With all the fuss over the rewarmed Ford Mustang finally starting to subside, muscle car enthusiasts like ourselves are looking forward to the next big reveal, the 2016 Chevy Camaro. A vast collection of rumors has built up over the past five years as fan wishlists grew longer and longer based on a trickle of information.
You can tell we’re getting closer to the big reveal this weekend as GM itself is starting to trickle out actual information, rather than speculations and rumors. GM has given us a taste of what to expect ahead of Saturday’s event with a silhouette teaser of the 2016 Chevy Camaro, along with info on its aerodynamic improvements. The new design would generate 30% less aerodynamic lift than the outgoing model, improving stability accordingly.
“The importance of aerodynamics increases exponentially as we increase vehicle performance,” said Exterior Design manager Kirk Bennion. “As engine output increases, we need more engine cooling. As acceleration and top speeds climb, we need to reduce lift for better high-speed stability. However, we cannot make any changes at the expense of increasing drag, which can hurt fuel economy.”
Thank 350 hours of wind tunnel testing for the big improvement to the aerodynamics, which will result in drastically reduced lift for Camaro SS drivers. GM sometimes stuck the 2016 Camaro in the wind tunnel for 24 hours at a time, which ultimately affected the design. The initial design for the grille called for horizontal slots set at a 20-degree angle, but after time in the wind tunnel, engineers changed the angle to 13 degrees, improving airflow for cooling by 1%. These sorts of little improvements should add up to a much better driving experience (at least one would hope).
In just a few short days, we get to see the next generation of Chevy muscle cars, and a more aerodynamic exterior is the first piece of the performance puzzle needed to take the Camaro to the next level of performance. It’s already shaping up to be a viable contender, and in a few short days we get to see what all those hours of wind tunnel testing cooked up.