The business of focus grouping in the auto industry can be a bit of an echo chamber. The group you select shapes the responses you get. Chevrolet is putting this two-edged sword to use with the ongoing development of the Camaro, and in this video, we get a look at the "15 Disciples" group of enthusiasts.
Chevy uses these presumably hand-picked enthusiasts as a sounding board for what's good, what's bad, what's missing, and what to add. But more interesting than Chevy's use of the group is the group itself.
Looking at the group is perhaps the best insight possible into what Chevy sees as the target market for the Camaro, and it's not as heavy with gold chains and chin hair as you might expect. In fact, the group spans what appears to be at least two decades in age and has a substantial female contingent.
In other words, Chevy is going after not just hard-core performance enthusiasts or image-obsessed bankers but the whole spectrum of car fanatics. From a volume sales perspective, that's no doubt the wise approach. However it may serve to explain why, in our drive review of the 2010 Camaro SS, we found the Camaro to be a bit less focused than we'd like, though the six-speed manual and LS3 V-8 combo are always good for some fun. On the other hand, it may be the perfect recipe for a crowd-pleasing muscle car.
Whatever your take on the Camaro, the video is worth the watch.
[GM via YouTube]
