2016 Chevy Camaro Fun Facts

Three Fun Facts Concerning the 2016 Camaro

Chevrolet halted production on the legendary Camaro in 2002, citing decreasing sales, a general lack of interest in sports coupes, and heavy competition from the rival Ford Mustang.

Following concept cars in 2006 and 2007, the fifth-generation Camaro returned with a bang in 2010. Over the past five years, the vehicle has steadily climbed the list of best-selling sports cars, culminating in it being named the best-selling 2015 entry sport car by Edmunds.com.

With the Chevy Camaro set to celebrate its 50th birthday in 2016, what better way for the company to honor the nameplate than by releasing it’s most sophisticated and capable pony car in the brand’s history.

The new car will feature all of your favorite qualities from the previous Camaros while also taking into account the attributes that led to success for the Cadillac CTS, Mustang and Dodge Challenger.

Order books opened this past August, with production beginning soon after. As we await the release of the 2016 Camaro and you anticipate a future trip to a Chevrolet dealership, let’s take a look at some fun facts concerning the car…

Production Will Return to the United States

Following the announcement of the fifth-generation Camaro in 2006, the car was produced at the Oshawa Car Assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

However, as General Managers revealed in 2012, production on the 2016 Camaro would be returning to the United States for the first time since the early 1990s. The Canadian Auto Workers weren’t thrilled with the move, as the union referred to the move as a “betrayal.” Meanwhile, GM claimed the relocation would result in “lower capital investment and improved production efficiencies.”

“It’s a betrayal to our CAW membership and it’s a betrayal to Canada relative to Canadian jobs in a very important industry in the province of Ontario,” CAW president Ken Lewenza said in 2012 (via CTVNews.ca).

The 2016 vehicle will be manufactured at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan, and the Camaro’s production will be consolidated with the production of the Cadillac CTS and ATS (considering all the vehicles are rear-wheel drive vehicles). This decision will create more than 500 jobs in Michigan, and the company will first look to rehire the 450 hourly employees who were laid off from the plant earlier this year.

“We build the best cars in the world right here in Lansing, and we’re delighted to welcome the 2016 Chevy Camaro to the Lansing-made family of great automobiles,” said Lansing mayor Virg Bernero.

The Interior Has Been Revamped

You’ve seen it before: a nameplate’s new model features barely any changes fromit’s predecessor (besides the model year, of course). You won’t hear those kind of qualms with the 2016 Camaro, as the vehicle’s interior has been redesigned entirely.

The 5th-generation Camaro had previously received criticism for the plastic cabin, lack of headroom, and an unreliable and glitchy MyLink infotainment system.

That’s apparently changed for 2016, as Alexander Kalogianni of DigitalTrends.com describes the inside of the new car as being much more “ergonomic and driver oriented,” resulting in a significantly more sophisticated design.

The dashboard is better organized than the 2015 model, as the sole feature is the eight-inch, Chevrolet Mylink infotainment system.Mylink allows the driver to access many of their phone’s features, including phone calls, apps and texts. At the same time, they can listen to the hundreds of stations on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

That’s not it for the interior changes. There arenew repositioned air conditioning vents with HVAC controls, a flat-bottom steering wheel, kneepads, a wireless phone charging mat that keeps your phone secure… the list goes on and on.

This doesn’t just improve the vehicle’s driving experience; it makes for an entirely more impressive car. If you’re really looking to brag about your new ride, you could show your friends the interior lighting display surrounding the center cluster, featuring more than 24 selectable colors and a full-color light show.

The Exterior and Body Has Changed Too

As the Chevrolet website notes, the only carryover pieces from the fifth-generation Camaro are the Chevy bowtie emblem and the SS badge, meaning the 2016 model may be something we haven’t seen before.

In fact, the chassis may remind you more of the Cadillac CTS or ATS, as Chevrolet based their 2016 model on the Caddy.

The exterior will still have the same recognizable look, but without all the fat. The 2016 model will be two inches shorter, an inch wider, and 200-pounds lighter (resulting in the lightest Camaro yet).

Even with all the changes, the car has reportedly performed well during “extensive” wind tunnel testing. As GM design director Tom Peters explained, this will make for a more “dynamic” driving experience.

The wheel options have also been refined to include lightweight aluminum instead of steel, which reduces unsprung mass and significantly improves handling.

LT models will come with standard 18-inch wheels (20-inch optional) while the SS model comes with standard 20-inch alloy wheels and LED taillights.

The new car is also expected to feature a 3.6-liter, six-cylinder engine, capable of producing 335 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This is a considerable upgrade from last year’s motor, which allowed for 323 hp and 278 lbs-ft of torque.

Buyers could instead opt for the 6.2L V8 engine, which allows for 455 horsepower and 455 lbs-ft of torque. These revamped engines should make the 2016 version the most powerful Camaro ever.

Or, if you prefer a less-powerful Camaro with improved fuel economy, you could opt for the 2.0L turbo engine, which is estimated to return more than 30 highway miles per gallon, while also allowing for 275 hp and 296 lb-ft of torque.

All of the engines are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or an all-new 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.

The car isn’t all about power, as there will be four selectable drive modes that cater to any driving condition: snow/ice, tour,sport and track. This allows for better acceleration, transmission, handle and traction regardless of the weather.

The car should also be fast, and we mean super fast. Chevy has claimed that the SS model has recorded faster lap times than the track-focused 2015 model, and that car has the ability to go from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds. When compared to rival vehicles, the Camaro takes the cake.

We apologize for getting you all giddy, as you’ll have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the new Camaro. In the meantime, visit Dan Cummins dealership for updated info regarding a release date, price, and more!