Turbo-4cyl 2010 Camaro Thoughts
 

Hey guys,

I am avidly awaiting the arrival of the new camaro, I feel in love with the camaro lineage the first time I laid eye on the 1969 Camaro.

I had some thoughts on the new Camaro with regards to a turbocharged four cylinder version of it (basically using the same engine as the Cobalt SS/TC) for practicability in today's times. Now before everyone freaks out on how this isn't a Camaro w/o at least the V6 300hp etc hear me out.

We live in a world with high gas prices, they may be low now, but we all know it will spike back up to $1.50/L next summer. For obvious reasons a four cylinder makes a better choice when it comes to fuel economy. I being a recent college grad, sitting in a relatively low paying job trying to climb the corporate ladder, live on a budget. I want to buy this car i really do, as we all do, but will the loan, insurance and the added gas bill just adds up too high.

Sure the camaro isn't what some people call a commuting car but why not? I want something that looks amazing and delivers a fun ride with a low gas price tag.

Also, this provides a unique selling point for the Camaro, something that the Mustang and the Challenger are not offering, Fuel efficient "muscle" cars. Which in order to survive in today's market, a "muscle" car must have fuel efficiency (hence things like Active fuel management, flex fuel etc in bigger engines).

Those are just my thoughts

WELCOME!

We've discussed this a lot before, but I think it is a great idea and that it would be more of a reality now than ever. With our CEO in Washington right now trying to get money, I think any show of GM bringing efficient cars to the market is a positive thing and definately couldn't hurt. It seems like Washington has had Detroit chasing their tales with all this CAFE rubbish - they want better crash protection, therefore cars weigh more, but then they get all bent when that weight brings economy down. Anyhoo, I think it's a great alternative and think it has a really good chance now.

The big problem with the LNF (2.0L turbocharged Ecotec) being installed in a Camaro is that it would be more efficient to just buy a Cobalt SS TC. The fact is that there simply isn't enough torque to make the Camaro fun to drive that way. It was rumored that one might exist, but the LLT V6 is a far better alternative. The possibility of a turbocharged V6 or I6 could be the future of the Camaro if CAFE remains in place. It will still dominate if that happens, but any LNF Camaro would have to be less efficient than it is now for the feel of muscle to be behind it. This idea has effectively been scratched.

I should add that the Cobalt SS TC is already faster than a Camaro LS, so it just doesn't make sense to create even more overlap between the brands. Redundancy is waste.

First welcome.


Now the topic. At what point do u start losing efficiency because the engine isn't big enought to push this car around and deliever such gas prices.

One thing people need to understand not always will a 4 banger be a good choice for this. If memory serves me right they put the turbo 2.0 in a iver and the benefits weren't any better then the di v6. So to me that means that gm doesn't currently have a 4 banger strong enough to offer what u want.

Also my 4th gen z28 got 27-28 on the highway. Is that not fuel efficient? I think it is. But u tell me.

It is a valid point, gas prices will be on the rise once the economy starts recovering and people will be back to looking for hybrids and electrics again. Honestly if they could get an electric engine with about the same performance as the 300 HP V6 to cost the same, I would be interested (provided the US had an infrastructure set up for it at the time). However, researchers have been playing with heat trapping material to recycle waste heat from the engine and exhaust, as well has improved fuel injection systems that have given SIGNIFICANT efficiency increases. These new materials and products can by applied to almost any current and past vehicle, making it a very attractive prospect.

Really? Wow, that is impressive!:w00t:

i've seen guys with 5.7 and 6.0 vettes also getting close to 30mpg on the highway. smaller engine don't necessarily mean better. i've talked to two guys who swapped the 350s in their trucks to 454s and got better mileage because the more powerful engines weren't working as hard to propel the vehicles. like they said above, i doubt a turbo 4 could efficiently move a 3800+ lb car

lets see a 3.6 L 300HP v6 with 27MPG highway, or a 2.0L 260HP 4, with 28MPG.. worth it...NAAAAA
28 MPG is highway on a Sky Redline, which weighs less than the Camaro... I know the transmissions are different and gearing would be but I don;t think it would get 30 MPG, which to me would be worth the difference.

Who says the 2.0 TC ECOTEC in a Camaro will get better gas mileage than the V6?

The Cobalt SS/TC is rated 30 MPG hwy. in a 2975 lb. car. with a small CDA (coefficient of drag x area)

The Camaro LS/LT weighs 3750 lbs. And will get an estimated 27 MPG hwy. It will have a larger front area don't know about CD.

The engine will have to work harder (take more power and gas) to move the heavier car with the larger CDA thus dropping the mileage to something less than 30 in a Camaro powered by the ECOTEC.

Might still be somewhat higher but likely only pocket change.

As stated in other posts. the Turbo 4 is not a real pheasible option for the Camaro. the mass of the camaro would cause the engine to be constantly utilizing the turbo charger and thus reducing its efficiency and its effectiveness in increasing the MPG of the car. I believe scott at one point said they weren't going to go this route due to the issues being presented.

What I'd like to see is a 1.4L turbo Cruze next year..... or Turbo Diesel cruze :D

Foot inserted into mouth...

What about for perception sake? Okay, let's say it's certified a couple MPG better city and one or two better on the freeway, but I think more people will hear four-cylinder than us enthusiasts hear turbocharged four-cylinder. I'm just playing Devil's advocate :D

or......wait for it..........WAIT FOR IT..........CAMARO HYBRID!!!!!

And how many will believe it gets 10x better mpg then the v6 and v8 just because it's a 4 banger?

Efficiency vs size says to me anyway, not an option.

Several have said it...while the 2.0 Ecotec is an awesome engine, the weight of the Camaro will rule out any gains. The engine will be working harder and less efficient most of the time!

The V6 is the best option for a fuel saving Camaro.

Plus...a Camaro with a 4 banger just doesn't sound right at all...even one that has a turbo!