2016 Chevrolet Camaro, Guns Are Bigger than Ever

This ain’t no stinkin’ refresh. The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is an all-new car, marking the venerable nameplate’s sixth generation. With the Ford Mustang receiving a hefty update in the past year, the pony-car wars are once again in full swing. For 2016, the Camaro brings all sorts of updates — new engines, new tech, you name it. The next year is going to get very interesting as we await the arrival of this beast.

As with most new-generation updates, the 2016 Camaro features plenty of all-new sheet metal. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a piece of the fifth-gen anywhere — the only two parts to transfer over untouched are the rear Chevrolet bowtie emblem and the SS badge. Despite all the new body parts, the Camaro retains the same silhouette that owners have held dear for ages — even if it does still come at the expense of rearward visibility.

The 2016 Camaro now rides on Chevrolet’s Alpha platform, which also underpins the ATS (and the bonkers ATS-V). Despite the platform-sharing, over 70 percent of the Camaro’s components are unique to this model. Through additional utilization of aluminum, the new Camaro is over 200 pounds lighter than the previous generation, and structural rigidity has been increased by a whopping 28 percent. The car’s physical dimensions are also slightly smaller than before, to make it feel like less of a land barge.

Just like its competition, the Camaro is rolling out a new slew of engines that includes a four-banger; only, unlike the Mustang, the Camaro has its hierarchy such that the I-4 is the base engine. The Camaro’s I-4 is a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit, rated at 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. GM believes it will achieve a sub-six-second 0-60 time, while also returning upwards of 30 mpg on the highway.

As for the bigger motors, the mid-range offering is an all-new 3.6-liter, naturally-aspirated V-6 with direct injection and cylinder deactivation. That one will put out 335 horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque. If you want the big boy, though, you’re in for a real treat. The Camaro SS will now rock a variant of the Corvette’s 6.2-liter LT1 V-8; in the Camaro, it will spit forth 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque.

In terms of transmission choices, each model has two. A six-speed manual is available on all Camaro models, although the SS is the only model to receive the Corvette’s rev-matching tech. An eight-speed automatic is also available, if that’s more your flavor. In the SS, it’s the Hydra-Matic 8L90, ripped straight from the ‘Vette. For the I-4 and V-6 models, it’s the Hydra-Matic 8L45, a variant aimed at vehicles with lower power outputs.

Of course, there’s more than just some new motors kickin’ around. The new Camaro brings with it plenty of fancy new technology, some of which you’ve likely seen on other GM models, specifically the Corvette. The car now gains a drive-mode selector, with an available Track mode for SS models. The SS also receives GM’s magnetorheological shocks for the first time. Brembo brakes are an option for all vehicles, and they’re standard on the SS. Also, both V-6 and V-8 models are available with dual-mode exhaust flaps, which lets the car transition between silence and violence at the flip of a switch.

The interior is, frankly, leagues better than it used to be. You can have not one, but two eight-inch screens, one in the dashboard (featuring Chevy’s MyLink infotainment getup) and one in the instrument cluster. The parking brake was removed in favor of an electronic switch for the sake of better shifting ergonomics. Like the new Audi TT, the Camaro’s HVAC controls are now incorporated into the central air vents to simplify the layout a bit. The Camaro also comes with a segment-first LED ambient lighting setup with 24 different effects and colors that change based on the vehicle’s current mode. Fancy.

Naturally, Chevrolet didn’t give out every inch of information yet. There are no performance figures for the larger engines, and the EPA is still a ways away from determining fuel-economy figures. Pricing and release date are still “to come,” as well. Nevertheless, the second a new piece of information about the 2016 Camaro comes out, we’ll bring it to your attention. This is a big deal for Chevrolet, and we think their modernization gambit will pay off in spades.

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