GM may offer a Camaro hybrid, no more rear-wheel-drive projects

We’ve spoken of a Camaro Hybrid before, but at that time it was just a dream. Well word on the street now is that GM has been forced to make some changes to their Camaro onslaught in the wake of the new CAFE 35 regulations. Don’t worry, the Camaro will still offer a heart-pumping V8 version and will still be built on a rear-wheel-drive platform, with a hybrid model that may be in the works. Other cars planned for a rear-wheel-drive architecture like the Impala, LaCrosse and the replacement for the G8 due in the spring have all been dropped along with a new V8 engine that GM was working on for Cadillac.

“You can”t kill something that was never approved,” one GM official told The Car Connection, who demanded to remain anonymous but confirmed rear-wheel-drive projects are now dead. Only an ultimate-luxury Cadillac has the chance of still making it to production with rear-wheel-drive.

GM is now said to be working on a plan B for the Camaro, a car which it hopes to price competitively against the Dodge Challenger, and the Ford Mustang. While we know that a V8 engine will be the range-topper for the Camaro, Wagoner has recently confirmed that a V6 powerplant will serve as the engine for the base production models.

Tom Stephens, head of GM”s Powertrain Group, also recently told reporters that turbocharging can help boost both fuel economy and horsepower. GM is also expected to have a team of engineers working on how to integrate its new dual-mode hybrid system with the V8 version of the Camaro.

 

Source: TCC Blog

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