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2016 Chevy Camaro Convertible gets cleaner looks, improved refinement [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We have live photos from the reveal. Scroll to the bottom of the story and check them out in the Related Gallery. Back in May, Chevrolet introduced a redesigned Camaro. Now, and not at all surprisingly, the Bowtie brand is showing off the latest Camaro convertible, based on the coupe that debuted on Belle Isle in Detroit. From the beltline down, this is the same car that was so well-received last month. But above the waist, there's an all-new, fully automatic canvas roof that can be raised and lowered at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. On top of that, owners will be able to drop the roof remotely by simply pressing a button on the key. Chevy does not, however, say if this new convertible roof is lighter than last year's top. The biggest change for the Camaro convertible, though, is something we've long yearned for – a proper hard tonneau cover that deploys over the folded roof. The current muscle car's roof fabric has the unpleasant tendency to flap in the breeze. The new droptop shouldn't have that problem, and will likely boast an even cleaner top-down profile to boot. Like the hardtop, though, the Camaro convertible does benefit from the same lightweight structure, that helps trim "at least" 200 pounds of body fat. It should also make use of the same powertrain lineup, with a turbocharged four-cylinder, a 3.6-liter V6, and a 6.2-liter V8 with six-speed manuals or eight-speed automatic transmissions spanning the lineup. "From the beginning, the Camaro's architecture was developed to incorporate a convertible with uncompromised driving dynamics," Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser said in the attached release. "Customers will appreciate what they don't feel: quivers, cowl shake or an under-damped chassis typically found in a four-seat convertible." Increased refinement, a cleaner look, better driving dynamics and a more usable convertible roof? We're looking forward to you 2016 Camaro convertible. Chevy claims the new car arrives in "early 2016," which means we should plan on seeing this droptop at the typically cold and snowy Detroit Auto Show. Until then, check out the full press release from Chevrolet. Related Video: Chevrolet Lifts Lid on 2016 Camaro Convertible Segment's most advanced top is fully automatic, with refined appearance DETROIT – Let the sun shine in. Chevrolet will offer a convertible model of the all-new 2016 Camaro, featuring the segment's most-advanced top.

GM Design shows what could have been and what might be

We periodically like to check in with GM Design's Instagram account to see what they're cooking up. Even better is when we catch a glimpse of an alternate history of what legendary designers from The General's past were thinking, though those ideas may not have made it into production. This week, for example, the account posted some illustrations from George Camp, whose career at GM spanned nearly four decades, from 1963 to 2001. One of the renderings is of what appears to be a 1971-72 Pontiac GTO Judge, but with two headlights instead of the production unit's quad beams. The rear departs from the canonical version most dramatically, with a massive integrated wing. Other bits that didn't make the production cut include large side vents, a gill-like side marker and rectangular intakes below the headlights that wouldn't be out of place on a modern design today. Amazingly, from what we can make out of the date, it appears that the drawing was done sometime in 1965, which makes it quite prescient.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by GM Design (@generalmotorsdesign) There's also a very aerodynamic interpretation of a Corvette ZR-1. To our eyes it splits the difference between the 1986 Corvette Indy concept and a fourth-generation F-body Pontiac Firebird, so perhaps parts of Camp's work on this sketch did make it into physical form. There's also a radical sports car concept from May 1970 that resembles the Mazda RX-500 concept from the same year, a Syd Mead-looking Cadillac coupe, and an Oldsmobile with a cool take on the company's trademark waterfall grille and elements of the Colonnade Cutlass at the rear. Other recent posts include a FJ Cruiser-like off-road EV, a sleek coupe with the Chevy corporate grille, and a rendering of a Silverado-esque pickup that looks far better than the current production version.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by GM Design (@generalmotorsdesign) It's pretty easy to lose hours in the account, but it's always fascinating to see GM's visions of what could have been and what might be. Related Video:

Autoblog's guilty pleasure cars

Guilty pleasures are part of life – don't even try to pretend like you don't have one (or two, or six). In the non-automotive space, this could come down to that secret playlist in your iPhone of songs you'll only listen to when you're alone; or think of that one TV show you really do love, but won't admit to your friends. I've got plenty, and so do you. Going back to cars, here's a particularly juicy one for me: several years ago, I had a mad crush on the very last iteration of the Cadillac DTS. Oh yes, the front-wheel-drive, Northstar V8-powered sofa-on-wheels that was the last remaining shred of the elderly-swooning days of Cadillac's past. Every time I had the chance to drive one, I was secretly giddy. Don't hate me, okay? These days, the DTS is gone, but I've still got a mess of other cars that hold a special place in my heart. And in the spirit of camaraderie, I've asked my other Autoblog editors to tell me some of their guilty pleasure cars, as well – Seyth Miersma, as you can see above, has a few choice emotions to share about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Read on to find out what cars make us secretly happy. Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG This decadent convertible is the epitome of the guilty pleasure. It's big, powerful, fairly heavy and it's richly appointed inside and out. It's a chocolate eclair with the three-pointed star on the hood. Given my druthers, I'd take the SL65 AMG, which delivers 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That output is borderline absurd for this laid-back convertible. I don't care. You don't need dessert. Sometimes you just crave it. The SL line is about the feel you get on the road. The roof is open. The air, sun and engine sounds all embrace you. It's the same dynamic you could have experienced in a Mercedes a century ago, yet the SL gives you the most modern of luxuries. An Airscarf feature that warms my neck and shoulders through a vent embedded in the seat? Yes, please. Sure, it's an old-guy car. Mr. Burns and Lord Grantham are probably too young and hip for an SL65. I don't care. This is my guilty pleasure. Release the hounds. – Greg Migliore Senior Editor Ford Flex I drove my first Flex in 2009 when my mother let me borrow hers for the summer while I was away at college. The incredibly spacious interior made moving twice that summer a breeze, and the 200-mile trips up north were quite comfortable.