After multiple spy photo galleries of test mules and pre-production prototypes, joined by a plethora of renderings and 3D animations, the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is purportedly getting ready to make its official debut at the New York Auto Show in April. It may be the last of the three ponies to get updated, but the new ‘Maro shapes up to be very promising.
As any enthusiast of the GM nameplate knows by now, the LS3 V8 will make place for the LT1 V8 of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette, with an output from 440 to 460 horsepower. Joined by a reworked 3.6 V6, the engine lineup will also feature a 2.0 turbo four-banger, which is expected to be lotted below the uprated 3.6-liter six-cylinder powerplant.
Rear-wheel drive as ever and underpinned by the Cadillac ATS’ GM Alpha platform, the 2016 ‘Maro will surely adopt the 8L90 8-speed automatic that debuted on the C7 ‘Vette and is now used even by the twin-turbo V6-powered 2016 Cadillac ATS-V. In terms of styling, it’s no secret that Bumblebee from Transformers 4 was the core inspiration for the all-new Camaro, so let’s move on to another aspect.
GM’s executive VP of global product development Mark Reuss previously stated that “the SS version, with a great powertrain -- which you can imagine what that might be... is not going to be heavier [compared to the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS]. There is some physics here.” In 1SS format, the 2015 model year Chevrolet Camaro coupe weighs 3,908 pounds, which translates to 1,772 kilograms.
We happen to know the platform-sharing Cadillac ATS-V has a base curb weight of “approximately 3,700 lbs” (1,678 kg), so go figure how much the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro will tip scales with, but do not forget to vector in the weight difference added by the LT1 small-block V8 over the 455 horsepower and 445 lb-ft (603 Nm) twin-turbocharged 3.6L V6. Most evidence and speculation leads us to believe that the 2016 Camaro will be lighter or similarly fat at most with comparable 2015 model year variants.
Nevertheless, RobC from CamaroNews had a lot of time and tact into guesstimating how much the all-new Chevy Camaro will weight in SS format - 3,695 lbs (1,676 Kilograms). It’s extremely hard to follow how RobC got to that base curb weight estimate, a formula which you can examine after you click the “Show Press Release” button below.
Naturally, I’ve treated it with skepticism at first, but then I started calculating and thinking it through thoroughly, after which I reached the conclusion that RobC’s formula is the best 2016 Camaro weight estimate up to now.
What’s your opinion on this? Do 3,695 lbs (1,676 kg) seem doable for the coupe 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS with the 6.2-liter LT1 V8 and the Tremec TR6070 seven-speed manual gearbox? Don’t forget that the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro 1SS, 6.2L small-block LS3 V8 and six-speed manual, weighs 3,908 lbs (1,772 kg), thus translating to a 2015 vs 2016 difference of 213 pounds (96 kilograms).
To put that figure into perspective, remember that the 2015 Ford Mustang GT fastback manual weighs 3,705 lbs (1,680 kilos), equating to 10 lbs (4.53 kg) difference between the GM and Blue Oval’s ponies.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News