That's a good question, and possibly a good idea. Hybrid would definitely add price and mass to the car. It would only appeal to those who want a "make-a-green-statement" car and also want the style of a Camaro. How many of these folks are there?

If trying to save MPG, seems like they would also look into a diesel. The turbo 4... would be wildly out of place on a Camaro and would damage the Camaro 'brand' IMAO... plus would be too torque-anemic to give a hefty car like the Camaro an appropriate amount of get-up-and-go.

 

And that there is the problem....

 

Last time we had a Camaro the price difference between a Camaro and Corvette was $25,000. If there is only a $10,000-$15,000 difference I would probably just buy a used Vette.

 

The Camaro once had the 2.5L "Iron Duke" 4-cylinder. I don't think it sold well, and I think it had less than 100hp.

But technology has come a long way. The old 3.8 in the 4th Gen only had 200hp. The 2.0L turbo 4 in my GTI also makes 200hp, and still manages to get between 32-36 on the highway and 28-ish in town in a 3300lb car. GM has an even more powerful turbo 4 (LNF)...I don't see why they couldn't stick that in the Camaro to up their CAFE average.

 

I would think GM has a hybrid system they can put in the Camaro. We have yet to see all of the development done with Chrysler and BMW as only the two stage hybrids in the full size trucks. Rumor is there is much more to come.
To me the current hybrids are more marketing and feeling green than anything. If GM wants to market the Camaro that way I see no problem with it. If anything it will broaden the reach of the Camaro brand that could lead to extra sales. The Camaro already has a strong image and putting hybrid in that mix is something GM could use as futher evidence they are serious about fuel economy.

 

Since when is 260 lb-ft "anemic"? The turbo 4 used in the performance versions of the Solstice/Sky has 55 more horsepower and 30 more lb-ft than the 3800 used in 4th gens. Turbocharged engines in general have very good torque numbers.

Can you please hold off on BS comments like that until we actually know how much the car weighs?

 

It must be some mathmatically derived figure.
Like the statistical average between FWD and RWD cars.
If there is indeed a difference just because of the drive wheels, then they should use their engineers to erase that difference. That's what they pay them for.

 

All purely conjecture on the part of the author.

Oshawa will be a flex-plant -- so we'll be able to build other vehicles in that plant.

CAFE changes everything...........but right now, no one on the outside knows what we're going to do...........

 

I doubt any real Camaro enthusiest would by a Camaro Hybrid, but if it makes the car more of a global success, I'm all for it. I doubt to many real Camaro enthusiest would by a V6 Camaro either. but I'm sure they will sell a buttload to someone.

 

I think that's narrow-minded of you. Does a Camaro enthusiast have to be someone who's particular about the exhaust note and/or fuel type? Or even the performance?

No, they don't. You can be enthusiastic about the car for whatever reason you want, and Joe Blow can be enthusiastic about it for whatever reason he wants. If your reasons aren't the same, that doesn't change the fact that you're both enthusiasts.

 

There's only one presidential candidate left who understands the horrendous load and handicaps CAFE puts on carmakers, and that you can't improve productivity by increasing burdens on the productive. He's also the only one left who cares much about US automakers.
It may not be too late.
Tomorrow (or whenever your state votes) go out and vote for Mitt Romney.

 

I certainly will. I just have my doubts if he can win it all.

 

Amen to that. This also though, touches again on a factor that the article ignores (foolishly IMO). Politics. Presidents have some impact on CAFE. But Congress makes the law - and Congress will surely take a shellacking for the stances it has taken in recent years, during this election cycle. A new Congress could very well turn the new CAFE upside down, in response to public outcry. So in that sense the article is arguably premature.
That's not "the problem". "The problem" is unrealistic attitudes by some in our political sphere and in the mainstream media, making it an act of pure evil to drill for oil in ANWR, to burn coal in clean modern power generation plants, or to stand up a new nuclear power plant in America. Are hefty fullsize pickup trucks a "problem" too? How about wildly successful (and hefty) new vehicles like the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia? Bottom line is, Americans demand their hefty vehicles to be that way, so they can have space to be comfortable and versatile, along with all the modern safety and luxury gear we expect.
The turbo Ecotec is a great engine, but makes its torque up high, not down low like the LSx V8's.

It's good you pointed that out, it tends to not get enough visibility in all this. GM's got a lot of options in finding ways to meet these challenges, even if they do remain in place.

 

While I love the Solstice and especially the Sky Redline, (came THIS close to trading in my 99 Trans Am for one about 3 months ago). The 2 main reasons I didn't? I REALLY want a Camaro convertible, and 2nd, the 260lb-ft of torque in the Redline and Solstice has NO grunt until high in the revs. I drove several of both, stick and auto, and just didn't want to part with my V8 Grunt. While I loved the car, I knew I'd regret the lack of torque. Now once it spools up and winds out, it is pretty quick, (although the best 0-60 time I could get out of one was around 6.5 by my stopwatch) About 1 second slower than claimed times. I know that it's not accurate, but it definately wasn't close to the 5.5 claimed. Perhaps when it is well broken in it might pull better numbers, but out of the box, no way. There isn't ANY torque to mention down low on those engines.

 

Listen, I am far from a green weenie. I think that we should drill in ANWR. I think we should build more refineries. I think we should build nuclear powerplants. I think ALOT of people have a vested interest in propogating alot of disinformation regarding "global warming".

Hey,if someone thinks that they need a 6,000 pound, 11 mpg truck, to commute themseves to and from work everyday - well more power to 'em, it's a free country. Maybe not very efficient, but what the hell, who am I to say.

But the point here is, the Camaro. And if it were a somewhat smaller package, which could economically and attractively , (ie, NOT a hybrid or diesel), deliver a version(s) which gets 32-35 mpg - * AND THEY WERE FUN TO DRIVE* - Camaro would be in a MUCH better place right now, under current law. And, there is no denying the effects on performance, a somewht smaller package would contribute either.