[1]The new Camaro is still a very fresh design, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t riding on some old architecture. The Zeta platform underpinning the current Camaro was first developed over ten years ago (though the first cars using it didn’t hit the road until 2005). While GM has already pledged to built a better, lighter Zeta platform, rumor has it that the next-generation Camaro could ride on a new platform called “Alpha.”
This spy shots from Road & Track [2] show what appears at first glance to be a Cadillac CTS. However, the wheelbase is much shorter, leading us to believe this is in fact a mule test car for the upcoming ATS, which would share the Alpha platform with the new Camaro.
Pay close attention to those wheels. The rear wheels are way too close to the front of the fenderwell, and the front wheels look like they need to be moved up a few inches as well. This tells us that the new Alpha platform will have a wheelbase six inches to a foot shorter than the current CTS, which has a wheelbase of about 113 inches. The Camaro has a very similar wheelbase, about 112 inches.
[3]The Alpha platform, in addition to being shorter, would also be lighter. One of the main criticisms leveled against the 2010-11 Camaro is that it feels (and is) heavy. A new platform would be a possible answer to this. While the ATS will likely get a choice of four-cylinder and V6 engines, for some reason it has dual exhaust pipes. This is yet another hint that this could be the future platform for the next-generation Camaro.
Is it time for a new Camaro platform already? Or is GM just teasing us?
-
[4]
-
[5]
-
[6]
-
[7]
