a lot. Real power can only be appreciated by those who can afford it. That is how it would have been, if not for the GM's f-bodies that place 305 horses under the hood and will give any beamer owner some sweaty moments.
The two brands are brother cars. They share a 5.7liter V8 that might be crude, but they both roar with power. The Z28 and the Formula are the only cars in the US that cost less than 25k and that can hit 0 to 60 in a blink over 5 seconds. Supercharge these babies and you've got the performance of a 100k supercar. But f-bodies are not for everyone. These cars are for the true enthusiasts -- for people who want to take care of their cars and make them better in time. Yeah, you will go to the shop a lot if you don't watch after these babies. Unless you are an easy driver (in which case it should be illegal for you to own an f-body) your engine is going to rev a lot and you will bend the hooks in your tranny. If you don't want to bend the hooks, switch the stock 'skip' shifter for a short throw shifter with positive stop bolts (overall cost about 250$). If you don't want to rev your engine, go buy an automatic Celica.
The only area in which these cars differ magnificantly is the body. I actually didn't like the way early 90's Camaros looked. From the back the car sat too low on the ground, its top barely having a circular figure. This was sweet, but the front hood was downright ugly. The hidden head lights and the extending pointed front grill made it seem like a prototype that should have never hit the streets. I know a lot of people that actually did like it, but I am not one of them (And I have the right to my opinion:P) The newer models have practically the same trunk design, but the front hood has changed dramatically. The car seems to sit a bit higher from the ground now. I like the new look a lot more than the earlier one.
The firebird, on the other hand, is a downright agressive car. Nope, girls don't like the firebird much. It looks like a rocket, expecially at night when those pop-up lights are turned on and the fog lights are beaming yellow for that 'special' touch. I expecially am in love with the t-top version. This is by far one of the best looking cars ever built. At least, that is my opinion.
Both f-bodies can blow the blue ovals of any Mustang in their price range, so why do they keep failing? Mustang outsells both the Firebird and the Camaro combined. Import lovers will say that its because the f-bodies suck. They are slow, can't handle, etc. That argument is so utterly moronic that I shouldn't even bother to respond to it, but I feel the need. Camaro weights 3.4k lbs, but with a torque over 300lbs/ft and overall HP of 305, the Z28 will blow away anything in its price range and over. Firebird has relatively the same performance stats. Corvette and Mustang SVT Cobra are the only cars under 50k that can compete with either one. Corvette has a better version of the LS1 engine that is on the f-body cars, and Mustang SVT Cobra is the highest model pony Ford builds. Everything else is just toast.
So why are these cars failing? Well, I blame GM more than anyone else. The Corvette C5 went through a superb re-modeling. It got better suspension and a computerized handling system that makes it one of the best sports cars in the world. What happened to Camaro? Its hood got a redesigned. Its engine went through a low emissions standard check. The suspension remained the same, and so did the interior. What happened to Firebird? Well, Pontiac Grand AM and Prix went through a complete remodeling and a major add campaign. Firebird got an oil change.
The interior of the F-bodies are also to be blamed. Mainly the back-seats. I would say don't buy a sports car if you care about back-seats, but the f-body backseats are hideously designed. Its really hard to fit a regular size human in there. The gauge cluster sits a bit too low, and the instruments are too small to be seen easily. Everything else just looks like plastic. The doors require a lot of space to open, and if you are a sucky paralel parker like me, you will have serious problems with this one.
In any event, both cars are still kicking over 30 years after they got introduced to the world. Thes are both badly in need of change, but if they ever put them out of production we all have much to miss. GM says the Camaro name will live on. On what, I wonder? Will they built a family sedan and call it Camaro? Or maybe a 4cyl Camaro, much like the fiasco Ford went through in early 80's? Firebird we know nothing about. I sure hope none of that happens. GM should build on what they already have, and make up for the misgivings of these cars rather than slowly kill it. Yes, butchering the f-bodies is what they seem to be doing.
