The new Camaro convertible is expected to be debuted this week by Chevrolet, but several photos of the 2016 ragtop were leaked.
Spoiler Alert: Pics of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible have leaked out ahead of the ragtop’s official debut on Wednesday. Of course, if you want to know more, read on.
Actually, beyond these three shots found by forum website Camaro6.com, we’re still going to have to wait for more details on such things as the design of the next-generation convertible’s canvas top. But this is a good head start.
Chevy pulled the wraps off the coupe version of the 2016 Camaro in mid-May during a two-day affair on Detroit’s Belle Isle. And we can expect that many of the basics will carry over the convertible version, including the initial choice of powertrains.
Adding the convertible to the line-up will be critical in Chevy’s battle with archrival Ford. After years as the pony car segment’s also-ran – which actually drove the Camaro from the market for the better part of a decade – Chevrolet has made a remarkable comeback. The Camaro has outsold the Ford Mustang for five consecutive years, though it has slipped to second place in recent months as Ford gains traction with the all-new Mustang launched for 2015.
The new Camaro convertible gives Chevy a full line-up of pony cars to compete with the new Mustang.
Both the Chevrolet Camaro Coupe and Convertible models will get new exterior details designed to give them a more modern, global appearance while still holding onto some of the nameplate’s classic cues.
The goal, global product czar Mark Reuss said last month, was “making it look like a car for tomorrow, rather than a car for yesterday.”
The visual redesign is only a part of the dramatic changes the 2016 Camaro has undergone. The new model now shares the same basic platform as the well-reviewed Cadillac ATS sedan and coupe models. At 188.3 inches, it is about two inches shorter than the old Camaro, its 110.7-inch wheelbase shrinking by 1.6 inches.
That said, the coupe version sheds about 200 pounds of weight for comparable models, in part, due to increase use of aluminum for such parts as the hood and windshield frame. Expect the convertible to get lighter, as well.
What’s uncertain is how the new top will operate. Ford improved the design on the new Mustang, shifting to a single-latch release from the awkward double-latch design of the outgoing pony car. Still, it is far from the one-touch system found on many of today’s most sophisticated convertibles. Whether Chevy will go for something even easier to operate remains to be seen at the formal unveiling later this week.
Though lighter and smaller on the outside, the interior of the 2015 Camaro Coupe is roomier, Chevrolet officials noted last month. And from these images, we expect to see some well-appreciated improvements on the convertible, as well.
The cabin also is more modern. One of the features that generated oohs-and-aahs from Camaro fans attending the Detroit debut was a new, customizable lighting system for the interior. It even features an optimized “show mode” for use at car club gatherings.
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is looking to regain the sales lead from Mustang in the pony car segment.
That’s just one of the ways that the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is more technologically sophisticated. Among the other new features there’s a first-ever turbocharged engine. And the magnetic ride control suspension will now be available on a wider range of Camaro variants. And even more high-tech features and variants are set to follow, senior General Motors officials confided.
(Chevy readying to offer Cruze hatchback in U.S. For more, Click Here.)
Chevy plans to offer a wider range of variants of the Camaro for 2016. That will include three engines, including the new 2.0-liter Turbo making 275 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. According to Reuss, it will get 30 mpg on the highway yet still launch from zero to 60 in less than 60 seconds.
Ford, notably, added a turbo EcoBoost version of its Mustang last year. It is expected to be the dominant version for overseas sales – and the addition of the turbo Camaro suggests Chevy may try to boost its overseas presence, as well.
The old base V-6 Camaro has been replaced with a new 3.6-liter six-banger turning out 335 hp.
(Click Here for details GM investing $175 million into Camaro plant.)
At the top of the food chain is a 6.2-liter LS1 V-8 making 455 horsepower and 455 lb-ft. That notably matches the numbers of the Chevy halo car, the Corvette Stingray. While the maker hasn’t released performance numbers, expect the Camaro to be a bit slower due to its added mass.
The 2016 Camaro will allow a driver to adjust up to eight key vehicle settings – such as suspension stiffness and throttle and transmission response – with the turn of a knob.
The 2016 Camaro also will offer the sort of electronically controlled exhaust system we’ve seen on a number of high-performance European models, such as the Jaguar F-Type. Depending upon how you have things set, electronically regulated valve will let exhaust gases bypass the muffler. The result: less back pressure, better performance – and one very loud exhaust note.
(To see more of TDB’s first impressions of the new 2016 Chevy Camaro, Click Here.)
Which should sound great with the top of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible rolled back.