Chevrolet has hinted at one reason why the 2016 Camaro will offer a better driving experience than the outgoing model, and it happens to be a more rigid design.
According to Camaro program engineering manager Jim Karlavage, the new 2016 model is 28 percent stiffer, and that computer technology helped Chevy add torsional strength to the Camaro without having to increase its mass or dimensions. As the design is now stiffer, engineers had been able to tweak steering and suspension without worrying about chassis flex and other related factors. Still, Chevrolet claims that it worked a total of “nine million hours” to ensure that the next-gen Camaro offers the optimum driving experience.
This was further elaborated on by Karlavage in a press release, where he talked a bit more about the improvements in driving feel. “The structural weight savings are compounded by opportunities to reduce un-sprung weight,” he continued. “The result is a more nimble driving experience that rewards the driver with satisfying feelings of responsiveness and control.” The 2016 Camaro will be using GM’s Alpha underpinnings, as opposed to the Zeta platform of old; this is the same platform used by the Cadillac ATS.
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is scheduled to launch in public at the Belle Island Park in Detroit on May 16.