Chevrolet has published the performance figures for its next-generation Camaro coupe muscle car, which is now lighter and more powerful than before.
The most powerful engine in the 2016 Camaro line-up is the 6.2-litre V8 petrol unit for the SS model which boats 449bhp (working out to around 455hp). That’s just over 30bhp more than offered from the V8 version of the arch-rivalling new Ford Mustang.
This potent V8 for the new Camaro gives it a 0-60mph sprint time of just four seconds when its V8 is linked with the all-new eight-speed automatic gearbox. The time changes to a still-impressive 4.3 seconds when using the six-speed manual ‘box.
With either gearbox, the new V8 Camaro has the edge over the Mustang V8 when it comes to the 0-60mph sprint.
The other engines available for the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro include a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 271bhp (working out to 275hp) and a 3.6-litre V6 with 330bhp (or 335hp).
The 2.0-litre turbo returns a 0-60mph sprint time of 5.4 seconds when using the six-speed manual gearbox. The V6 Camaro, meanwhile, does the same sprint in 5.1 seconds when utilising the eight-speed auto ‘box.
As well as being more powerful than its predecessor, the new Chevrolet Camaro SS is also 101kg (223 pounds) lighter than before. Non-SS versions of the Camaro shed even more weight, losing about 177kg (390 pounds) in weight.
Now lighter than the Mustang, Chevrolet achieved the Camaro’s weight loss with changes such as shaving down the suspension bolts.
Chevrolet also reveals the V8-run Camaro SS has a 60-0mph braking distance of just 117 feet and pulls nearly one whole g in g-force through the turns (0.97g to be exact). The chassis stiffness of the 2016 Camaro is also said to be up by 28 per cent over its predecessor. These figures indicate that this muscle car will be much sharper through the twists and turns on the roads than ever before.
Chevrolet is pulling its current cars from European markets including Britain at the end of 2015, but the Camaro and similarly-iconic Corvette are exception that will both remain available.
An exact release date and price for the Camaro in Britain has yet to be announced, but pricing for the SS V8 model could start at around £35,000. The muscle car will reportedly launch over in America towards the end of this year.