Camaro Quirks

"BadMotorScooter" (badmotorscooter) 09/12/2018 at 13:39 • Filed to: Camaro, Manual

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A couple of quirks in the Camaro. One good, one maybe not so good. First the good - a floor mounted gas pedal. I believe all the GM alpha platform cars have a floor mounted pedal, but when combined with the extra pedal to the left and really good placement of the brake, this makes heel and toe shifting really easy. Small detail but I like it.

Now the not so good quirk. The trans is a Tremec 3160, and it has the reverse gear to the left and up. That’s right where first gear is usually located - max left and up. And there is no reverse lockout! I was expecting a collar or push lockout, but there isn’t one. There is a detent or spring that you push when moving left from the 1-2 row, but it is not much of a deterrent. I’ve been sitting at a light in neutral and accidentally grabbed reverse when I went left-up for 1st! Not good when the light ch an ges green unexpectedly and you are in a hurry to get moving (and I’m sure the guy behind me was like WTF when the reverse lights came on and the engine revs). That said, I’ve gotten used to it now and seemed to have learned to not go left so far. Just seems odd that it would be designed this way though. Why not far right-up , or even left-down?

TheStiggyOne > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 14:21

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From a long-time BMW owner but now first time GM driver (5x BMWs from 2002 -> 2013 and then to now Cadillac CTS-V2), both quirks you mention are straight from BMWs.

#1 Floor-mounted gas pedal: I no longer have it, as the Sigma-2 CTS has the gas pedal hinged from the top. Not that I heel-toe much now (with the CTS-V2 I blast remote mountain highways instead of closed courses), but I still prefer the floor-mounted pedal just because it will then be impossible for the floor mat to jam it, a la the hooplah around Toyota / Lexus “unintended acceleration” a few years ago.

To “fix” that, my driver’s footwell floor mat has a fastener to keep it from sliding forward, while my previous BMWs did not need such a thing.

#2 R right next to 1: BMW’s explanation is that then it will be easier for you to “rock” your car out of snow, by allowing you to quickly transitioning between Forward and Reverse. The TR-6060 that you would get with the Small Block then is up-and-right as you would expect, so less of a chance to get the wrong gear while you want to get going, but also farther to go for the “rocking” as described above.

LongbowMkII > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 14:36

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I really would’ve expected a collar

Takuro Spirit > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 15:00

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Reverse gears in forward positions always irked me. Same with manu-mati cs that you push forward for upshifts.

They’re counter-intuitive .

When reversing , it makes more sense to shove the gear stick back, towards the back of the car.

BadMotorScooter > TheStiggyOne 09/12/2018 at 15:00

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Interesting! I didn’t know BMW had those traits. I wonder if GM did that on purpose. Although Tremec designed the trans, not GM.

I had an 09 CTS-V2 manual sedan. Recaros and sunroof delete. Great car, I really miss it. It was a great combination of size, power, utility and the manual gave it tons of character and fun to drive. I installed an intake and B&B exhaust.

I also had a 16 CTS-V3. 640HP LT4 monster, but I liked the V2 better. Primarily due to the transmission. The A8 was a letdown. Not that it shifted poorly, but it just made the car feel generic. Want to go fast? Push the right pedal. There wasn’t enough emotion, which the manual V2 with an exhaust had in spades.

I think if I were to get a different Camaro I might consider a manual ZL1. Yeah, unusable and excessive power, but it has passion and character. The Alpha chassis combined with the 6060 might be the closest thing to the V2 that I can buy today. 

Meatcoma > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 15:21

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I’ve slapped mine in R at a light as well before and to date have caught it before slamming on the gas. I believe the fact it chirps when being put in R has been my saving grace.

I did sit in a ‘17 a few weeks ago and I do not like the way the console flares out near the steering wheel. It hits my knee right on the bone. My ‘10 doesn’t do that.

I feel like Ford and Chevy traded spaces on this. I didn’t like the ‘12-’ 14 M ustang because of that flare and went with the Camaro because of it. It seems like the Camaro added it at some point.

