A Facebook user sitting in what’s claimed to be the very first 2016 Chevrolet Camaro for public sale seems to be making its waves through the internets. While we’re a little envious that somebody could sit in a sixth-generation Camaro fresh off the Lansing Grand River assembly line, we’re plenty cautious of the claim that this example will be sold.
The recording consisted of the 2016 Camaro starting up and the driver revving its throaty LT1 6.2-liter V8, which is said to be paired with the dual-mode exhaust, and sure it sounds healthy.
The man in the video claims that he was able to take the car for a test drive, which would make him one of the few non-GM employees to pilot an LT1-powered Camaro, as only the LGX 3.6-liter V6 variant was available for driving impressions for media at the car’s debut at Belle Isle.
The truth is that this is a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro CTF vehicle driven by Camaro engineers for quality evaluation purposes. This one in particular belonged to chief engineer Al Oppenheiser himself. Have a listen at the link here. 2016 Camaro ordering has opened up just recently, while sales should begin later this fall.
(Update: an earlier version of this story bought into the narrative that the 2016 Camaro in the video was destined for consumers. The revisions take a much more skeptical tone on the claim.)
Comments
That is a GM company car, Probably one of the first actual production builds but not for the public. It has a GM company plate on it.
NICE! I see GM finally fixed the limp-wristed factory sound so common on factory stock Vettes and Camaros in the past. GM has come along way in exhaust tuning in the last few years. It went from “sounds good at wide open” only, to “sounds good when you get past 3 grand”, to just sounds good period – why get a “cat-back” again?
I dare say one of the #1 reasons the 80s 5.0 and newer Mustangs resonate so well with the non enthusiast is simply the un-apologetic V8 bark that factory V8 mustangs come equipped with. I know multiple people who have no desire to race or even drive spiritedly who bought Mustang GTs because of the “V8 sound”.
Beautiful; unfortunately, the shoulders and C-pillar as well as window were stolen from another GM division – – Buick. These elements were taken from 2013 Rivera Concept designed in China and would, today, be present in Buick design had it not been for the decision to allow Opel to lead with the similar yet less appealing Monza.
I remember Rivera receiving an unusual amount of attention in the US market and eve getting coverage in either Details or Vogue Magazine which isn’t typical for Buick.
I’m glad to see GM and Chevrolet benefit from the concept. Judging from the responses to both designs, Camaro will be a huge hit. As a large automaker, GM probably borrows all the time and we will see this even more as Chevrolet moves more upmarket in N America.
I just wish Buick would get more TLC, be a bit less attached to Opel, and actually get a genuine halo car like Rivera.
It wasn’t at a dealership yet, here’s a note from the guy’s facebook:
“Hey guys, just to clarify things.
This is the car that Al Oppenheiser drove to the Chevy Product Specialist meeting yesterday in Novi, MI. At the start of his presentation, Al apologized for being late because he was picking up the first C6 Camaro available for sale. When he was done, I snuck over and introduced myself to Al. I asked him where the car was and if I could take a look. He reached into his backpack and said: “Just don’t leave with it.” And he handed me the keys…”
even more clarification, from camarosix.com:
In his enthusiasm (and who could blame him) Jeff mistakenly calls this the first 2016 Camaro for sale, but it’s actually a CTF model as Camaro production has not yet commenced. Either way we thank him greatly for sharing!
The last Camero I was able to afford was a brand new 1987 t top Z 28.which I dearly loved. But but it was stolen in Milford ,Conn.in 1989.Found that same night totally ablaze. I now drive a Chevy. Blazer. Yr. 2000 which has given me a qreat 285,000 miles. I am 76 yrs now. Would love that Red 2016 Camero.
I’m glad you loved you’re 87 Z28 and at the same time sorry that it was stollen from you. I loved those cars too, as they were my living. I never owned one but got to drive many of them and would love to have one even today. But to find one that is still in like new condition cost as much as it did new or more! That is for a Z28 with L98 and WS6 or a 1LE. It used to be you could buy a nice used car for substantially less than new. It doesn’t seem to work that way any more unless the car is completly trashed as I still owned a 1968 Firebird 400 which I bought used several years previous to 1987 and was still in great shape when I sold it to a guy in 1995 who wanted to race it.
A new 2015 Chevrolet Z28 cost $78,000. Two of them at my local dealer side by side. Thats way out of my price range and most other people as well! In 1987 a nicely equipped Z28 was around $20,000 – $24,000. In 1968 $2400.
I don’t know , but for all the world it looks like the driver instead of waving is starting to do an EXIT from the car window like the boys did in the General Lee , TV series !! However , I’m thinking unless he’s slim and has no pot belly , he will get stuck in those gun slit windows ? Perhaps a reality TV show is in order here , contestants , in several weight catagories trying to do the quickest entry and exit from a 2016 Chevy Camaro , could be quite hilarious !!