2016 Chevrolet Camaro powers up, slims down
t all began with a weight-loss plan. The new Camaro shed more than 200 pounds compared with the outgoing car, with 133 pounds coming from a lighter body-in-white. Then engineers culled weight nearly everywhere, using aluminum for the instrumental panel frame and some suspension components to trim as much fat as possible.
The Camaro's rear-wheel-drive platform is lighter and stiffer in a bid to improve handling. It's a modified version of the underpinnings used by the Cadillac ATS, though about 70 percent of the architecture is unique to the Camaro.
So yes, the Camaro will be leaner, but it will still be plenty mean. The Camaro SS tops the range (for now) with the Corvette's 6.2-liter V8 pushing put 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque. Known as the LT1, is has a cast aluminum block and cast aluminum cylinder heads, and it's fortified with direct injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation. About 20 percent of the engine's parts are said to be unique to the Camaro, including the exhaust manifolds.
Like the Mustang, the Camaro also gets a four-cylinder engine that promises to maintain performance and offer improved fuel economy. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is rated 275 hp and 295 lb-ft, with maximum torque available at 3,000 rpm. It also has direct injection, variable valve timing, and uses aluminum components. Chevy says it will hit 60 miles per hour in less than six seconds and return more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway. It's expected to be the most fuel-efficient Camaro ever, and Chevy is billing this as the standard engine for the lineup. The naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, which is rated at 335 hp and 284 lb-ft, has direct injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation. It is slotted in between the four-cylinder and the V8.
All of the engines can be had with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
