RE: European Camaro debut at Goodwood

RE: European Camaro debut at Goodwood

Friday 26th June 2015

European Camaro debut at Goodwood

Chevrolet reveals sixth-gen Camaro, but there's no RHD Mustang rival coming



Chevrolet went all modern with the European Camaro reveal, live streaming it via Periscope. Very swish. It's in fact the first time the car has been out of American in fact, reflecting the importance of both the Festival and the car itself.

Looks good - now if you could just switch it...
Looks good - now if you could just switch it...
It's worth stating from the off then that right-hand drive won't be offered in Europe, but left-hand drive cars will come here. Disappointing for two reasons, the most obvious being that Ford could make the case for a right-hand drive Mustang. There's also the fact the Camaro looks fantastic, at least viewed in portrait through someone's smartphone.

The surfaces are a lot crisper than the fifth-gen car and the whole car less flabby while retaining the visual aggression and Coke bottle silhouette the Camaro is famous for. Chevy claims to have reduced the Camaro kerbweight by 100-200lbs (90-136kg) as well while increasing torsional rigidity.

The fifth-gen car was apparently American's best-selling performance car for five years in a row so this car has a lot to live up to. There are big changes under the bonnet, with the first turbocharged Camaro - a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 275hp and 295lb ft - being introduced and the Corvette's LT1 V8 topping things off. That's 460hp and 455lb ft, with a six-speed manual and eight-speed auto available.

Smaller, lighter V8 muscle? Yes really!
Smaller, lighter V8 muscle? Yes really!
Both the coupe and cabrio will be offered in Europe, the latter first shown on Wednesday. You can raise or lower the roof at up to 30mph, it promises to be very refined and so on...

But to the V8 coupe. As is the modern Chevrolet method, there's a lot of configurability in a Camaro. Like 24 different ambient lighting effects. The Drive Mode Selector tailors "up to eight vehicle attributes" (throttle response, engine sound, steering weight, damping force, the usual) across Snow/Ice, Tour, Sport and Track settings. It's apparently already lapping Chevy's test tracks faster than the 1LE Handling Pack version of the old car.

There are new displays and materials inside too which look very interesting and, well, just different to the Germans. Let's hope we see a few over here at some point; the Camaro will be on sale from the first quarter of next year. Story to be updated with Goodwood pics as soon as they're available!



Author
Discussion

MissChief

Original Poster:

7,095 posts

167 months

Saturday 27th June 2015
quotequote all
Such a shame they couldn't justify a RHD version. The choice between this and the Mustang would have been a very difficult one if they did!

Quickmoose

4,482 posts

122 months

Monday 29th June 2015
quotequote all
Is that a Gran Turismo screenshot?

R8VXF

6,788 posts

114 months

Monday 29th June 2015
quotequote all
MissChief said:
Such a shame they couldn't justify a RHD version. The choice between this and the Mustang would have been a very difficult one if they did!
Having only recently been introduced to the wonderful world of the small block Chevy, I would take the Camaro. Though would prefer the LT4 rather than the LT1.

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
R8VXF said:
Having only recently been introduced to the wonderful world of the small block Chevy...
The engineers over there might say, "Hey, where you been?" ...having produced the 100-millionth small-block V8.

This linked article is from 2011. Includes some interesting comparison figures. Note that MPG is given in US units (so multiply by 1.20 for UK gallon / UK MPG).

R8VXF

6,788 posts

114 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
unsprung said:
R8VXF said:
Having only recently been introduced to the wonderful world of the small block Chevy...
The engineers over there might say, "Hey, where you been?" ...having produced the 100-millionth small-block V8.

This linked article is from 2011. Includes some interesting comparison figures. Note that MPG is given in US units (so multiply by 1.20 for UK gallon / UK MPG).
Haha, I knew about them in a general way, but now I own one, the modding capabilities and simplicity are an eye opener to me. Looking at getting myself EFILive and starting small and learning on the way smile

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
R8VXF said:
Haha, I knew about them in a general way, but now I own one, the modding capabilities and simplicity are an eye opener to me. Looking at getting myself EFILive and starting small and learning on the way smile
Yeah, I noticed your VXR8 there. Bet it's fun.

As you noted, the possibilities for modding the LS V8 are essentially endless. One can be conservative or outrageous. Bolt-on or internals. And all of this is very affordable. And even DIY.

The LS V8 is likely to require no maintenance apart from fluids for the life of the car. Versus OHC: Less weight, less complexity, less stress. And vast amounts of torque at low RPMs.

On one of the large Corvette forums, there are C6 Corvettes with over 200,000 miles.


R8VXF

6,788 posts

114 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
It is immense fun biggrin Would love to have a C7 Stingray or a Camaro coupe on the drive next to it biggrin Maybe in a few years...

rodericb

6,657 posts

125 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
"Chevrolet went all modern with the European Camaro reveal, live streaming it via Periscope. Very swish. It's in fact the first time the car has been out of American in fact, reflecting the importance of both the Festival and the car itself."

U wot m8? I think it's a reflection of how much a wk the whole thing has become. It's the same with Pebble Beach - what were festivals for old cars have started becoming wk fests for manufacturers. And to flog their junk in a right hand drive country when for some unknown reason (and most probably a petty reason like it would make every Camaro cost an extra twenty bucks) they only produce it in left hand drive? That's just sheer arrogance.

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
rodericb said:
"Chevrolet went all modern with the European Camaro reveal, live streaming it via Periscope. Very swish. It's in fact the first time the car has been out of American in fact, reflecting the importance of both the Festival and the car itself."

U wot m8? I think it's a reflection of how much a wk the whole thing has become. It's the same with Pebble Beach - what were festivals for old cars have started becoming wk fests for manufacturers. And to flog their junk in a right hand drive country when for some unknown reason (and most probably a petty reason like it would make every Camaro cost an extra twenty bucks) they only produce it in left hand drive? That's just sheer arrogance.
The maths aren't there. The UK pays more for its cars and pays more to operate these cars, whilst fielding less disposable income. And the UK is a best-case scenario compared to most of the EU.

Indeed, no manufacturer offers the UK a feature-rich V8 performance car at populist prices and considerable volume.

Ford will expend disproportionate resources bringing Mustang to RHD markets, and mostly for reasons of brand -- and not business line.

Conversely, Chevrolet have no brand in Europe to bolster. And Mustang will leave them nary a crumb.