(May 17, 2015) DETROIT — The sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro revealed Saturday offers higher levels of performance, technology and refinement and is designed to maintain the sporty car segment leadership earned over the past five years.  The Gen Six Camaro provides a faster, more nimble driving experience, enabled by an all-new, lighter architecture and a broader powertrain range.

Six all-new powertrain combinations are offered, including a 2.0L Turbo, an all-new 3.6L V-6 and the LT1 6.2L V-8, which is SAE-certified at 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque — for the most powerful Camaro SS ever. Each engine is available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.

Camaro’s leaner, stiffer platform and slightly smaller dimensions are accentuated by a dramatic, sculpted exterior. Meticulously tuned in the wind tunnel, the exterior contributes to performance through reduced aerodynamic lift for better handling while enhancing efficiency.

A driver-focused interior integrates class-leading control technologies, including a new Driver Mode Selector, configurable instrument cluster and a customizable ambient lighting feature.

“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.”

Only two parts carry over from the fifth-generation Camaro to the new Gen Six: the rear bowtie emblem and the SS badge.


What's the difference? How the 2016 Camaro (left) stacks up against the 2015 model

To make it not only the best Camaro ever, but one of the best performance cars available, Chevrolet focused on three pillars of development:

Performance

    • Vehicle mass has been reduced by 200 pounds or more, depending on the model, creating a more nimble, responsive driving experience

    • Most efficient Camaro ever, with a new 2.0L turbo SAE-certified at 275 hp and 295 lb-ft — and delivers more than 30 mpg on the highway (GM-estimated), and 0-60 mph acceleration well under 6 seconds

    • Efficient performance in a new 3.6L V-6 featuring direct injection, continuously variable valve timing and – for the first time – Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation), offering an SAE-certified 335 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque, for the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated V-6 in the segment

    • The most powerful Camaro SS ever, with a new 6.2L LT1 direct-injected Small Block V-8 rated at 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque

    • Magnetic Ride Control active suspension available on Camaro SS for the first time

    • With improved handling and performance, the Camaro SS delivers better lap times than the fifth-generation’s track-focused Camaro 1LE package.



Technology

    • All-new Drive Mode Selector, which tailors up to eight vehicle attributes for four modes: Snow/Ice, Tour, Sport and – on SS models – Track settings

    • Segment-exclusive, Interior Spectrum Lighting that offers 24 different ambient lighting effects on the dash, door panels, and center console

    • High-definition, configurable color displays — including available dual, 8-inch-diagonal screens.

Design

    • More athletic-looking, sculptured exterior that complements the tighter, leaner architecture – and offers all-new, modern lighting signatures, including light-emitting diode (LED) technology

    • Greater emphasis on customer personalization with wider range of choices, including 10 exterior colors, five interior color combinations, lighting options and a full complement of dealer-available accessories available at launch — including wheels, stripe packages and additional accessories

    • Aerodynamically optimized design that is the result of 350 hours of wind tunnel testing, reducing drag on LT models and improving downforce on SS

General Motors Executive Vice President Global Product Development Mark Reuss introduces the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro at its world debut Saturday on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan.

    • All-new, interior with shifter-focused center console, intuitive controls, flat-bottom steering wheel, and higher quality materials throughout

    • Unique control rings around the air vents used for temperature and fan speed adjustments, eliminating the need for conventional buttons

“We have had the incredible opportunity to meet literally thousands of Gen 5 Camaro owners who provided direct feedback on what they loved about their car and what they wanted for the next-gen Camaro,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “As a result, the 2016 Camaro builds on what made the current Camaro such a success with more power, more agile handling and more technology.

“We expect it will set the new benchmark in the segment – and give a new generation of enthusiasts a reason to fall in love with Camaro.”

The Gen Six Camaro goes on sale later this year, offered in LT and SS models.

Approximately 70 percent of the architectural components are unique to Camaro. Through extensive computer-aided engineering, structural rigidity was increased by 28 percent, while the body-in-white mass was reduced by 133 pounds.

In their quest to make the 2016 Camaro as lean as possible, engineers and designers evaluated every aspect of its architecture — already the most mass-efficient ever created by GM — and supporting elements, saving grams here and pounds there that contributes to the car’s lower curb weight. As a result, the total curb weight for Camaro has been reduced by more than 200 pounds.

Significant weight savings came from using an aluminum instrument panel frame instead of steel, which saved 9.2 pounds. The use of lightweight components, including aluminum front suspension links and steel rear suspension links with lightening holes, in the new five-link rear suspension system contributed to a 26-pound reduction in the overall suspension weight. With the lighter, stiffer architecture and more powerful engines, the Gen Six Camaro SS delivers better lap times than the fifth-generation’s track-focused Camaro 1LE package. 

“The driving experience is significantly different,” said Aaron Link, lead development engineer. “Immediately, you will notice how much lighter and more nimble the Camaro feels. That feeling increases when you drive the Camaro harder — it brakes more powerfully, dives into corners quicker, and accelerates faster than ever.”

The Camaro features a new, multi-link MacPherson strut front suspension with Camaro-specific geometry. The double-pivot design provides a more precise feeling of control, including more linear and communicative feel from the quick-ratio electric power steering system. At the rear, a new five-link independent suspension yields outstanding wheel control and reduces “squat” during acceleration.

In addition, the Magnetic Ride Control is available on the Camaro SS for the first time. Previously limited to the Camaro ZL1, the active suspension reads road and driving conditions 1,000 times per second, and automatically adjusts the damper settings to optimize ride comfort and control.

All Camaro models offer Brembo brakes — they’re standard on SS — optimized for the car’s mass and performance capability. On Camaro LT, the available brakes include 12.6-inch front rotors with four-piston calipers and 12.4-inch rear rotors with single-piston sliding calipers. Camaro SS employs 13.6-inch front rotors with four-piston fixed calipers and 13.3-inch rear rotors with four-piston fixed calipers.

Goodyear tires are used on all models: The LT features standard 18-inch wheels wrapped with Goodyear Eagle Sport all-season tires and available 20-inch wheels matched with Eagle F1 Asymmetric all-season run-flat tires. Camaro SS features standard 20-inch aluminum wheels with Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 run-flat tires.