New Camaro 'more slippery' than ever

By CARSIFU | 12 May 2015


DETROIT: Chevrolet will introduce the all-new 2016 Camaro on Saturday during a special public event at Detroit’s Belle Isle Park.

In the build-up to the occasion, the car maker has revealed how much more aerodynamic the  Camaro SS has become following 350 hours of wind tunnel testing improved performance, stability, cooling and lower wind noise intrusion

“The importance of aerodynamics increases exponentially as we increase vehicle performance,” said Kirk Bennion, Exterior Design manager.

“As engine output increases, we need more engine cooling. As acceleration and top speeds climb, we need to reduce lift for better high-speed stability. However, we cannot make any changes at the expense of increasing drag, which can hurt fuel economy.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro


“To balance these different aerodynamic targets, we tested literally hundreds of changes on the new Camaro, millimetres at a time.”

For example, the initial design called for the lower grille bars to be set at a 20-degree angle to the horizon. However, after meticulous testing, the team improved engine-cooling airflow by 1 percent by shifting the angle to 13 degrees – a change that achieved the airflow target while maintaining the original grille design.

And rather than a traditional front air dam to reduce aerodynamic lift, the team developed a flush belly pan that stretches from the front grille to the centre of the vehicle. Paired with small “spats” forward of the front tyres, the smooth underbody helps reduce total lift by 30 percent – while also reducing aerodynamic drag.


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