Chevy Camaro Gets New... Cylinder Heads

With the model currently on the market turning heads and winning more than a few battles with rival Camaro, there's little Chevrolet can do to increase the appeal of the Camaro some more. Even so, a little tweak every once in a while can do wonders for the business.

Since visually changing something in the new Camaro would make little sense, Chevrolet decided to tackle a problem that is on everybody's mind these days: fuel consumption. Or, in the case of the Camaro, fuel consumption versus power.

The solution to the dilemma, says Chevrolet, was as simple as it will be effective: cast both the exhaust manifold and the cylinder head into a single aluminum shape. The result, when applied to the 3.6L direct injection V6: engine weight reduced by 13 lbs. (6 kg) and a new EPA estimated fuel consumption figure of 30 mpg highway.

At the same time, thanks to an improved intake airflow, the power of the unit has been increased by 11 horsepower, while exhaust flow is estimated to be 10 percent better than in the previous V6.

“Reducing engine mass of this magnitude doesn’t happen often,” said Ameer Haider, GM assistant chief engineer for V6 engines.

“Engineering usually looks for reduction in terms of grams not pounds. It’s just like removing a set of golf clubs from your car when you don’t need them – ultimately it saves fuel. When combined with other mass reductions, the customer will see better fuel economy over time with better performance,” added Haider.