This is the all-new Camaro, the sixth generation of Chevrolet's pony/muscle car. And if, Euro-types, you're already prepping the traditional array of ‘oversized, overweight, over here' jibes, hold on a tick.
Because, though it might look like a gentle evolution of the current car (no terrible thing, in our book), the MkVI Camaro is all-new beneath the skin, and out to bust your muscle car preconceptions.
For a start - and like the Ford Mustang, its longtime rival - the Camaro has embraced downsizing. It'll be available not only with a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 making 335bhp and 284lb ft, but even a turbocharged, 2.0-litre four-cylinder, which produces 275bhp and 295lb ft of torque while offering an (American-cycle) 30-plus mpg.
Yep, that's a Camaro with a turbo four, albeit one capable of delivering a sub-six-second 0-62mph time. Rioting may occur in the USA's more traditional communities, we fear.
But if you're the sort of good ol' boy who regards anything less than eight cylinders as a bit fey, fear not: in top-spec ‘SS' form, the Camaro will also benefit from GM's 6.2-litre ‘LT1' V8. That's the engine found in the new Corvette, albeit with some 20 per cent new componentry.
Here, that V8 makes 455bhp and 455lb ft of torque, making the new SS the most powerful Camaro ever. No official word on acceleration figures, but expect a 0-62mph time somewhere in the four-second region.
And here's the best bit: all three engines will come with a six-speed manual as standard. Yep, that's a Camaro with stick shift, y'all, though an eight-speed auto is admittedly optional.
It should sound tasty, too: both the V6 and V8 employ switchable mechanical sound resonators that funnel induction noise from the engine bay into the cabin, with the louder setting described by GM as an ‘aggressive track mode'. Happy birthday, ears.
Oversized, then? Afraid not. The MKVI Camaro is 6cm shorter, and a couple of centimetres narrower and lower than its (admittedly not tiny) predecessor. For Euro reference, it clocks in around 12cm shorter than a BMW 6-Series coupe, and a fraction lower too.
Such downsizing comes courtesy of a new platform: while the old Camaro sat on GM's ‘Zeta' architecture, the new one uses the lighter, smaller ‘Alpha' platform that also underpins the Cadillac ATS.
That new platform helps rebuff any ‘overweight' claims, with the new Camaro weighing in some 90kg less than the current generation.
Which ought to spell good news for the whole going-round-corners thing, as should multilink MacPherson strut front suspension and a five-link independent set-up at the rear. The Camaro SS even gets the option of GM's ‘Magnetic Ride Control', the active, magnetorheological damping also found on the new Corvette.
"The driving experience is significantly different," promises the appropriately named Aaron Link, the Camaro's lead development engineer. "Immediately, you will notice how much lighter and more nimble the Camaro feels.
"The feeling increases when you drive the Camaro harder - it brakes more powerfully, dives into corners quicker, and accelerates faster than before."
That's fighting talk, but the Camaro looks to have the hardware to back up its lofty ambitions. The new interior includes a pair of eight-inch hi-def screens, and a very European-sounding Drive Mode Selector, allowing the driver to tailor throttle response, engine noise, steering weight and traction control to their heart's delight.
It may not be oversized or overweight, but it will be over here. And by ‘here', we mean, of course, the UK. The MkVI Camaro will land in the US late this year, making its way to Europe in early 2016 - and yes, GM sources have confirmed to Top Gear that it'll reach the UK as well, though only in left-hand drive.
But if the C7 Corvette is anything to go by, the new Camaro could be a cracker, even with the steering wheel on the wrong side. No word on prices yet, but expect it to be bemusingly affordable.
This, or the new Ford Mustang?
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