45th Anniversary Camaro

[Ringo64]

DETROIT – Chevrolet Camaro, America’s most popular sports car, extends its momentum with enhancements for the 2012 model year. Highlights include an improved version of its standard 3.6L direct injection V-6 engine, a new FE4 performance suspension package for SS coupes and several interior and technology improvements, such as a revised instrument panel design, new steering wheel and rear camera system.

The enhancements arrive in time for Camaro’s 45th birthday, which will be celebrated with this summer’s release of the 45th Anniversary Special Edition Camaro. Continuing the tradition of Camaro anniversary models, the 45th Anniversary Special Edition carries all the upgrades for 2012, with additional unique design elements, inside and out.

“The appeal of Camaro design and performance has powered it to the top of its segment,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “For 2012, we’re capitalizing on that momentum with enhancements to Camaro’s performance and comfort.”

Also coming in early 2012 is the high-performance Camaro ZL1, the most technologically advanced car ever developed in its segment.

Class-leading 3.6L V-6 engine

Camaro’s new 3.6L direct injection V-6 – the LFX engine – goes into production this summer. It delivers an SAE-certified 323 horsepower (241 kW) at 6,800 rpm – an increase of 11 horsepower (8 kW) over the 2011 engine, with no compromise in fuel economy.

The LFX delivers the most standard power in the regular sports car segment. It is also 20.5 pounds (9.3 kg) lighter than its predecessor, which promotes a more balanced driving experience. EPA-estimated highway fuel economy for the ’12 Camaro is 30 mpg (2LS model).

Compared to the 3.6L V-6 in 2011 models, the new LFX engine features:

New cylinder head design with integrated exhaust manifold

Improved intake port design and larger intake valves within the cylinder heads

Longer-duration intake camshafts

Composite intake manifold

New fuel pump and isolated fuel rail

New, optimized-flow fuel injectors

Structural front cover and cylinder block enhancements

Stronger and lighter-weight connecting rods

Camshaft cap and throttle body design enhancements.

Direct injection is the key technology enabling the engine’s combination of power and efficiency. It optimizes fuel delivery to the combustion chamber by introducing fuel closer to the combustion chamber. The result is better efficiency in the combustion process leading to increased fuel efficiency at part and full throttle. It also uses a new fuel pump for the direct injection system, along with a new, isolated fuel rail. The new fuel pump is quieter, while the isolated fuel rail further reduces fuel system noise.

FE4 suspension enhances performance

The new FE4 suspension debuts as a performance improvement for the Camaro SS coupe in 2012, focusing on more refined handling.

“Our objective was to create a more precise sport suspension for the SS coupe, with greater road-holding capability,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. ”We applied lessons learned from extensive track testing to better refine the suspension geometry for flatter cornering, a more neutral balance during hard turns, and minimized understeer at the limit.”

Elements of the FE4 package include:

Retuned front and rear dampers

New solid front (23 mm) and rear (24 mm) stabilizer bars

Twenty-inch aluminum wheels and P245/45R20 front/P275/40R20 rear tires (SS).

More than just new components, the new FE4 performance suspension incorporates learning from the ongoing development of the high-performance Camaro ZL1. In particular, the suspension geometry has been adjusted, including reshaped stabilizer bars that are repositioned outboard of the shock mounts. This results in more effective body control and more precise response in performance driving.

Interior, exterior and technology updates

The 2012 model year brings appearance, ergonomic and technology upgrades inside for Camaro drivers and passengers. The interior updates include a revised instrument panel appearance, with new instrument graphics and trim, as well as a new steering wheel design and a power lift feature for the front passenger seat. The steering wheel features a fresh new look and ergonomic improvements intended to support performance driving.

Also new for Camaro in 2012 is a Rear Vision Package, which adds a rearview camera system and an auto-dimming mirror to the existing Rear Park Assist feature. The rearview camera system complements the rear parking assist by providing a video display of the area behind the car, with the video image appearing in the car’s inside rearview mirror.