I then sat in a ‘16 Mustang and I really liked it. My next vehicle will probably be a Mustang unless I find something I’d rather have, but it will not be a new Camaro.

TheStiggyOne > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 17:50

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Most likely, hence the ATS-V’s LF4 with DOHC and DI and TT and a host of other alphabet-soup letters... and also why I am not buying one. If I want all those complexity, I would just go back to BMW, who at least have more experience with such things . I am sure the BMW dealership would love to see me again.

Instead, I specifically got the CTS-V2 because of the LS + TR6060 combo... where I just did all fluids for ~$600CAD, the exhaust for ~$2000CAD , and the Camaro5 ZL1 S/C Lid for ~$400CAD . It goes like stink and sounds like hell, and thus so what it might lack “technology” and “refinement” and yada yada ;-)

for Michigan > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 20:38

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My 1-series has a floor-mounted pedal and it is amazing. I don’t know why more cars don’t have this feature.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 20:49

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That amazes me that they don’t have a really good lock out for reverse. Even my 93 LT-1/6-speed vette has a serious lockout for reverse (which was in the up and left position) . It was actually less than ideal to operate for anyone with less manly hands. There was zero possibility of that car going into reverse unintentionally.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 21:58

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1. Floor mounted gas pedals are actually bad

2. No reverse lockout is peak GM

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > BadMotorScooter 09/12/2018 at 23:01

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MINIs are like this also, must be a Getrag thing too. You have to push pretty hard to get it into R, but I’ve definitely done it by mistake when in a hurry.

I’ve even done it a time or 2 in the GTI where you have to push the whole stick down to get over there.

HolyMoleGuacamole > TheStiggyOne 09/13/2018 at 04:57

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Let me help you out here.

To my knowledge, BMW has never produced a car with a suspended gas pedal . I’ve had 12 BMW’s over the past 30 years and every single one had its gas pedal mounted on the floor.

As for the BMW explanation of the reverse gear location up and to the left because it facilitates “rocking” a car out of low traction situation, it makes zero sense when reverse and first are on two separate gates, both located at the top of their respective gates. It would require swapping the two gears in a “U” pattern which time consuming .

Actually, the methodology for rocking stuck in mud, snow, or sand existed in the old “H” pattern which dates back to the early 1900's , when reverse and 1st gears existed on the same plane with reverse on top and 1st gear at the bottom, where shifting between the 2 gears can be quickly facilitated. If reverse and first are located in different gates, then this solution does not work very well because of the distance traveled and the change of direction of the gear shift lever.

If this was a BMW explanation, then perhaps they published this explanation back in the 1940's? It certainly isn’t relevant today, considering there are a host of traction control systems on a modern vehicle including ABS, stability control, AWD, electronic differentials, etc. and not to mention it’s a perfectly good way to destroy a $10,000 transmission.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > MiniGTI - now with XJ6 09/13/2018 at 13:02

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I scared the salesman (and myself) in a Mini doing exactly that. I remember the ‘ notch’ you had to push through was barely noticeable .

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > BadMotorScooter 09/13/2018 at 13:38

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I’ve got both a 2007 BMW and a 2018 Camaro SS. But the left and up for reverse was also on my Mini, and when I had it, my VW. The VW required you to press the knob straight down to get past the reverse gate.

My Infiniti G35 was right and down for reverse and required pushing down on the knob like the VW .

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 09/13/2018 at 13:41

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They have the lockout on the TR6060 on the small-blocks.

MM54 > BadMotorScooter 09/13/2018 at 23:04

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The 4-speed in my ‘71 Chevelle has reverse to the front left. This is nothing new.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > BadMotorScooter 12/13/2018 at 13:13

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I had that accidental reverse problem when i first got my BMW, but it’s not a problem now that i’m used to it.

My wife drove it a few weeks ago because we were on a long drive and I got tired. I freaked he out because I said “its a 6 speed so your highway gear is where reverse normally is”. i did this because i drove Hondas with reverse down and right. What I forgot was she’s only ever driven manual VWs, which also have reverse up and left.

she was VERY confused.