Chevrolet Camaro 2LS Will Do 30 MPG Highway

Chevrolet’s Camaro sports-coupe is doing well in the sales war against is main rival. It even managed to beat the Mustang in sales last year, for the first time since 1985. But the blue oval is still snapping at Chevrolet’s heals, as the current Mustang is good for 31 miles per gallon while the Camaro’s best effort falls short at only 28 miles per gallon.

Despite the fact that many believe that fuel economy will always come second to performance when it comes to these cars, that hasn’t stopped Chevrolet engineers from trying to improve on their design.

According to a recent GM Authority article, the company is looking to reduce the gap between the mpg of the two cars by launching the new Camaro 2LS this spring, a package that brings with it an estimated 30 miles per gallon on the highway. That is still 1 mpg short but it represents a respectable figure nevertheless.

The version will only be available with an automatic transmission, which is probably partly responsible for the improvements in fuel efficiency. The trim level will only be available with cloth seats and the same 312 horsepower 3.6-liter LLT V6 engine, which remains unchanged. Given the fact that the engine retains all its power and performance, the last few gears in the auto-box have probably become taller than those found in the rest of the lineup, thus providing better highway mpg figures.

GM Authority says production will begin next month, with the model arriving at dealerships in spring 2011, most likely in April.