Our spy photographers have captured more images of the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro being tested in America. Seen here are both the top-spec (for now, before more potent models come in) SS with a 6.2 litre LT1 V8 – you can hear the new rumbly exhaust note in the video below! – as well as a rumoured four-cylinder turbocharged base model that will rival the 2.3 litre EcoBoost-powered Ford Mustang.
With the Camaro's May 16 reveal only days away, Chevrolet has also released initial details for the sixth-generation model. The car will have a new drive selector that allows the driver to select three different powertrain and chassis calibrations, which are Snow/Ice, Tour and Sport; the SS variant will get an extra Track mode option.
Chevrolet has also revealed that, for the first time, the new pony car will be offered with its Magnetic Ride Control, which was only offered before on the more hardcore previous-gen Camaro ZL1. The active damping system – which reads the road and driver input 1,000 times a second and adjusts the dampers to suit – will have three ride and handling presets: Tour, Sport and Track.
Other new features include a new dual-mode exhaust system with electronically-controlled valves that will give "personalisation" options, from a 'stealth' mode to a more aggressive 'track' mode.
The 2016 Camaro switches from the old Holden-developed Zeta platform of the outgoing car to the newer Alpha platform that also underpins the Cadillac ATS and CTS. More than 70% of the components are unique to the Camaro, however, including the front and rear suspension as well as powertrain components.
Lightness has been a key focus for the new model, as the company looks to trim the fat off the rather heavy current car. Dozens of small measures – including aluminium instrument panel support beam (4.4 kg saving) and suspension assemblies, as well as structurally-optimised rigid composite suspension links – are combined with the new, lighter architecture to drop around 90 kg over the fifth-gen Camaro.
The new body structure is also 28% stiffer than before – this allowed the engineers to more precisely calibrate the steering and suspension systems without having to compensate for chassis flex. The lighter body also enabled the size and weight of certain components such as wheels, tyres and brakes to be scaled accordingly, further reducing unsprung weight.
No comments:
Post a Comment