So what do you guys think? lets say 5-6 years from now. You think GM could get a Camaro built that would do high 13.9 to low 14's in the 1/4mi. and that could also get 34mpg hwy?

A Ford Fusion with the 2.5L and 6 speed auto has a curb weight of 3,342 lbs. and gets a 34mpg rating. That is with out direct injection. An Alpha Camaro with GMs new DI 2.4L could probably trump that by 1-2mpg, but people don't want a Camaro that slow. So maybe with a next generation LNF style Turbo I4 and GMs 8 speed automatic this could be possible? 8 gears give you enough to gear them low for crazy acceleration and enough geared high for a fuel sipping hwy cruise.

Of course I'd expect a 400HP+ 5.0L direct injected V8 engine to be the top of the line Z28

 

A lot of assumptions need to be made. I guess it would be possible, since the current V6 Camaro at 3700+ pounds runs in the 14's and gets 29 highway. Can't really be sure though. Assuming a low-end Alpha Camaro would weigh 3300 pounds or so (irresponsible speculation on my part) I suppose it could be done with a turbo 4.

Ya know I haven't heard a thing about GM developing an 8 speed auto, but apparently a Google search tells me they are. I personally thought anything over 6 forward gears was little more than "look at me" engineering.

 

I felt that way too, but then I thought that maybe if done more like 1.5 transmission is the body of 1 it could be useful. For example make two "first gears" one for when you slam the gas and one for a gentle economic take off. Maybe have a "sport button" that could select the more aggressive 1-3 and then during regular driving have the car select what is best for economy. I'm no transmission engineer, but if skip shifting can be done in a manual, why not do it with an 8 speed automatic

 

I'm no engineer either, so we'll need someone else to chime in. I would think the software better be really good, because if it isn't, the thing would constantly be searching for the best gear being that closely spaced. It might make for an annoying drive.

 

Well.....

Given the fact that my car can run those times with 267 rwhp
and
Given the fact that my car still returned 27 - 29 highway mpg after it hit 100K miles
and
Given the fact that my car is chock full of late '80s tech.....

I'd say yes.

 

I think we could see an LS3 style motor with DI and a 3400 pound weight Camaro do those numbers and better. No reason why this combo couldnt be done. I would expect low 12's and 32 mpg.

 

Current GM 6 speeds skip gears and have a ton of different shift maps. My G8 starts in 2nd a lot.

 

Are you saying that gear would be for pu$$ies?

 

why is the 5th gen so heavy? just looked at the reg for my 89, its 3400 lbs. a full 300 lbs lighter. what's up with that?? its a 20 year old car. i would think that with newer materials available, it should be easy to make it lighter

 

You definitely get into the laws of diminishing returns past about 6 gears. Think about a CVT, which basically has an infinite number of ratios, and they don't really outperform a good 6-speed.

To pick up on your LNF example, the Solstice GXP weighs just shy of 3000 pounds, gets 28 mpg highway, and does the quarter in low-mid 14s. Figure on the F6 adding at least 400 pounds over a Kappa and you're already looking at high 14s (each 100 pounds adds about a tenth to your times). So you'd need the next-gen LNF to shave almost a second off its current capabilities, plus add 6 mpg in a heavier car. Seems like a tall order.

 

A much more substantial chassis, brakes, cooling, safety features, comfort features, you name it.

 

Cars have actually gotten heavier as we consumers want our HP cake and all the safety, comfort and quiet ride too. The 5th Gen Camaro rides on the robust Zeta platform. (G8/Commodore) It's then weighed down with all the airbags anyone will ever need, heavy suspension, IRS, 6 speeds trans, and a rigid chassis capable of handling the twist of 450tq LS3 power plus a safety percentage. All while the driver sits in heavy seats ridding quiet behind lot's of sound insulation on heavy 20" wheel/tire package over Brembo brakes. The car is heavy but solid.

 

I think that's a tall order too. I could see a 6th gen Camaro getting 34 mpg or even more, using a GDI 2.4 Ecotec or even a Family Zero 1.4 turbo. But I can't imagine either of those engines pushing Camaro to an under 14 second time.

 

Do you mean EPA highway? Or steady 65mph cruise? My 2002 4A is rated at 23 (in the new math), but I can get as much as 25 at a 75mph cruise on oxygenated CA gasoline. If I had the patience to cruise at 60mph, I'm sure it would be better.

The most likely way to achieve this would be with a performance hybrid system with a small turbo gasoline engine and a pretty decent electric motor to assist in acceleration. I kind of doubt we'll see it in a Camaro, but you never know. If the new Equinox can manage 32mph EPA highway, I've got to believe 34 would be achievable in a smaller, lighter car.

 

Assuming emissions wouldn't be an issue (and cost), GM's VM Motori 2.9 diesel V6, could hit that sort of MPG in a smaller, 6th gen Camaro, maybe even closer to 40 MPG, and probably also dip into the 13's.

Manufacturer: VM Motori in Cento, Italy
Displacement: 2,935 cc/179 ci
Configuration: 60-degree V-6
Bore x stroke: 3.268 x 3.559 inches
Block material: Compacted graphite iron
Head material: Cast aluminum
Engine weight: 530 pounds (approximately)
Valvetrain: DOHC 24 valves
Turbo: Variable-geometry
Fuel pump: Bosch CP3
vFuel delivery: Bosch common-rail (29,000 psi)
Fuel injectors: Piezo-electric (up to 8 injections per cycle)
Emissions: Piezo-electric cylinder-pressure sensors, cooled EGR, oxidation catalyst, and DPF
Horsepower: 250 hp at 4,000 rpm
Torque: 406 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm