GMNext talks about turbo four cylinder Camaros
Filed under: Hybrid, MPG, Chevrolet
General Motors will be unveiling the production version of the new Camaro sometime this summer just as gasoline prices in the U.S. are reaching all-time record highs. With gasoline now at or above $4/gallon across the nation, this hardly seems the most opportune time to launch a high-powered sports coupe. While GM is too far along to cancel the program now, that doesn't mean adjustments won't be made. When the Camaro launches it will almost certainly be powered by the choice of GM's 3.6L V-6 or 6.0L LS3 V8 as used in the Pontiac G8 with which it shares its architecture.
Within the next couple of years the Camaro will very likely get smaller, more efficient engines. GM already offers a turbocharged direct injected 2.0L four cylinder in the Solstice and Sky that could easily be dropped into the Camaro. In addition to the turbo DI engine's inherently better efficiency compared to the larger units, it is also significantly lighter. When GM announced their second-generation mild hybrid system in March they indicated that it could and would be used in rear wheel drive applications in addition to front wheel drive. It seems likely that we will see a Camaro with a 2.0L turbo and mild hybrid system, probably by about 2011.
[Source: GMNext]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-17-2008 @ 8:55PM
Dad said...
"Camaro with a 2.0L turbo"
Would be very nice.
Reply
5-18-2008 @ 12:06AM
Caroftheday.org said...
There's no replacement for displacement, but a turbo can get you pretty dang close!
http://www.caroftheday.org/2008/05/16/a-fast-4-door-is-the-car-of-the-day/
Reply
5-18-2008 @ 1:38AM
why not the LS2LS7? said...
w00t turbo 4.
They should sell them cheap to drag racers in order to get the car/engine combo some cred.
Reply
5-18-2008 @ 4:18AM
BillySharps said...
Well, dammit, now I want one. I like the engine in the Cobalt SS, but I don't really like the Cobalt SS, you know? This is a much better application for the turbo 4.
Reply
5-18-2008 @ 1:00PM
why not the LS2LS7? said...
BillySharps, what about a Solstice Coupe?
http://seriouswheels.com/cars/2009/top-2009-Pontiac-Solstice-Coupe.htm
Reply
5-19-2008 @ 9:22AM
LMBVette said...
Correction: "When the Camaro launches it will almost certainly be powered by the choice of GM's 3.6L V-6 or 6.0L LS3 V8 as used in the Pontiac G8 with which it shares its architecture."
The G8 has the 6.0L L76. The LS3 is 6.2L.
Reply
5-19-2008 @ 2:47PM
Chris said...
Turbos are the replacement for displacement, so says the majority of Europeans whose engines are less than half the size of the average U.S. vehicle. The problem with turbos in the U.S. on the gas side has been in the technology itself; while diesels enjoy a variable geometry mechanism whereby the turbos spin to boost very quickly, gasoline turbos are not variable geometry (it has to do with the higher exhaust gas temperatures on the gasoline engines; seems that variable geometry gas actuators may melt or otherwise malfunction in the higher temperate environment that diesel doesn't suffer. Also good to remember that while the 2.0 liter turbo in the Sky/Solstice/HHR SS/Cobalt SS are tuned for peak power, a re-tuned version of the same would make more torque sooner, thereby helping a larger, midsize vehicle increase efficiency without much performance penalty (or even a signficant performance gain).
Chris Terry, GMnext.com
Reply
5-20-2008 @ 10:39AM
christe said...
Turbos are the replacement for displacement, so says the majority of Europeans whose engines are less than half the size of the average U.S. vehicle. The problem with turbos in the U.S. on the gas side has been in the technology itself; while diesels enjoy a variable geometry mechanism whereby the turbos spin to boost very quickly, gasoline turbos are not variable geometry (it has to do with the higher exhaust gas temperatures on the gasoline engines; seems that variable geometry gas actuators may melt or otherwise malfunction in the higher temperate environment that diesel doesn't suffer. Also good to remember that while the 2.0 liter turbo in the Sky/Solstice/HHR SS/Cobalt SS are tuned for peak power, a re-tuned version of the same would make more torque sooner, thereby helping a larger, midsize vehicle increase efficiency without much performance penalty (or even a signficant performance gain).
Chris Terry, GMnext.com
Reply