2016 Chevrolet Camaro V6 Could Pack More than 335hp

While there isn’t likely to be new official news on the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro until Thursday, the introduction of the new Cadillac CT6 with a new version of the 3.6L V6 with 335 horsepower has us thinking that the 6th gen Camaro base model will pack the same 335 horsepower – if not more.

We know for sure that the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS will be powered by the same LT1 V8 that motivates the C7 Corvette Stingray, but little has been said about the 6th gen V6 Camaro. However, based on General Motors’ preference of using an engine in as many models as possible, it would seem likely that the LS and LT level 2016 Camaro models would get the new LGX V6 that will also power the new Cadillac CT6. Should that be the case, the 2016 Camaro LS and LT should have more horsepower, more torque and better fuel economy than the outgoing models.

The New 3.6L V6
For years now, General Motors has been using their naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 in literally every vehicle that has a V6 engine option. From muscle cars to trucks to luxury sedans to crossovers, the 3.6L V6 engine has done a remarkable job of mixing performance with efficiency, but with the new Cadillac CT6, the world is introduced to the next chapter of the GM V6.

The new LGX measures out to the same 3.6 liters as the current V6 engine, but some new components and some tuning tweaks allow this new V6 to make 335 horsepower and 284lb-ft of torque in the CT6. The current base model Camaro V6 LFX engine offers 323 horsepower and 278lb-ft of torque, so if the base model engine from the new Cadillac was transplanted into the 6th gen Camaro in the exact same form, the 2016 Camaro LS and LT would pick up 12 horsepower and 6lb-ft of torque.

The Camaro LGX
We should keep in mind that the Cadillac CT6 is not a performance car – it is a luxury sedan – so there is a possibility that the General Motors engineers could tune the new LGX V6 a bit more aggressively for the Camaro. The current V6 Camaro has around a hundred less horsepower (varying by transmission choice) than the Camaro SS, so if the Camaro LT1 has 450-460 horsepower, the Camaro LS and LT could have 340-350 horsepower and still leave a very comfortable performance gap between the two engine options.

Also, while even V6 muscle cars aren’t purchased with strong fuel economy figures in mind, the new V6 in the Cadillac CT6 is slated to be about 9% more efficient than the current 3.6L mill. In its most efficient form, the 2015 V6 Camaro gets 19mpg around town, 30mpg on the highway and 22 combined. A 9% improvement on those figures would lead to 20.7mpg city, 32.7mpg highway and 24mpg combined. When you then factor in the new 8-speed automatic transmission that will almost certainly back all of the 2016 Camaro engines (in addition to the 7-speed manual), the 6th gen Camaro could make a push for the title of the most efficient muscle car in America while still being the most powerful “base” model on the market.