We’ve already served up our thoughts on why a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro with a turbocharged four-cylinder is a very smart branding move.
But, the guys and gals at LSXtv have taken the experimental powertrain idea for the Camaro program a step further, and envision a day where a hybrid Camaro is a reality. Could there be a day when a Camaro Hybrid graces showrooms? Possibly. But, every piece of intel we have at our disposal here points to “no.”
Much like Tadge Juechter, lead Corvette engineer, has said about the idea of autonomous driving technology finding its way into Chevrolet and General Motors premier sports car, it’s simply not going to happen. And, if it does, it won’t be for a very long time.
Hypercars are just now beginning to perfect the idea a hybrid sports car, think Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and so on. The technology is still expensive to integrate into performance applications and, like it or not, the Camaro is a colloquial car, an entry into the realm of performance under the bowtie brand.
If we do see hybridization occur in a General Motors sports car, you bet it will land in a Corvette before a Camaro. Especially if the Corvette name is eventually spun off into its own brand, where it could share the technology well with a Cadillac sports car.
Is a Camaro Hybrid possible? Sure. Does it makes sense for the car’s target market? Not quite.
Comments
Of course the camaro and corvettes will eventually get electrified and get a plug, every car will, sooner than later.
Still using explosions to get your car to go forward? You should try a Volt for a week, you’ll never go back to gas, ever.
The ICE age is comming to an end and our children will be much better off because of it.
I’m not so sure I feel safe with you having a driver’s license. I hope you know your Volt burns gas too, along with the fact the batteries came from a mine and the increased load on electric companies. You haven’t really done shit for the environment.
Typical Foxnews comments!
Yeah my Volt uses gas… maybe once a month in the summer and alittle more in the winter, after 3.5 years, i’ve used a total of about 600 lt. (125 gl).
Of course batteries come from mines but your gas does come from the ground to, how is that better? Your gallon of gas uses more electricity to produce and gives me less range than if i would have got in my Volt for using that same amount of electricity. So your coal point is useless. No extra load on electric supplier.
Electric cars make sense, using explosions doesnt anymore, face it and get over it. EVs are quicker, silent, no maintenance. Just a better product.
ONLY those who have never tried or lived with an EV make those kind of comments. They just reveal ignorance on your part. Please do your homework before commenting on a subject you know nothing about and leave the insults out of you comments.
Maybe you can explain why the government still has to give huge incentives to get people to drive an electric car? Maybe because the majority would rather still drive a car burning gas or diesel? Try taking away every single incentive from electric vehicles and watch the sales drop. I for one don’t ever expect to buy an electric car. It seems more and more people are heading for the diesel option and that actually has a price increase for the diesel engine plus diesel fuel costs more than gas now in most parts of America. Imagine if the government would give a couple thousand dollar tax incentive for diesel. I’d almost garuntee that they couldn’t build them fast enough for a long time to supply the demand.
I love my 2014 volt and do not want to go back to gas! However, I miss the sportiness, all 15 of my cars have been GM, without a Camaro/vette hybrid I may have to look elsewhere. GM the time is now.
Hybrids like the Toyota Prius are frauds as they can’t be driven any real distance in battery mode and increase mileage possibly 4-5 miles-per-gallon at best; thus, if GM wanted to.. they could develop a hybrid module for the base Camaro with it’s 275 hp turbocharged 2.0L 4-cyl engine to get an EPA mileage of possibly 33-35 mpg.
ICE is far from dead. It is a matter of time but this technology will creep into the lower priced performance cars not be cause we want it but because we will have to have it.
The fact is you can only cut so much weight and drop so many cylinders.
While the performance aspect is not in question as the 918 is amazing the cost of and repair of will just complicate these cars to the point they will be too expensive to repair in the long run and more difficult to enhance performance.
GM knows this and will try to keep from adding these systems for as long as they can as the cornerstone of these cars are the performance hobbyist and racers. But how long can they hang on is the key. CAFE is not going to go down and they are starting to run out of tricks. Even Ford has shown they are leaving the V8 behind as they will not offer it in the GT or Raptor.
The small engines can do all we like and are easy to tap for more power with more boost. But they do lack the V8 sound. I love my Turbo 4 but refuse to put a louder exhaust just because of the poor sound.