2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Spy Shots

2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Spy Shots. These are our latest spy shots of prototypes for the all-new, sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. As the prototypes confirm, the new Camaro won't look very different from the current model, but there are some big changes taking place beneath the skin.

As we’ve known for some time, the new Camaro, which should launch on the market in the second half of 2015, as a 2016 model, will be based on General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] brilliant Alpha platform, currently found in the Cadillac ATS and CTS. Both light and stiff, the platform should ensure the new Camaro is leaps and bounds ahead of the relatively heavy fifth-gen model when it comes to acceleration, handling and economy. It should come as little surprise that the prototypes for the new Camaro are about the same size as the Cadillac ATS Coupe.

The lighter weight will also allow the new Camaro to offer a four-cylinder engine, providing a rival for Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] new Mustang EcoBoost. Note, the Mustang EcoBoost weighs in at 3,532 pounds, and considering the Alpha-based ATS sedan weighs about 200 pounds less than this, the Alpha-based Camaro could have quite the advantage over its traditional foe.

In the powertrain department, the four-cylinder engine will likely be a version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged unit that produces 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque in the Cadillac ATS and CTS. Of course, V-6 and V-8 units should continue to be available. In fact, these prototypes are wearing quad-exhaust tips, suggesting they’re running V-8 engines. We hear the new Camaro SS will adopt a V-8 based on GM’s Gen V small block instead of the current model's aging LS3.

At launch, we should see at least a base V-6 model, V-8-powered SS and perhaps the new four-cylinder model. Further down the track we can expect replacements for the 1LE, ZL1 and Z/28.

Look for a debut of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show next January or the 2015 New York Auto Show in April. Production will take place at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant located in Michigan, the same site where the ATS and CTS models are built. The current Camaro is sourced from Canada. Around the same time that the coupe is launched, we're expecting the Camaro Convertible to be offered too.

Source : motorauthority

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Full Specification

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Full Specification. The most hardcore, track-focused version of the Camaro was just unveiled last week in New York, and we took some time to check it out and bring you our first-hand impressions. So is this the Camaro you'll really want? Maybe. It's going to be surprisingly hardcore. Many people will find it objectionably loud, stiff, and uncompromising. Others will find it just about perfect. We're probably going to be in the latter camp, as our own cars are often harsh, stiff, and loud. But we'll have to put it to the test to find out for sure. If you've forgotten, the key stats of the new Z/28:

• 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 engine
• 500 horsepower
• 470 pound-feet of torque
• Track-bred suspension
• Carbon ceramic brakes
• Interior weight reduction
• Optional radio delete--and only 1 speaker standard
• Air conditioning optional
• Thinner rear glass
• Smaller battery
• No fog lights or HID headlamps available
• Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tires in 305/30 size--at both ends
• Transmission and differential coolers
• 1.05 g cornering grip

For the full details, be sure to visit our 2014 Camaro Z/28 preview complete with live photos from the 2013 New York Auto Show. 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Full Specification.

Source : motorauthority

2016 BMW M5 Spy Shots

2016 BMW M5 Spy Shots. With prototypes for facelifted versions of the 5-Series sedan and 5-Series Touring wagon already out and about, it was only a matter of time until we saw a facelifted M5 prototype. These are our first spy shots of the facelifted M5, which we expect to be launched on the market early in 2015 but as a 2016 model. The updated versions of the regular 5-Series should arrive in the latter stages of 2014. Given the success of the current M5, we’re unlikely to see any dramatic changes introduced for this mid-cycle update. BMW M won’t follow AMG’s strategy of switching all its cars to all-wheel drive, which means the M5 will be sticking with good ol’ rear-wheel drive for the time being. 

BMW has its M Performance range for that, anyhow. What we could see, however, is more power for the M5, especially since the latest 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which we recently drove, is offering as much as 577 horsepower in S Model trim and a 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds. Extra power in the M5 would likely be generated via mild tuning of the car’s twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 4.4-liter V-8. The current model develops 560 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque, which helps it accelerate to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds when equipped with the M-DCT dual-clutch transmission. In terms of styling changes, there a few minor revisions that will be shared across the facelifted 5-Series range. 

These include tweaks to the lights, new chrome elements in the bumpers and new wheel patterns. We can see that many of these are masked on this prototype. Inside, expect an updated navigation system, a revised menu for the iDrive system and more voice-activated controls as part of BMW's expanding ConnectedDrive technology portfolio. Stay tuned for updates as development of the 2016 BMW M5 progresses. 2016 BMW M5 Spy Shots.

Source : motorauthority

2014 BMW i3 Spy Shots

2014 BMW i3 Spy Shots. BMW’s revolutionary i3 ‘Megacity’ vehicle is now less than a year away from launch and in the lead up to its eventual arrival engineers are hard at work finishing off the final prototype evaluation. This lead shot also shows the final production version, which was caught out during an official photo shoot for the car. If you're not familiar with the i3, it is essentially a rear-wheel-drive electric minicar due out from BMW at the end of the year. It's aimed at providing a high degree of urban mobility while still allowing the occasional extra-urban long-distance jaunt when fitted with a range-extender, which BMW has said will be available at launch. In the newest photos, we also get a clear look at the interior, confirming it will share much in common with the original design previewed in the first i3 concept car unveiled in 2011.

From earlier spy photos, we see the rear-opening passenger side door, somewhat like the MINI Clubman's arrangement, and a taste of the less-glassy production-intent body shape and styling. While the i3 retains the stubby proportions inherent to the minicar class, it wears them well, thanks in part to what appear to be large, if narrow, wheels, and a raked, extended windshield. According to a previous report, BMW is targeting a very low price point--right around $40k in the U.S. This should get you the basic model, which comes with a 167-horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels and powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. The total driving range is expected to be about 80 to 100 miles, while the range-extending gasoline engine will help lift that figure to around 186 miles. 

The original concept version claims a 0-60 mph sprint of under 8 seconds, making it not exactly quick, but far from pokey. Key to its performance will be lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic used for its body. Charging is claimed to be quick, too, with a high-speed charger juicing the lithium-ion battery pack to 80 percent in one hour. There is still a little bit of development before the i3 reaches production, but if the retail car reaches the goals of the concept, at a rate of 40,000 sold per year globally, the i3 could be a very attractive option for urban dwellers and suburbanites alike. While you wait for its arrival, click here to watch a spy video of a prototype. 2014 BMW i3 Spy Shots.

Source : motorauthority