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A Chevy Camaro hybrid? That's what EcoCAR3 could bring

Figuring out a way for a hybrid powertrain to co-exist with the performance expectations of a classic American muscle car is a challenge that could vex that most experienced of automotive engineers. It's a challenge, in fact, being handed to a bunch of college students. Over the next four years, students from 16 North American colleges and universities will attempt to wring fuel efficiency from a 2016 Chevy Camaro as part of EcoCAR3, an advanced-vehicle technology competition sponsored by the Department of Energy, General Motors and others. They'll be attempting to use hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology while not sacrificing the performance of the Camaro, which was selected in part because the current model achieves just 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 28 MPGs on the highway, per EPA numbers. Students will get the latest version of the vehicle to work on, one that is expected to be unveiled next month on Belle Isle in Detroit. "If we still want to produce V8 Camaros, we're going to have to look at alternative methods of propulsion," said Al Oppenheiser, the chief engineer on the Camaro. "So the ideas that these college teams come up with could very easily be adapted to a car like the Camaro." Unlike similar competitions that reward fuel efficiency in vehicles, EcoCAR seeks those gains while emphasizing cost and consumer acceptance of these vehicles. The cars shouldn't look like experiments; they should look like everyday vehicles on the road. Previous competitions have allowed the teams to use whatever powertrain they desired. This time, EcoCAR officials designed the competition to concentrate on hybrid, hybrid-electric and diesel options. Competitors won't have the option of using hydrogen fuel cells as they have in the past. Last year, a team from Colorado State built a vehicle that contained both hydrogen and electric power sources. This year's limit is a curious choice, as some automakers such as Toyota have placed heavy bets on fuel cells in recent years. General Motors also runs a fuel-cell program. With the focus on cost and practicality, however, the program officials wanted to narrow the framework of the contest. "We always have some good decisions on what to make within the scope or out of scope," said Jim Kolhoff, global director of software engineering for General Motors.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro: Notes from the reveal

The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro debuted Saturday evening in Detroit at an enthusiast-oriented event near the city's IndyCar course. While the big news was the Camaro's 200-pound weight loss, tighter chassis, and a snorting new V8, plenty of other morsels of Camaro info came out. Here's some of the more interesting stuff we heard. • The 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder is the first turbocharged engine in a Camaro. • The LT1 borrowed from the Corvette Stingray marks the third time a Camaro has used an engine with that badge. It was previously used in 1970-72 (Z/28), 1993-97 (Z/28), and 1996-97 (SS). • The Camaro was revealed in a tent before nearly 1,000 enthusiasts, General Motors executives (including CEO Mary Barra) and mere feet from the Grand Prix course where IndyCars will run in two weeks. • Chevy hopes to continue to attract new customers with the Camaro and said 63 percent of the fifth-generation buyers were new to the brand. • GM product boss Mark Reuss neatly summed up the Camaro's handling character. "It's wicked fast and extremely nimble." • Reuss on the design goal: make it "look like a car for tomorrow instead of a car from yesterday." • Reuss' first car was a 1967 Camaro, and he's reiterated his passion for the car. "People want to be seen in a Camaro, and that never goes away." • Chevy North America president Alan Batey said he plans to line up a red Camaro as soon as the order bank opens. We assume he'll have early access to that. • Though the appearance is similar, the sixth generation of the Camaro appears a little sleeker and is more aerodynamic thanks to 350 hours in the wind tunnel. Only two parts, the SS badge and the rear bow-tie emblem, are carryover. • Al Oppenheiser, the Camaro's chief engineer, said most of the options (except Magnetic Ride Control, which is SS exclusive), will be offered on the inline four. The engine will be capable of propelling the Camaro to a sprint to 60 miles per hour in well under six seconds. "We don't want to ... make it feel like an excuse car," he said. • Without revealing specifics, Oppenheiser said every Camaro variant will be faster than the model it replaces. •The interior is vastly improved. We got an up-close look in the cabin of one of the cars revealed with a red and white layout, and the materials are much better. The setting is more colorful, and 24 different ambient lighting shades are available. Related Video:

Driving the Chevy C8 Corvette Convertible, Polestar 1 and Porsche 718 Cayman T | Autoblog Podcast #649

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. Lately, they've been driving some pretty great cars, and one OK car. John's had the Chevy C8 Corvette Convertible and Polestar 1. Greg's been enjoying the Porsche 718 Cayman T. Jeremy's been testing the Buick Encore GX. After a long day of driving and writing, our editors like to enjoy a cold beer, and share some of their favorites for the fall. They also get an update from a listener about a winning recipe and a new plug-in hybrid purchase. Autoblog Podcast #649 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman T 2020 Polestar 1 2020 Buick Encore GX Fall beer fun (For those interested: Shakshuka recipe) Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: