Rumor has it the upcoming 2023 Chevy Camaro may come equipped with the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2 gasoline engine, the same V8 found behind the cabin of the mid-engine C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray.
As the rumor goes, the LT2 would replace the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT1 gasoline engine currently offered on Chevy Camaro SS and LT1 trim levels. Output from the LT1 is rated at 455 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque, whereas the LT2 is rated at 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque.
To note, the Chevy Camaro is the last vehicle to offer the LT1 engine, with the C7-generation Chevy Corvette Stingray and Grand Sport designated as the penultimate models to offer the engine. The LT1 engine is built at GM’s Tonawanda plant, the same facility that produces the LT2 engine.
For now, the rumor remains just that – a rumor. While there’s some justification for its veracity, there’s also several reasons why it’s likely not true.
Let’s start with why the LT1 could be replaced by the LT2 with the introduction of the 2023 Chevy Camaro. For starters, 2022 Camaro models equipped with the LT1 engine have an emissions rating of LEV160 in California, while 2021 Corvette models with the LT2 have an emissions rating of LEV125, making the LT2 slightly cleaner.
To note, the 2022 Chevy Corvette recently introduced some slight revisions to the LT2 engine with changes to the fuel delivery and active fuel management systems, as well as small changes to the engine calibration. However, the engine has yet to be rated with these new changes.
Another possible justification for use of the LT2 in the 2023 Chevy Camaro includes renewed interest in the nameplate and revived sales, making for a great sendoff for a vehicle set for retirement in the near future.
That said, there are several reasons why this rumor is a bit off-track as well, starting with high fuel economy and emissions certification costs, all of which don’t necessarily make sense for the final model year of a vehicle. What’s more, according to GM Authority sources, General Motors has shifted all development and engineering resources from the Camaro to other projects.
Furthermore, the only transmission currently suited for the LT2 is the eight-speed dual-clutch unit from Tremec currently in use by the C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray. As such, 2023 Chevy Camaro models with the LT2 would require extensive engineering, testing, and validation, which, again, is a hard sell for a model slated for retirement.
Finally, General Motors is running at full chat to build as many C8 Corvette Stingrays as possible, which means it would be an odd choice to allocate LT2 engines towards Camaro production.
We’ll keep our ear to the ground for any further updates. In the meantime, subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Camaro news, Chevy news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Where the heck is this rumor coming from of the camaro going away???? Wouldn’t a smarter move be to discontinue the savanah that is decades old???? Yet the savanah has no production end in sight! As long as there’s a mustang, there will be a camaro. Call me back when the mustang gets canceled.
Though it pains me to say it, the Camaro is in fact going away. There will not be a replacement with an ICE engine. The team that did the sixth gen, as good as it is, caused its demise.
I highly doubt there will be an LT2 in the Camaro. It would cost a lot to get that engine in there… for one model year… on one trim level (SS)… maybe two (LT2 to replace LT1)… doesn’t make sense.
I’ll keep my 2019 2SS 1LE until I can’t anymore.
Dear gm. Thanks for handing us the extra sales on a silver platter as you have done for so many years with other products.
Sincerely,
Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang.
When the Camaro disappears, so does my lifelong devotion to Chevrolet.
But the Camarillo DID once go away. What did you do then?
I suffered and took a wait and see approach. There were enough rumors of it coming back, although yes, I was HIGHLY irritated.
unfortunately yes. It will probably come back soon though as some sort of ev.
The Mustang didn’t go away in 2003 -2009 but the Camaro did, history has a way of repeating itself when the wrong calls are made
Jake:
I wonder if the “rumor” originated with GMA.
Some fool on YouTube started the rumor on Wednesday.
Is there renewed demand for Camaro? My local Chevy dealer hasn’t had a Camaro on the lot in 6 months, I wasn’t sure they still built them. When Chevy introduced the $299/mo. LT1 lease deal I called the local Chevy dealer about availability and offered to order one. I’m still waiting for a call back. If it ain’t a SUV or Truck Chevy dealers don’t give a damn about it.
wjtinfwb:
No. The reason there are no Camaros to buy is because production of the Camaro has been shut down for most of this year.
An LT2 would be cool yes, but a LT6-powered Z/28 would be awesome and a proper farewell for the ICE Camaro.
The only way I would buy a Camaro with an automatic is if GM went totally bonkers and put the new 5.5 Z06 motor in it, then I’d think about it. I’ll take a 6 speed Zl1 1LE with the Blackwing in the meantime.
We are at the end for the ICE Camaro.
The Challenger ice is also coming to an end. I expect the Mustang is also being its ice end.
Sales for all three are a shadow of what they used to sell.
Dealers also want what makes money and sells easy. The performance market is. Not what it once was. I used to sell noting but Camaro and Mustang parts and today it is truck and Wrangler. I expect soon Bronco.
GM needs a Wrangler challenger.
