2016 Camaro Finally Makes its Debut

2016 Chevrolet Camaro (Credit: © Camaro)

After tons of anticipation, plenty of teasers, and a little speculation, the 2016 Chevy Camaro is here. It arrives with a new look, more compact footprint, a quick visit to the weight-loss clinic, and three new engines.

Under the hood, the Camaro has three engines, including a 2.0-liter turbo four cylinder, a 3.6-liter V-6, and a 6.2-liter V-8. While the latter two have the same displacement as the last-gen Camaro, they are, in fact, brand new.

Unlike the Mustang, however, the Camaro’s 2.0-liter turbo engine will be the base unit. It produces a slightly disappointing, though respectable, 275 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 295 pound-feet of twist between 3,000 and 4,500 revs. Despite its underwhelming output numbers relative to the Mustang Ecoboost, the base Camaro’s turbo four can sprint the coupe to 60 mph in “well under” six seconds while turning in 30 mpg highway.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro (Credit: © Camaro)

The midrange powerplant is the 3.6-liter V-6, which GM bases on the same aluminum block as the last-gen Camaro’s V-6. Other than the block and the 60-degree cylinder angle, this 3.6-liter engine is all new, including a new Active Fuel Management feature, a 1 mm larger cylinder bore, bore centers increased by 3 mm to 106 mm, new six-bolt main bearing caps, free-flowing cylinder heads with deeper-reaching spark plugs for efficient ignition, new four-cam phasing, a forged-steel crankshaft driving sinter-forged con rods and polymer-coated pistons, and so much more. This results in a power bump to 335 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque, which is 13-horsepower and 6-pound-feet increase over last year’s 3.6-liter.

The Camaro SS also retains its 6.2-liter displacement, but this engine is also all new. What’s more, it carries the iconic LT1 name that Chevy has used in three previous Camaros. This engine features tri-Y exhaust manifolds, continuously variable valve timing, Active Fuel Management with the auto transmission, a unique cylinder head design with a smaller combustion chamber, deeper-reaching spark plugs, reversed intake and exhaust valves, a cam-driven direct-injection fuel pump, and more. This new LT1 engine is good for 455 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 455 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm, which is a 35-horsepower and 29-pound-feet boost over the 2015 model’s 6.2-liter.

All three engines are available with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed auto transmission. The four-cylinder and V-6 engines comes standard with a Tremec TR3160 manual gearbox that features lower gear ratios for improved of-the-line acceleration. Optional on the four-cylinder and V-6 models is the new 8L45 eight-sped auto with paddle shifters.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro (Credit: © Camaro)

The SS model receives its own Tremec TR6060 manual transmission, and it differs from the lower models with much lower gearing, which allows you to wind each gear out a little further, and its Active Rev Match for perfect throttle blip when downshifting. The auto transmission is the new 8L90, which is similar to the 8L45 in design and architecture, but it has higher first, second, and third gear ratios because of its more powerful engine.

What’s more, the 2016 Camaro does not see any power drop when opting for the auto transmission, whereas the 2015 `Maro saw a pretty significant power drop when choosing the automatic gearbox.

The drivetrains only scratch the surface of the changes made to the 2016 Camaro, as its chassis is completely revised. The biggest changes are the all-new rear suspension system and the addition of Magnetic Ride Control on the SS model.

The changes in looks are obvious, but the 2016 Camaro has also changed in size, as it is 2.3 inches shorter from nose to tail, 0.8 inches thinner, and 1.1-inches shorter in height. It also rides on a 1.6-inch-shorter wheelbase than the 2015 model. This small size combined with advanced materials, like aluminum, helps shed at least 200 pounds from the 2016 Camaro, depending on the trim level.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro (Credit: © Camaro)

The Interior also receives a full overhaul, giving the 2016 Camaro a cabin it can be proud of when compared to last year’s interior. Not only are there more premium materials, a more intuitive button layout, and more modern-looking circular HVAC vents, but the dual-binnacle instrument hood is a little less in your fact this year.

There are no pricing details yet on the 2016 Camaro, but Chevy promises to have it on dealer lots by late 2015.

Stay tuned for more information, as I expect several high-performance versions to roll out soon, including the Z/28, the ZL1, and an unnamed model that’ll borrow the twin-turbo V-6 from the ATS-V.