2011 Camaro News Flash

The calendars car companies make don't look much like the ones we use to plan our weeks. Typically, the model year ends in late Spring, so even though it's just past tax day for we common folk, Chevrolet is already talking about next year, more exactly, they're talking about the 2011 Camaro which starts production on the fourth of June.

V6 Upgrade

The rear-drive, V6 sports coupe market has become a classic Chevy vs. Ford slugfest. First, the 2010 Camaro debuted with GM's 3.6-liter, "high-feature," four-cam V6 rated at 304-horsepower. Then, Ford came along with its 2011 Mustang and a new V6 with 305-horsepower. With it's 2011 offering, Chevrolet retakes the V6 sporty coupe high ground with 312-hp@6500 rpm. How does Chevrolet get 312-hp from a normally aspirated V6 which, to put things in perspective, is seven horsepower more than the 2000 Camaro's LS1 V8 put out just ten years ago?

“The 304 horsepower in the 2010 Camaro was actually a conservative rating,” Tom Sutter, GM V-6 Chief Engineer told the Camaro Homepage. “We knew the engine produced at least the power we stated, but now we’ve gone the extra step in getting SAE certification for the Camaro application and verified an additional eight horsepower.”

The Society of Automotive Engineers J2723 standard is a voluntary power and torque certification procedure developed by SAE's Engine Test Code Committee. It enhances the credibility of horsepower and torque ratings by allowing manufacturers to certify their engines through third-party witness testing. Back in 2006, with the Corvette's LS7 V8, Chevrolet was the first vehicle brand to begin using the procedure which is now, widely accepted in the industry. So–how did SAE J2723 certification result in 304-hp in 2010 and 312-hp a year later?

The 3.6-liter V-6 (RPO LLT) was developed for several different GM vehicles besides the Camaro. In fact, the engine debuted in the Cadillac CTS and, in that platform, was rated at 304-horsepower. Production deadlines and budgets were both tight so the Chevrolet guys took the 2010 Camaro to production with the LLT V6 having the more conservative rating used by Cadillac.

In preparation for the 2011 model year, with some of GM's financial trauma behind it and more time, GM Powertrain Division did the expensive and time-consuming J2723 certification using the full Camaro induction and exhaust system, which by virtue of their both being less restrictive, had the engine making 8 more horses and having a power peak 100 rpm higher than does the Cadillac version.

How can a 3.6-liter V6 make that kind of power? For starters: high rpm capability, great air flow and direct injection. Additionally, Camaro's "three-six" uses four cam phasers which can change the timing of each of the engine's four camshafts. This variable valve timing (VVT) is controlled by the engine computer and is changed as operating conditions and engine load vary. The result is not only high peak power, but a wide torque band with near-peak levels over a broad rpm range and high specific output which is a measure of power output per liter of displacement. VVT also enhances engine response and drivability. When combined, direct-injection and variable valve timing enable a combination of power, efficiency, drivability and low-emissions seldom matched in normally-aspirated, gasoline-fired, V-6 engines.

Head-Up Display

For 2011, Camaro gets a Head-Up Display (HUD) similar to what the Corvette has had since 1999. An HUD projects important vehicle parameters, such as speed, rpm, gear indicator for paddle-shift cars, turn signal indicator, high-beam indicator and turn-by-turn On Star directions. This data is projected onto the back of the windshield and seems to float in space ahead of the driver, just below his/her line of sight. Jet pilots have used HUDs for decades for situational and attitude information. Be it in an airplane or a high-performance car, having frequently-accessed information, such as speed, rpm, turn signals and so forth, almost on your line-of-sight when driving rather than where you have to glance down at the gauges to see it, is a safety enhancement.

“The Head-Up Display has been a frequent customer request” Cheryl Pilcher, Camaro Product Manager told the CHpg. “People familiar with the HUD system simply love it. It truly enables drivers to keep their eyes on the road.”

GM was the first car company to put HUDs in mass-produced automobiles when it introduced them in selected Pontiac models in the mid-'90s.

Synergy goes Mainstream

          Remember the Camaro Synergy? We told you about it last Winter during our 2009 SEMA Show coverage. Based on the response Chevy received from the Camaro Synergy concept car at SEMA, it introduced a late-2010, limited production, "Camaro Synergy Special Edition" available only on cars ordered with 1LT trim. While the Special Edition offering stops when the 2010 model year ends, Chevrolet will continue the Synergy Green exterior color in 2011 and make it a choice at any trim level.

“When we looked at the positive reaction we received from SEMA attendees and customers on Synergy Green, making the color available across-the-board was pretty much a no-brainer,” John Fitzpatrick, Camaro Marketing Manager, told the CHpg staff.

The run of Synergy Green 2011 Camaros will be limited and that unique exterior color cost extra. It will have an MSRP of $325.00.