The Camaro community appears a tad restless these days when it comes to news on their favorite muscle car, so we’re here to clear the air a bit. As an external authority on the Camaro’s future, we’ve tapped our intel once again to understand what we can expect with the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro, as well as what the world can expect in the short-to-medium term when it comes to the future of the nameplate. Of course, the timeline is subject to change based on external factors such as continued supply chain kinks.
Firstly, there are currently no new packages listed for the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro. However, there will be a two new wheel designs; a 20-inch 5-split-spoke wheel design for the Camaro RS coupe/convertible package, and a 20-inch 5-split-spoke black aluminum wheel for the Camaro SS coupe/convertible. Radiant Red Tintcoat and Sharkskin Metallic paint colors are also added to the palette. Rapid Blue, Riverside Blue, Shadow Gray Metallic, Vivid Orange Metallic, Summit White, Black and Red Hot are the other available hues for ’23.
On the powertrain front, there will no addition of the LT2 V8 for the Chevrolet Camaro lineup. There was ever going to be. This is for several reasons. Firstly, the 490 hp LT2 is going to be exclusive to the C8 Corvette, as – while it’s largely the same as the LT1 – it’s specific to a mid-engined layout. But perhaps an even bigger reason is that, sources say, the LT2 and its encrypted engine control unit run on the computing power of GM’s VIP electrical architecture, known internally as Global B. The rumor of the 755 horsepower LT5 V8 exclusively found in the C7 Corvette ZR1 coming to the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro also has little concrete foundation to stand on. Perhaps at one point it was proposed, but LT5 plans simply never left the drawing board.
The sixth-generation Camaro will ride off into the sunset utilizing GM’s Global A electrical architecture. The shining benefit to this is that it will be GM’s only performance vehicle that the aftermarket will be able to tune and add power easily, without the need of a shoddy workaround system requiring a piggyback controller or an interceptor controller, as we see with the C8 Corvette. When the sixth-generation Camaro ceases to roll off the Lansing Grand River Assembly line, there will not be another GM vehicle that will allow such accessibility. If we were in the tuning shop business, we’d buy up every Camaro with a V8 that we could.
The lack of Global B electrical architecture also prohibits the Chevrolet Camaro from adopting Magnetic Ride Control 4.0. You can read in detail here what separates MR 4.0 from its predecessors, as it’s far, far more than new dampers. It’s a complete reformulation of how the system processes information, and operates on the computational power of Global B. While we’re told it is actually possible for Global A to support the LT2 and MR 4.0, there is little business case to make such concessions for the Camaro.
Back to the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro engines for a moment. While General Motors has largely determined that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze to add the LT2 to the sixth-gen Camaro lineup, especially this late in the life cycle, our sources explained to us that it’s far easier for the automaker to eliminate an engine from the lineup, which is what’s going to happen. As a 2023 model year rolling update or for the 2024 model year, the Camaro will drop the 2.0L LTG turbo four-cylinder engine variant, putting the 335 hp, 284 lb-ft 3.6L LGX V6 engine in place as the base powertrain as a result. The LTG in the Camaro produces 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
The step up from the V6 will still be the 6.2L LT1 V8 engine, which punches out 455 horsepower, and remains the most affordable V8 option of any two-door or sedan for sale in America across all segments with the LT1 trim level that was introduced for the 2020 model year. For customers who don’t want some of the corner-carving bits found on the more premium Camaro SS, this no-nonsense configuration is the one to get. The 650 hp LT4 in the Camaro ZL1 will remain the range-topping option.
Recently, another rumor came across our desk that claimed there’s a top-secret Camaro hybrid program on the table that could come soon. We have to be the bearer of bad news once again, and let everybody know that this simply isn’t happening. At one point, a Camaro hybrid was on the table for what was to be the seventh-generation Camaro program, but those plans were scrapped in 2018 during GM’s major restructuring that pivoted product planning heavily towards prioritizing electric vehicle programs. The automaker is not pulling those hybrid Camaro plans out of the scrap bin. And the company is not going to work on a new hybrid variant either, even as the C8 Corvette will eventually offer two of them in the lineup.
As MC&T has exclusively reported before, the 2024 model year will be the last run of the sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. It will be celebrated with a commemorative version, tentatively dubbed a “Collector’s Edition” package. Naturally, this means unique badging, accents, bodywork, and some stripes. This package will be limited to only 2,000 units and will be available on LT, SS and ZL1 models. They will represent the last 2,000 units of Camaro production, marking a finale of sorts. They will all come exclusively in yellow, likely as an homage to the Transformers Bumblebee Camaro, which helped burst the fifth-generation model onto the scene in 2010. Pricing is unknown at this time.
MC&T was first to report back in 2019 that the Camaro nameplate will once again go into hiatus after the 2024 model year. It could resurface as an electric vehicle a few years later, but plans are not firmly solidified at this time.
