With a short but sweet press release and a new hashtag, #CAMAROSIX, Chevrolet has officially announced the debut of the 2016 Camaro. This is their most hotly anticipated unveil since the Stingray and it's also one that may give Ford the cold sweats.
Getting to the whens and wheres of this debut, the 2016 'Maro will be shown on Saturday, May 16, in Detroit. It will be the feather in the hat of a day-long celebration on Belle Isle, the 982-acre island park that is home to the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.
From the suspension used to the platform and engines, everything indicates the 2016 Camaro could be the pony car of the decade, a huge thorn in the side of Ford's new Mustang. For instance, the platform will likely be a Cadillac ATS-derived GM Alpha and as we all know, the aluminum in car makes it a class featherweight.
Another thing that gets us all hot and bothered is a rumor that the 2016 Camaro SS will pack a new V8 with 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm). Couple that to an 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmission and you have the type of pony that you just don't want to stop riding.
As for the design, we already have a pretty good image of what to expect. GM started the teasing process early this year, so we already have a decent idea of what to expect. And if you're a fan of the Transformers movies, the last version of the Bumblebee Camaro should also give you a decent idea. Our insider sources tell us that the first pre-production models have already been built and it's only a matter of time before somebody spots one around Lansing.
It's the final year for the 2015 model, but for now it's still in production. With rumors of the 6th generation spreading like wildfire, your local dealers are probably going to be overzealous to sell you one. There's plenty to chose from, including your 323-hp base model, the 426-hp of the standard V8 and the mighty ZL1 supercharged beast or the Z/28 track tool.
Some dealers in Europe have already told customers that their stocks of old Camaros are empty. For them, Chevy is working on very promising rival to the Mustang EcoBoost. A 2-liter turbo with around 280-hp, maybe more, will be offered. That might not sound like enough, but considering the coupe will be much lighter and stiffer, it should be good.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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