The Chevrolet (or Chevy, in the popular slang) Camaro has morphed into its sixth generation, and the big news is that for the first time ever in a Camaro, you can have both turbocharging and four cylinders... if you must. The 'Gen Six' Camaro goes on sale in its native US later this year, offered in LT and SS trims at first.
Exterior
It's a familiar shape, evolved from the 1967 original, although this Gen Six model is shorter, narrower and lower than its immediate predecessor, with a stubbier wheelbase too. Chevy makes a big deal about the styling making it look wider, though, and it's certainly an aggressive thing. There's a 'nearly fastback' profile while the SS gets its own unique spoiler design, and LED lights feature in daytime running lamps and the rear clusters on RS/SS models. It's not all about style, however, as Chevrolet says the air curtain on the front of the car is designed to reduce drag, while there are brake ducts and engine cooling vents in the bonnet, the latter of which also help reduce front-end lift. The new red, white and blue banner insignia for the Camaro is seen on the front wings, but perhaps the biggest thing to note about the car is that it is at least 91kg lighter model-for-model compared to the Gen Five. Impressive.
Interior
There's still the dual-binnacle instrument cluster hood shape inside, but Chevrolet wanted the Camaro's interior to be completely new yet recognisable. So you'll probably clock that both the cluster itself and the centre of the dash are dominated by eight-inch high-definition digital displays, capable of controlling and showing off pretty much everything fitted to the Camaro. These are part of the MyLink infotainment system. The mechanical handbrake has gone, replaced by an electronic version, while - perhaps taking its cue from the Audi TT Mk3 - the controls for the climate are integrated into the air vents, leading to a clutter-free cabin in terms of buttons. The Camaro also features a Driver Mode Selector, accessed via a switch on the centre console.
Mechanicals
Stripping the body-in-white back by 60.5kg alone is a great move by Chevy's engineers, allowing for a wider range of engines. Panic not, there is a stonking great V8 on offer, as there should be, but let's start with the new engines at the bottom of the Camaro ladder. Powering the LT is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine making 279hp and 400Nm - that latter figure available from 3,000- to 4,500rpm, with 90 per cent of it on offer from 2,100- to 3,000rpm. No specific stats yet, but GM is claiming a 0-100km/h time of less than 6.0 seconds, with economy quoted as at least 7.8 litres/100km (36mpg); modest as that is, it still makes this the most fuel-efficient Camaro ever.
A new 3.6-litre V6 engine is also available, making 340hp and 385Nm from normal aspiration. This unit features cylinder deactivation, allowing it to run on just four pistons under light throttle loads. Both the 2.0 and V6 can be had with either six-speed manual or eight-speed Hydra-Matic auto transmissions. The real daddy is in the SS, which totes a 6.2-litre LT1 V8 as seen in the Corvette Stingray. Chevy says a fifth of the components are specific to the Camaro, including tubular 'tri-Y' exhaust manifolds. Still, the headline figures of 461hp and 617Nm are more than adequate, making this the most powerful Camaro SS built so far. The LT1 also gets the choice of manual or automatic gearboxes.
The Camaro features new, multi-link MacPherson strut front suspension, while at the rear there's five-link independent suspension. Magnetic Ride Control will be available on the SS for the first time (it was previously only seen on the ZL1 model) and four-pot front, single-piston rear Brembo brakes, standard fit on the SS, are optionally offered range-wide. Wheel sizes run from 18s on the LT to 20-inch alloy wheels on the SS, with Goodyear providing the rubber.
Anything else?
"Redesigning the Camaro is thrilling and challenging all at once, but the secret is to offer something more," said Mark Reuss, General Motors' executive vice president of Product Development. "For Camaro enthusiasts, it retains iconic design cues and offers even more performance. For a new generation of buyers, the 2016 Camaro incorporates our most innovative engineering ideas with finely honed performance and leading design."