The next-gen Mustang is scheduled to be built through 2029. Mustang is Ford’s Corvette.
Yes but the end is coming with after that.
Have you not yet heard of the 28th amendment? “Every driver will have the right to drive a V8”
The Thunderbird was Fords Corvette, they blew it
Sure, but the 2022 Mustang GT and Mach 1 have already reduced Horse Power and Torque. So you could argue that the swan song has already begun for mustangs as well (current mustang gt owner).
I want some cheese with the whine 😋.
There’s nothing indicating the Camaro is gone other than the E/V sedan that most likely replace the SS. Maybe it’s a compilation prize for the stillborn Z28.
That’s ‘ consolation ‘ prize, not ‘ compilation ‘ prize.
Will an LT2 intake manifold fit under a Camaro hood? I don’t think it will.
It does actually, many in the Camaro community has done the deed already.
If we see another Camaro, it will be an EV. The market for V8 stoplight racers is shrinking.
I refer you to the 28th amendment.
With sales dropping since this gen came out (albeit IMO best engineerd) along with car popularity dwindling down, cancelation of the Z28 in 2019, and most importantly, Al Oppenheiser leaving Camaro and going to GM’s electric performance section while nobody is running the Camaro program, this just means… unfortunately, this story is just a pipe dream.
The writing is on the wall, and what’s written is not this “rumor”.
What GM is allowing to happen to Camaro is a travesty, simple as that. In every aspect, it’s arguably the best Camaro ever built. With proper promotion and pricing, it should be far-outselling Mustang and Challenger.
Camaro is going straight to EV, not like Mustang Mach-E.
Typical GM BS. This company has no vision and could care less about it’s customers. Mary Barra is singlehandedly ruining this company. I have nothing against women in power but this one is a joke and a misrepresentation of what more qualified women are capable of. Go back to the kitchen if you have ever been in one and ruin something there. GM, there is still time to correct your mistake. As far as Corvette, nice toy but not an everyday practical car an GM make a huge profit on it, you newbies keep buy it. There are going to be so many that they will be as common as the Impala was.
And the Camaro is an every day practical car?
BTW, the stock market disagrees with your assessment of her performance as CEO. Getting stuck in the past trying to keep the muscle car era, alive would be financial suicide.
Absolutely no way this will happen.
if the camaro goes away what is chevy going to race in NASCAR ??? GM just spent a lot of $$ to develop their new NASCAR camaro
Maybe bring back the Chevelle in some form.
My 2105 2SS will have more power after the cam install DOD AFM VVT delete and chassis dyno tune.
After intake, exhaust, and tune it’s radicalized now
Good luck, when that stock Tesla grocery runner is throwing down better #’s than you in your supper sport drag racer.
What’s the price difference? Good luck there. How about a rally style refuel race? Good luck there. Trolling for negative attention? More good luck. AH
Further, my 27K 2SS gets compliments everywhere I go, female school bus drivers stop the bus to say nice car. Females jump in first time meet for a ride. Look at a Tesla it might as well be a Hyundai shape wise. I’ll take cool over high price nerd. I’ll also out nerd you. Move out in your “race car”
Lol you must be a teenager with a mullet!
Former SWAT nuke team leader US Army, lost job International SALT Treaty. All military community ice hockey/pro hockey skater. Retired state economist. Model Mr $100 Challenge. You are soft of body and mind, boy
I under stand now Your Army….
31 years AirForce here, and still going.
I understand you are trolling for negative attention
Conduct unbecoming
You SJW military, soft as F
Look at the comment section tough guy. If you were the man you claim to be, you would not need a car to get a girl.
It’s unfortunate that GM didn’t bother to build a Camaro to compete with Ford and Dodge . It’s was always a popular car and we know Chevy can build a killer Camaro . I guess the people that make these decisions just don’t get it.
Does GM lose money on the Camaro? I think there are a few people on this forum with some inside knowledge that can answer that question.
Jonathan Lopez your articles are getting tedious at best. I believe you stay up nights thinking of things to write, just to write? You start off with rumor has it, to get us going and then you come up with twenty reasons why it can’t happen, which I give you are factual, but what it boils down to is just a waste paper and ink (old school). You spend too much time writing about B. S. than fact, in all your articles! Have you considered being a fiction writer?
Just let it die off, no Camaro 2.0. After the 2002 cancellation it was replaced by the SSR in 2004, what a waste! Finally re introduced as a 2010 loyalists lined up, but by the intro of the better 6th gen Camaro the new had worn off of the retro theme. What a shame, I have owned a 2011 SS, 2016 RS and 2018 1LE V6. I regret getting rid of the 1LE, got tired of shifting the manual, but it was awesome and affordable! 2022 should have been the 7th generation model year, GM neglected the Camaro no doubt. They put all their their resources into the Corvette! I hope GM doesn’t copy Ford and make a Camaro EV, the Mach E is just wrong!