On the exterior for 2012, a new rear spoiler will be added as a standard feature for Camaro; and the taillamps that had been a part of the RS appearance package option are also being made standard. Additionally, a new, body-color “sharkfin” antenna joins the RS package.

Crystal Red Tintcoat replaces Red Jewel as an exterior color.

45th Anniversary package details

Launching this summer, the 45th Anniversary Special Edition commemorates both Camaro’s lineage and its 21st-century revival. Camaro fans will get their first look at the 45th Anniversary Special Edition at the Camaro5 Fest II, April 15 in Arizona. The anniversary package will be offered on Camaro’s top two trim levels (2LT and 2SS) for both coupe and convertible body styles.

The exterior signature of the 45th Anniversary Special Edition is its unique rally stripe, in red and silver, that contrasts the Carbon Flash Metallic paint. The package also includes:

Unique 45th Anniversary hood and deck stripes; badges located beneath the front fender emblems

New-design 20-inch wheels in dark silver

Fog lamp and taillamp bezels finished in dark silver

RS-style taillamp lenses

Standard rear spoiler and HID headlamps

Body-color roof molding

Jet Black interior with leather-trimmed seats featuring the 45th Anniversary logo

White instrument panel and door trim inserts with the 45th Anniversary logo on the instrument panel

Red, white and blue stitching on the seats, steering wheel, shift knob/boot, door armrests and console lid

45th Anniversary logo on the steering wheel and sill plates.

The new V6 engine sounds good but I'm thinking it needs more if possible just to compete with the Mustang because of it's weight but meh we'll see.

I'm curious about the new suspension for the SS models and the back up camera just sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, although nice to have not what I want on my Camaro...

Not really a fan of the stripe kit but all the 45 logos inside are a nice touch.

[gandhi_2006]

i like it what does the new 'stang have under the hood. i thought the single stripe was a nice touch for the 45th ann. i could do with out it but id be ok with it if i could afford her lol.

[Ringo64]

i like it what does the new 'stang have under the hood. i thought the single stripe was a nice touch for the 45th ann. i could do with out it but id be ok with it if i could afford her lol.

They're pushing 305hp and 280 torque but they're lighter so we'll have to see how the new Camaro does with the extra 11hp its putting out with this new engine and being just a tit bit lighter

[valid]

I love the attention to detail on this. It gives me a little hope for the future of automobiles-- as in, returning to the attention to detail they once received. (Wishful thinking!)

[Ringo64]

I love the attention to detail on this. It gives me a little hope for the future of automobiles-- as in, returning to the attention to detail they once received. (Wishful thinking!)

I feel the attention to detail has been lost in the modern age due to Japanese automakers pumping out large quantities of low end vehicles just for the sake of being low end and soulless so they could sell them at close to nothing. Then everyone else had to do the same to stay in the new market so we ended up with mass production vehicles with very little thought put into them because more design phases = more money into them and the whole purposes of some of these vehicles was just to sell as cheap as possible.

Sadly this has become a norm in the industry now because tons of people have bought these and now what the majority of people think a car should be, cheap and soulless (why we get looked at weird when we start modding our cars and giving them love). Then even up the chain to expensive cars this kinda had the ripple effect.

Good news is with technology getting cheaper we actually can see the same thing be achieved but with better results thus time for more planning of cars. I still see most of these cars as soulless but thank god the Camaro isn't even near one of them!

I could go on and on about this but I'll stop there... hmm, this would make an interesting article...

[Jedi3]

I'll take one in a v8 please.

not thrilled with the stripe package but I dont hate it either.

[valid]

The stripes are growing on me. I think it's pretty unique without being ricey or something dumb. That might just be me, though

[markpetersonii]

Stripes are dumb but the badging and interior stuff is pretty cool. Still don't like the Camaro on this platform though.