New Gen 6 Camaro lighter, leaner, faster, more efficient; base 2.0L, 4-cylinder entry-level engine

Fifty years after the introduction of the first Chevrolet Camaro, GM unveiled the new sixth-generation. 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 the entry-level 275 hp (205 kW) 4-cylinder 2.0L Turbo. Each engine is available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.

As an historical footnote, the entry-level engine in the original model year 1967 Camaro was a 3.8-liter straight-6 engine rated at 140 hp (104 kW) (pre-EPA emission requirements); in other words, over 50 years, the entry-level engine has shrunk by 48% displacement and gained 96% in power, while cutting NO_xemissions, as an example of criteria pollutant reduction, by likely more than 97% (from above 3.1 g/mi to 0.07 g/mi (EPA Tier 2).

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

The Camaro LT’s standard engine is a new 2.0L Turbo, rated at an SAE-certified 275 horsepower (205 kW) and 295 lb-ft of torque (N·m). For power on demand, it offers a wide torque band with 90% of peak torque available from 2,100 rpm to 3,000 rpm, and maximum torque from 3,000 to 4,500 rpm. The 2.0L turbo will deliver 0-60 mph acceleration in less than six seconds and offer more than 30 mpg (7.8 l/100 km) on the highway (GM-estimated), making it the most fuel-efficient Camaro yet.

An all-new 3.6L V-6 is available in the Camaro LT, producing and SAE-certified 335 horsepower (250 kW) and 284 lb-ft of torque (385 Nm), for the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated V-6 in the segment. The engine incorporates a trio of technologies for uncompromised efficiency and performance, including direct injection, variable valve timing and, for the first time, Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation), which disables two cylinders under light throttle applications to enhance efficiency.

The 2.0L turbo and 3.6L V-6 engines are offered with a six-speed manual transmission or the all-new Hydra-Matic 8L45 paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s based on the Hydra-Matic 8L90 eight-speed, but scaled for the performance envelope of the smaller engines and offering an estimated 5% efficiency improvement over a comparable six-speed automatic.

Camaro SS is powered by the 6.2L LT1 V-8 engine introduced on the Corvette Stingray. About 20% of the components are specific for the Camaro’s architecture, including new, tubular “tri-Y”-type exhaust manifolds. It also offers advanced technologies such as variable valve timing, direct injection and Active Fuel Management (on automatic-equipped models) to help balance efficiency and performance. Output is SAE-certified at 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 455 lb-ft of torque (617 Nm), making it the most-powerful Camaro SS ever.

Lightweight architecture and chassis systems. Approximately 70 percent of the architectural components are unique to Camaro. Through extensive computer-aided engineering, structural rigidity was increased by 28%, while the body-in-white mass was reduced by 133 pounds (60.5 kg).

Significant weight savings came from using an aluminum instrument panel frame instead of steel, which saved 9.2 pounds (4.2 kg). 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 (12 kg) 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.

Volkswagen Considering Golf GTD R

Volkswagen’s turbodiesel engines have long delivered exceptional fuel economy, but their performance can sometimes be lacking, even in the GTI-inspired Golf GTD. That would change if a twin-turbodiesel Golf GTD R is greenlighted by Volkswagen, as Motoring.com.au reports it might be.

The new MQB vehicle architecture means that drivetrains can be more easily swapped between different vehicles, and the Golf could be in line to get the Passat’s BiTurbo 2.0 liter engine. Adding this engine to the smaller and lighter Golf could make for a very potent R version, but with a more efficient and torquey diesel engine rather than the conventional gas motor. And while the 236 horsepower of the 2.0 liter engine falls short of the gas-powered Golf R’s 290 horsepower, the 368 lb-ft of torque from the diesel mill more than makes up for it. The Golf GTI makes 258 lb-ft of torque, and the R version makes just 280, while the electric e-Golf comes in at a decent 199 lb-ft of pulling power.

It would also make it the most powerful diesel engine ever installed by Volkswagen into a production Golf, and in the much larger Passat the BiTurbo 2.0 returned fuel economy of 5.3 liters/100 km, or about 44 MPG. There are complications though, specifically to do with the weight of the diesel engine; stuffed under the hood of the lighter and smaller Golf will mean sacrificing handling, especially if it lacks the Passat’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system.

The question of if we’re ever going to get a performance-minded Golf GTD R remains open-ended, but the idea of a 40+ MPG hot hatchback with almost as much torque as a Chevy Camaro has tremendous potential. The issue will be overcoming the heavy front end, as the GTI has always been known as a quick and nimble competitor, and even with all that stump-pulling power, this idea might be better in theory than in practice.

Of course the only way to find out is to build one, and I’d be happy to volunteer my services as a test driver to Volkswagen.

Source: Gas 2.

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 first drive review

What is it?

