Fins, Fleets, and Everything in Between: A Visual History of the Chevrolet Impala

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Autoweek in review: Everything you missed May 11-15

Top car news and reviews from the past week

Autoweek in review is where we bring you the biggest stories in the car world that you might have missed this week. Whether you were actually getting some work done or you stepped away from your computer for a moment, here's your chance to catch up and have something cool to talk about over the weekend.

Car Reviews Wait for the manual? 2015 Volkswagen Golf R review notes

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Events Bring the Most Apocalyptic Vehicle to the Denver premiere of 'Fury Road,' win a fabulous prize!

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Car News The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage brings a touch of 1972 to Villa d’Este

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Car Life 'The Soup' host Joel McHale shows us how to start a Hollywood car collection

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Car News Bare-bodied Ford GT supercar prototype looks great on the street

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Car Life 'Mad Max: Fury Road' movie review: So many cars, so little plot

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2016 Chevrolet Camaro: Everything we know so far

2016 Chevrolet Camaro: Everything we know so farLighter, Stiffer, Faster, MeanerBrandon Turkus

Chevrolet has made a grand production of teasing the all-new, sixth-generation Camaro. That slow trickle will become a deluge this weekend, when the 2016 model hits the stage on Detroit's Belle Isle as part of an all-day Camaro-palooza.

Considering you're likely to hear plenty about the next-gen muscle car in the next couple days, we figured now is the perfect time to sort out all the facts and rumors we've heard about the next-generation coupe that's coming this weekend. Here's everything we know about Camaro Six.



What Will It Look Like?

Arguably the easiest Camaro question to answer after all the teasers and spy shots, General Motors' design team favored evolving the current car's retro design language while retaining the same basic shape. The long hood will carry on, joined by an even shorter, wing-topped rear deck, giving the 2016 an almost fastback-like look. The greenhouse is still slim, but lateral visibility may improve slightly owing to the larger quarter windows. We can only hope.

The rear end looks to have been rounded, while Chevy's own teaser shows off larger, more prominent taillight housings than the simple rectangular lights on today's car. Expect quad-tipped exhausts to be offered on at least one version of the Camaro.

Judging by the single teaser of the car's profile, the rear haunches will be larger and more chiseled. The muscular aluminum hood and its accompanying power bulge are more heavily styled than on today's car, although it looks largely similar in terms of size. It sits atop an even slimmer upper grille that's barely big enough for Chevy's Bowtie logo, with most of the visual mass moving to the gaping lower grille.

One of the more tantalizing rumors surrounding the new Camaro focuses on its roof. As evidenced in a rather bizarre round of spy photos, it almost looks like Chevy is considering a removable panel, à la Corvette Stingray. T-tops are also a distinct (and more probable, we hope) possibility.

The new shape will result in a more aerodynamic car, and Chevy claims the 2016 Camaro spent 350 hours in the wind tunnel. Overall lift has apparently been cut by 30 percent, thanks partially to a new, smooth underbody panel.

Chevrolet has been far less forthcoming with information on the new Camaro's cabin. As one of the current car's weak spots, it's reasonable to assume that the automaker's interior design team has given the area a lot of attention, especially considering the comprehensive interior rework Ford gave the 2015 Mustang. We're hoping for less plastic, and where plastic is unavoidable, higher-quality, soft-touch elements.



Under The Skin

All that pretty, new sheetmetal hides a version of General Motors Alpha platform, shared with the Cadillac ATS. But the platform has been heavily reworked, and Chevy claims that over 70 percent of the architectural components are specific to the Camaro. While the move to Alpha architecture may be cause for concern among those that think this is just a less refined Cadillac, the new platform actually does a lot for the Camaro, contributing to a 200-pound weight reduction and increasing stiffness by 28 percent over the current vehicle.

That weight savings is arguably one of the most important things about the 2016 Camaro, as it brings it closer to parity with the current Ford Mustang. To complement the weight savings from the new platform, Chevy replaced the old front and rear suspension components with aluminum parts that are 21-percent lighter. GM even hinted at a "rigid composite material that's even lighter than aluminum" in the new muscle car, although it stopped short of saying "carbon fiber."



Performance

We don't have a lot to go on here. We know there'll be a 6.2-liter V8 and that 20 percent of its parts are "different than other applications." It's unclear what that means – Chevy offers a 6.2 with anywhere from 415 horsepower in the SS sedan to 426 hp in the current Camaro SS to 460 hp in the Corvette Stingray. We doubt it'd fall below the current model's output, and it'd be downright shocking if the next-gen Camaro SS outshines the Stingray.

A new dual-mode exhaust system will be offered, though a report from Camaro6 didn't indicate whether it'd be available on the SS or across the range. It'll feature new electronic bypass valves that will let drivers access a quieter "stealth" mode or a noisy track setting. So even if there isn't more power for 2016, you'll likely get a more entertaining soundtrack.

Goodyear Eagle F1 tires will certainly aid the Camaro's handlings. Chevy's teaser image didn't show anything that to confirm wheel and tire combinations, so expect the usual fitment of 17-, 18-, 19-, and 20-inch rolling stock. Brembo brakes will be offered for 2016, just like they are on the current car.

Camaro6 reports that the Camaro SS will get GM's excellent Magnetic Ride Control system. The adaptive damping system will offer three different settings which can be adjusted independently of the new drive mode selector. DMS will be available across the Camaro range, and will allow drivers to cater certain vehicle systems to the situations. There will be a mode for snow and ice, as well as Tour and Sport. SS owners will get access to an additional Track mode, that promises quicker responses to throttle and steering inputs, among other tweaks.

Of course, the most notable piece of 2016 Camaro performance news doesn't actually relate to the car. It comes from GM Executive Vice President of Global Product Development Mark Reuss, who's gone on record as saying that he's "very confident" that the 2016 Camaro will be faster, more agile, and more fuel efficient than the Mustang. Them's fighting words.



May 16 On Belle Isle

So there we have it, more or less everything we know about the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. Of course, you'll need to check back here on Saturday for the full breakdown and live photos, following the car's debut on Detroit's Belle Isle.

What are you hoping to see come Saturday? Sound off with your hopes and expectations, in Comments.


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Autoweek in review: Everything you missed May 4-8

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