Body In White showed up today...

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

We got the Camaro BIW coupe today...and they promptly cut it in half.

Looks like it's going to have some huge blind spots. Both the B and C pillar are big, especially the C.

But the exterior does look exactly like the show car...F-ed up A pillar and all. But the doors are wide and the seats are set back a fair distance. Might not be too big a deal on the road. In the traditional F-body fashion, I pity the fool that sits in the back seats.

I didn't see any provisions for a t-top or sunroof in the structure, but the B pillar is massive. They might be able to pull it off. And maybe not.

Looks like side curtain air bags will be at least an option if not standard, and it looks like they spaced the stereo out for the 'vert with six speakers slots showing with out the sub location.

It looked really good. Better than I expected.

As a Challenger fan...I might be starting to turn...

[meissen]

BIW?

You got a prototype?


And, Jeff, are you sure you're able to post this info?

[GETGONE]

It's been said numerous times that there won't be a T top option in this car because of the roof structure and new crash regulations. With the roof indentation there won't even be a sunroof option either which kind of sucks. I was hoping for at least a power slider sunroof if T's weren't going to be an option. I personally love the roofline but could do without the recess in the center. Where do you work that you got a body already and what was it cut up for?

[GETGONE]

BIW is Body in White which is the industry term for a bare shell. We all know the car's going to be produced so there's no real secrets anymore.

[meissen]

Alright, then with that said -- Jeff, in your professional opinion, when you guys normally get BIW, what kind of timeline are we looking at before a car goes to full out production and in show room floors? Does this BIW seem necessarilly early for being a 2009 car?

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

BIW?

You got a prototype?


And, Jeff, are you sure you're able to post this info?

Photos would be...ahh...a...problem. So you won't get those . But anyone who got to sit in the car during Media Days a year ago at the NAIS could come up with these observations, so I didn't see the harm in posting them. It was just the first time I got to see the real deal in the flesh. We don't have a 'vert (yet) so I won't speculate on it.

We do safety development for the industry, so we cut the car down the centerline fore-aft to develop driver vs. passenger individually.

Ironically, the Camaro is ahead of the Challenger in development. We don't even have a Challenger BIW yet, and won't have one until the end of May.

I don't know if this has anything to do with developing the Challenger off the LX platform and all the politics associated with that mess, and the Camaro coming off a (essentially) new Holden platform so they can streamline it.

Don't know...fun to watch though...

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

Alright, then with that said -- Jeff, in your professional opinion, when you guys normally get BIW, what kind of timeline are we looking at before a car goes to full out production and in show room floors? Does this BIW seem necessarilly early for being a 2009 car?

Depends on the car.

There's been more development in the LX platform (Challenger-300-Charger-Magnum) so they likely believe that less development is required.

Conversely, as the Holden-Camaro platform is essentially new, they will likely require more time for overall vehicle testing. That's probably why they're getting the chassis to us earlier than the DCX boys.

Both are currently scheduled to launch early July '08 as a '09 model year.

[willasc]

The BIW was probably an early mule vehicle with very very early sheetmetal, few more changes might happen between now and production (shouldn't be anything a consumer can pick out though). Wonder who it was for though

[81DaytonaPaceCar]

The BIW was probably an early mule vehicle with very very early sheetmetal, few more changes might happen between now and production (shouldn't be anything a consumer can pick out though). Wonder who it was for though

Yep...you can bet money on that one...but it IS intended for production at this point because we work around their environment.