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Yes, some people’s dire predictions about the 2016 Camaro turned out to be true. It’s unmistakeably an evolution of the 5th gen design on the outside. There’s no clean break from the past in terms of the lines of the car, like there was when the C7 Stingray Corvette made its debut. But look a little closer, and that easy dismissal starts to fade.
Per Mark Reuss, the SS is quicker on road courses than the outgoing 1LE
Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser jokes that it kinda looks like a 7/8 scale 5th gen – not precisely true, but it has downsized in all dimensions by an inch or two. And although Oppenheiser doesn’t have an exact number yet – “There are the production components we know, and then there’s the math…” – he’s confident that like-for-like, the V8 powered SS models will tip the scales 200 pounds lighter than the outgoing Camaro.
He also says that another issue some drivers had with the previous Camaro has also been improved. “[GM CEO] Mary Barra owns a 5th gen,” Oppenheiser explains. “She wanted better sight lines for the 2016 Camaro, so we changed up the design for the C-pillars to make sure we met that goal.”
Per Al Oppenheiser, ‘Mark didn’t say ‘well under’ six seconds, but I will…’
Another vital benchmark for the new Camaro was fuel economy, and in addition to the “base” 2.0 liter turbo engine, the naturally aspirated V6 (new to the Camaro, not a carryover as we first suspected) gets Active Fuel Management that shuts down two cylinders under light load and improve mileage. “The better fuel economy [the four and six cylinder] Camaros get, the more of these [SS models] we can build and sell,” said Oppenheiser.
Tomorrow, we’ll get to take a much closer look at the new Camaro, and dive deeper into what’s new beneath the familiar-looking skin. For now, though, here are the vital statistics:
| 2.0L Turbocharged I-4 VVT DI | 3.6L V-6 VVT DI | 6.2L V-8 VVT DI | |
| Displacement (cu in / cc): | 122 / 1998 | 222 / 3640 | 376 / 6162 |
| Bore & stroke (in / mm): | 3.39 x 3.39 / 86 x 86 | 3.74 x 3.37 / 95 x 85.6 | 4.06 x 3.62 / 103.25 x 92 |
| Block material: | cast aluminum w/ cast-in-place iron bore liners | cast aluminum w/ cast-in-place iron bore liners | cast aluminum w/ cast-in-place iron bore liners |
| Cylinder head material: | cast aluminum | cast aluminum | cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | DOHC, four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing | DOHC, four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing; Active Fuel Management | overhead valve; two valves per cylinder; Active Fuel Management |
| Fuel delivery: | direct high-pressure fuel injection | direct high-pressure fuel injection | direct high-pressure fuel injection |
| Compression ratio: | 9.5:1 | 11.5:1 | 11.5:1 |
| Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): | 275 / 205 @ 5600* | 335 / 250 @ 6800* | 455 / 339 @ 6000* |
| Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ rpm): | 295 / 400 @ 3000-4500* | 284 / 385 @ 5300* | 455 / 617 @ 4400* |
*SAE certified.
Transmissions
| Tremec TR3160 6-speed manual (2.0T and 3.6L) |
Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual with Active Rev Match (6.2L) |
Hydra-Matic 8L45 8-speed automatic (2.0L and 3.6L) | Hydra-Matic 8L90 8-speed automatic (6.2L) | |
| Gear ratios (:1): | ||||
| First: | 4.40 | 2.66 | 4.62 | 4.56 |
| Second: | 2.59 | 1.78 | 3.04 | 2.97 |
| Third: | 1.80 | 1.30 | 2.07 | 2.08 |
| Fourth: | 1.34 | 1.00 | 1.66 | 1.69 |
| Fifth: | 1.00 | 0.74 | 1.26 | 1.27 |
| Sixth: | 0.75 | 0.50 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Seventh: | — | — | 0.85 | 0.85 |
| Eighth: | — | — | 0.66 | 0.65 |
| Reverse: | 3.99 | 2.90 | 3.93 | 3.82 |
| Final drive ratio: | 3.27 | 3.73 | 3.27 (2.0L) 2.77 (3.6L) |
2.77 |
The 8L45 automatic transmission shares DNA with the 8L90 we like so much in the Stingray. But it’s been downsized to better match the torque output of the V6 and 2.0T Camaro powerplants, losing a whopping 30 kilograms in the process.
Dimensions
| Wheelbase (in / mm): | 110.7 / 2811 |
| Overall length (in / mm): | 188.3 / 4784 |
| Overall width (in / mm): | 74.7 / 1897 |
| Overall height (in / mm): | 53.1 / 1348 |
| Track, front (in / mm): | 62.5 / 1588 (LT) 63 / 1601 (SS) |
| Track, rear (in / mm): | 63.7 / 1617 (LT) 62.9 / 1598 (SS) |
| Headroom (in / mm): | 36.6 / 930 (front) |
| Legroom (in / mm): | 42.6 / 1083 (front) |
The 2.0T may turn out to be the hot ticket for autocross and track days. One advantage over its boosted Blue Oval rival is that you don’t have to move up to a higher trim level to get any particular drivetrain – perfect for cheap, lightweight fun.
