2016 Chevrolet Camaro Drops Its Top, Flashes Long-Time Rival Mustang
Just over a month ago, General Motors reignited the pony car wars when it launched the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. Needless to say, GM used “all of its powers, and all of its skills” in an attempt to deliver a KO to Ford’s Mustang with a 200-pound weight reduction and a 455hp 6.2-liter V8 in SS trim.
Today, GM pulled the wraps off some fresh Hot Hardware with a convertible version of the Camaro which we all knew would be coming. The company is particularly proud of the tech that went in to making the “segment’s most advanced top.” The electro-hydraulic convertible top is fully automatic and can be raised or lowered with the vehicle traveling at up to 30 mph. The top can be raised or lowered with the key fob, and even more impressively, it features a hard tonneau cover that deploys automatically to cover the top when its is stowed — that means no more struggling to affix a separate tonneau cover by hand.
“The 2016 Camaro coupe will set the benchmark for the segment in terms of technology, performance and design,” said Todd Christensen, Camaro marketing manager. “Adding the most sophisticated top in the segment brings another level of refinement – and driving enjoyment – to the Camaro convertible.”
The addition of drop top motoring thankfully isn’t encroaching on the performance options for the Camaro convertible. It will still be available in LT and SS trims with the 2.0-liter turbo-four (275hp, 295 ft-lbs torque), 3.6-liter V6 (335hp, 285 ft-lbs), and 6.2-liter V8 (455hp, 455 ft-lbs). In addition, you can still have your choice of a six-speed manual transmission or eight-speed automatic transmission with either of the engines.
“From the beginning, the Camaro’s architecture was developed to incorporate a convertible with uncompromised driving dynamics,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “Customers will appreciate what they don’t feel: quivers, cowl shake or an under-damped chassis typically found in a four-seat convertible.”
Given the more advanced convertible top, hard tonneau cover, and structural enhancements to make the 2016 Camaro convertible as stiff as possible, we don’t yet know if it achieves the same 200-pound weight reduction over its 2015 counterpart as seen with the coupe. Regardless, we have no doubt that the 2016 model will have no trouble leaving last year’s model in the dust when it comes to acceleration and handling.
Now all we to learn about is pricing for both the coupe and convertible…