The LT2 drivetrain would be the perfect way to send the Current Camaro into retirement. It’s not rocket science, but GM won’t give it a proper burial with too many resources going towards EV development. It’s going to take at least three decade decades to transition to EVs, it isn’t going to happen overnight! ICE will still be in the mix for quite sometime, activists aren’t realistic. Where are we going to get all the lithium, cobalt and copper to make batteries? Mining isn’t environmentally friendly! The power grid needs upgrading to accommodate EVs, leave it the government to solve these issues and it will never get done! Half the consumers will keep their ICE vehicles long after the production ceases. EVs aren’t going to be any cheaper in the long run, demand for electricity will increase and electricity will cost more. What happens when we have blackouts? This hasn’t been thought through, the New Green Deal isn’t going to be the end all, be all solution. I have owned a Volt and Bolt, I liked them both, but EVs have their limitations. Until major airlines and the huge barges transporting everything from China quit polluting the environment, consumers shouldn’t be forced to carry the burden. One huge tanker container ship pollutes the equivalent of 50 million cars, there are 90,000 cargo ships in the world! They account for 90% of the shipping volume in the world, they use low grade bunker fuel which pollutes 2,000 times more than your diesel Silverado! Bureaucrats need to focus on the real problem, I don’t like the automotive industry always being blamed for our environmental issues! Let’s put the blame where it belongs, look at all the delivery trucks UPS, Fed Ex and Amazon are convenient, but it comes with an environmental cost. Let’s look at the big picture, get rid of the older vehicles that pollute far more than modern vehicles. It’s a balancing act, more government regulations aren’t necessary, let consumers decide. I’m ready to order my 2023 TT2 Camaro!
gm has no 10sp to handle the added power?
The tremec will not do the job either?
Bring back the iconic 5.7 liter. LT2 not needed. A non SS package, 87 octane and E85 capable. That engine would work in: Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado, PPV and others. Maybe even a Colorado SS (wishful thinking). The 6.2 handles the performance needs.
For those who don’t want a turbo 4cyl or a V6 in a Camaro the 5.7 would be perfect. No need for premium gas. The 5.7l /350 cubic inch engine was around for decades.
What better way to send off the ICE Era with a modern version of the small block engine that has powered millions of vehicles. I think sales would increase if used in multiple models.
Estimated HP/TRQ could be 382/412 on 87 octane. Even higher on E85. BUILD IT GM!
Man I wonder where this rumor was posted?
I think I saw this on some guy’s YouTube Channel!!
Some YouTuber. If only we could remember his name …
They need to keep the Camaro different from the Corvette. Don’t combine them in anyway. Love the C8 Corvette. Don’t downgrade it by trying to have the Camaro keep up.
There are no plans to combine Camaro and Corvette. They will stay completely separate cars.
Corvette will always be a two-seat roadster. Camaro will always seat 4-5 people.
If they make a Corvette SUV, it will be in addition to those two – not in place of them.
Never noticed a 5 seat camaro!!!
Unlikely 2023 would be final model year. Probably would run until 2025.
Especially with chip shortage, highly unlikely Celestiq or Camaro 4-door Coupe (oops) would bow before 2026 anyway.
I’m not saying this as a fanboy (although I do love the Dodge brand) Dodge seems to have truly figured things out when it comes to this whole ICE/EV thing. The challenger and charger will live on but Dodge is bringing out an electric muscle car as well. Now, will the challenger/charger live on forever as they are? No. But Dodge is doing well with keeping American muscle alive as is the Mustang. True Dodge is eating everyone’s lunch because both Ford and GM failed to act properly when it came to “right sizing” their lineups. What truly sucks is that GM had a perfect opportunity to do it (and still does). Dodge has three vehicles, Charger, Challenger & Durango. all of them are rear wheel drive vehicles, all of them have AWD options, all of them are American Muscle. Chevy has the Camaro, they should have kept the Trailblazer the way it was and did more with the SS sedan (Chevelle would have been the proper name) and they literally could have gone toe-to-toe with Dodge. GM did the same dumb stuff that Ford did and pigeon holed themselves into a corner with the Camaro and never gave themselves options like Dodge did. Ford has already screwed up the Mustang name with the intro of the Mach E and Chevrolet is probably getting ready to do the same. What would truly be nice would be the return of the Monte Carlo SS as a midsize 2-door coupe, similar to the size of layout of the Challenger along with the return of the Impala SS and the return of the Trailblazer SS to compete with the Challenger, Charger and Durango.
Wake up GM and smell the coffee. Build what ppl want. FORD seems to have no problem withe the Mustang or Mustang E
The information on the LT1 manufacturing site is incorrect. The automatic LT1 is built at the St. Catharines, Ontario engine plant and the manual models are built at the Bowling Green Performance Build Center.
Thanks Authority for the nice picture of the the LT2 engine. I’ve never seen my C8 engine because of the bother of removing the 18 screws on the engine cover. But, I’m sure it’s in there!!