Chevrolet surveys Camaro owners about potential hybrid engine options

We've seen from patent and trademark applications that carmakers tinker with myriad interesting ideas, only some of which make the jump to real life. In August, as discussed on a Camaro6 forum, Chevrolet asked Camaro owners what kind of engine they'd favor if they bought another sports car. Respondents could choose from the four following options, which included the engine's potential cost premium, or None of the Above:

• 4 Cylinder, 2.7L, Turbo engine, 310 HP, 25 mpg combined, 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds - $0
• 4 Cylinder, 2.0L, Hybrid Turbo engine, 365 HP (total system power), 30 mpg combined, 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds - $4,000
• 8 Cylinder, 6.2L, 455 HP, 20 mpg combined, 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds - $4,000
• 8 Cylinder, 6.2L, Hybrid engine, 545 HP (total system power), 24 mpg combined, 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds - $8,000

The first thing you might notice is that the 3.6-liter V6 doesn't get a chance to make the roster. The second thing is that the options appear to be engines we already know. The 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder is likely the unit fitted to the Chevrolet Silverado pickup, which also makes 310 hp in that application. Coincidentally, that's the same output as the 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost in the Ford Mustang. As a new base engine, that would elevate a hybridized version of the current 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot in today's base Camaro to a $4,000 option. By boosting total output by 90 hp over the current 2.0-liter, the hybrid's 0-60 sprint would decrease by a whole second, and combined fuel economy would increase by up to seven miles per gallon.

The naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter is the LT1 from the present Camaro SS, with the same horsepower. The $4,000 cost would be a marked reduction from the price spread for that motor now; it takes $9,500 to go from the most expensive 2019 Camaro hardtop with the 2.0-liter turbo to the least expensive Camaro with the 6.2-liter. The survey options mean a buyer could spend $4,000 to get either a sizable chunk of power and performance along with 20 percent better fuel economy, or a lot more power and that NA V8 soundtrack with less frugality.

The hybrid V8 would throw in 90 extra horsepower and the 20 percent improved fuel economy over the unassisted LT1 for an $8,000 upcharge.

Again, the survey might come to nothing, as a GM spokesperson told Motor Authority when asked about it: "We routinely survey our customers across all of our vehicles on potential future technologies or features, but that doesn't mean we are going to institute them." We would like to see the survey results — the comments on the Camaro6 forum run the gamut. This is a peek into what Chevrolet's considering, though. And with the Corvette expected to yield a high-horsepower hybrid, and a Mustang hybrid on the way, it's easy to imagine the Camaro following those two coupes down the same green-power chute.

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