GM Unveils Lighter, Faster Camaro

General Motors Co.'s sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro, which goes on sale this fall, is leaner and faster than the outgoing model. The company unveiled the new pony car at a special event on Detroit's Belle Isle on Saturday.

Riding on the same platform as the Cadillac ATS and CTS sedans, the 2016 Camaro coupe gets softer edges but retains the overall shape of the classic 1960s-era Camaros. A convertible version is planned.

The all-new Camaro is slightly smaller and 200 lbs lighter than its predecessor, including a 133-lb cut for the body-in-white. Aluminum front suspension and steel rear links with lightening holes enable a 26-lb reduction, while an aluminum instrument panel frame saves 9 lbs.

GM says only two parts carry over from the fifth-generation Camaro the rear bowtie emblem and SS model's badging and 70% of the architectural components are unique to the Camaro. The new MacPherson strut front suspension with a Camaro-specific double-pivot design allows for greater precision from the electric power steering.

The 2016 model will offer six all-new powertrain combinations. They include a turbocharged, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, an all-new 3.6-liter V-6 and the LT1 6.2-liter V-8. Each engine is available with a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission.

The base four-banger, boosted by the pony car's first turbocharger system, delivers 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Chevy says the engine's 30 mpg highway rating make it the most fuel efficient Camaro.

The Camaro's all-new V-6 engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated mill in its segment, generating 335 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque. It features direct injection, variable-valve timing and cylinder deactivation that turns off two cylinders when not needed.

The V-8, which is borrowed from the Corvette Stingray, kicks out 455 hp and a like amount of torque, up from 426 hp and 420 lb-ft for the current Camaro's 6.2-liter V-8. About 20% of the engine's components are specific for the Camaro's architecture, including new tubular exhaust manifolds.

The V-6 and V-8 feature mechanical sound enhancer resonators that direct induction noise from the engine bay into the cabin. Both are available with a dual-mode exhaust with customizable exhaust sounds.

Other technologies featured on the new Camaro include:

• Brembo brakes
• A drive-mode selector that calibrates transmission shifts, electric power steering and other performance setting
• GM's fast-responding Magnetic Ride Control damping system
• "Spectrum lighting" feature that illuminates the dash, door panels and center console in 24 ambient effects