2016 Camaro

 Ah, Santa Monica, with your sunshine and palm trees— what better place for a ride in a shiny new 2016 Camaro. One thing is clear on initial inspection: the new car doesn’t particularly seem smaller than the last, but it’s five centimetres shorter and 91 kilograms lighter, depending on model and options. And while it’s certainly identifiable as “the new Camaro” one of the most significant changes arrives under the hood of the base car, with Camaro’s first-ever turbo, a force-fed 2.0L that makes 275 hp and 400 Nm, while sprinting to 100kph from dead stop in “well under 6 seconds,” as per Chevrolet.

Over the next few days, driving from the tangle of LA, to the desert of Nevada, the car is like a new friend. Under the hood is GM’s 3.6L V-6, GM’s first go at cylinder deactivation in a six pot. This modern, technology enhanced engine is SAE-certified for 335 hp and 385 Nm, giving Chevy claim to “the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated V-6 in the segment.” Obviously Mustang is a notable rival, with Challenger marching to a slightly different drummer, so it’s worth mentioning that Ford positions their four-cylinder Ecoboost turbo engine as their mid-level variant, while Camaro follows the more traditional path: the engines get bigger as the price goes up. The 2016 Camaro SS is the most muscled of these cars, commanding a new 6.2L LT1 direct-injected Small Block V-8 for 455 hp and 617 Nm.