The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. It’s an iconic badge in the American muscle car world, tracing its roots back to late 1966. Chevrolet needed a homologation special to battle the Ford Mustang on the race tracks of North America. Behind the wheel of Camaro Z/28, the great Mark Donahue helped Chevrolet win the SCCA Trans-Am championship in 1968 and 1969. He stood on the top step of the podium ten times in 1968. 

The Z/28 carried on in various forms until 2002, when the Camaro was shelved. Then, in 2009, Chevy revived the legendary Camaro. Five years later, the Z/28 finally returns to North American roads. 

As was the focus at inception, the latest Z/28 is very much a track oriented car. Think along the same lines as Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS. Chevrolet pulled the standard air conditioning system, removing 13kg. Thinner rear glass saves 400g. The 19-inch wheel and tyre package is 22kg lighter, despite massive 305mm Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R track tyres fitted at all four corners.

The giant carbon ceramic brakes save nearly 10kg and are shared with the upcoming C7 Corvette Z06. A glorious (and thirsty) 7.0-litre V8 engine from the C6 Corvette Z06 is found under the bonnet. The LS7 engine features a dry-sump oil system and puts out 505bhp. Helping put the power down is a Torsen limited-slip differential. 

Elsewhere Chevrolet’s engineers have added extras, including a 'Fly Car Mode', which came about as the car kept getting airborne airborne at the Nürburgring, and was programmed using data from the ride-height sensors. As a result, engine power isn’t trimmed when the Z/28 leaves the ground.

What is it like?

A seriously quick car, and on the circuit all those modifications and tweaks come together. The big Z/28 coupé kept pace with a well-drivenPorsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 around Grattan Raceway, a challenging 2.0-mile track in western Michigan. The naturally aspirated V8 engine sounds amazing and has excellent torque, yet still screams to the 7000rpm redline like an engine half its size. Specal trick Multimatic dampers are very impressive at controlling the Z/28’s ride, but there is only so much you can do to hide 1732kg. 

And therein lies the fundamental flaw in the Z/28; it’s just too damn heavy. In low-speed corners and quick transitions, the Z/28 isn’t remotely slow but the bulk can be frustrating. The precise but rather lifeless steering, heavy transmission, less-than-brilliant brake feel, and poor pedal placement only add to this. It’s a very fast car around a circuit and it does exactly what Chevy designed to do, but it’s a bit of a bull in a china shop. It ultimately lacks the precision and tactile feel of lighter track-focused cars. 

The Z/28 reminds us that GM’s Zeta platform is starting to show its age. Sure, the updated Zeta underpinnings in the Vauxhall VXR8 saloon are impressive on the road but it’s not a proper track car.

Should I buy one?

Despite the negatives, the Z/28 carries a welcomed and honest muscle car feel. Plus, it still offers the increasingly endangered manual gearbox. But so does the 25 per cent cheaper, 15 per cent more powerful and far more street-friendly supercharged Camaro ZL1. Sure, the Z/28 is faster at the track but it’s tough to pay Porsche Cayman GTS money for the second-best Camaro in Chevy’s lineup, even with the rich history of the badge.

Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

Price $75,000 (£44,770) 0-62mph 4.2 sec (est) Top speed 175 mph (est)Economy N/A CO2 N/A Kerbweight 1732kg Engine V8, 7008cc, petrolInstallation front, longitudinal, RWD Power 505bhp at 6100rpm Torque481lb ft at 4800rpm Gearbox 6-speed manual

Source: Autocar

EcoCAR 3 competition to use Chevy Camaro as base vehicle

General Motors is continuing its partnership with the US Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory for the EcoCAR 3 collegiate advanced vehicle technology competition. and will donate a Chevrolet Camaro to each one of the 16 universities that were recently selected for the exclusive competition.

For EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future, GM donated Chevrolet Malibus; for EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, GM donated Saturn Vues; and for Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, the company donated Chevrolet Equinoxes.

EcoCAR 3 challenges university students across North America to design, build and optimize eco-friendly powertrains over the course of the next four years. Students must also consider cost and explore innovation, while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety and consumer appeal. Schools selected for EcoCAR 3 are:

Arizona State University California State University, Los Angeles Colorado State University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Georgia Institute of Technology McMaster University Mississippi State University Ohio State University

Pennsylvania State University University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Alabama University of Washington University of Waterloo Virginia Tech Wayne State University West Virginia University

To support the goals, students will explore a variety of advanced propulsion systems, lightweight materials, improve aerodynamics, and utilize alternative fuels.

GM will also supply each team with seed money in the amount of $20,000 plus an additional $10,000 in program-initiation funding for teams who were not previously included in the EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future or EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge series in an effort to diminish any disadvantage for new teams.

Teams will follow a real-world Vehicle Development Process (VDP) to design and integrate their advanced technology solutions into GM-donated Camaro, gaining hands-on experience with industry-leading engineering tools and the latest vehicle components and technologies.