Monday, May 30, 2011

Camaro Convertible: 22,500 times ... outdoors

What is the procedure for checking the strength of a fabric roof? These days, General Motors has released a video that highlights the ways in which the engineers in Detroit feel the strength of canvas roof, which equips the new Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, "open" version of the fifth series of the Coupé, sold in USA in early 2009 and that in Italy we will see in the fourth quarter of 2011.

According to a note accompanying the video, GM says that during development of the car, the power-operated soft top (which takes 20 seconds for the opening and the closing) of specimens were laboratory-operated well 22,500 times. On balance, this means three times more than normal everyday (or almost) of an average motorist in a span of 10 years.

To make it even more "extreme" test, some tests were carried out atemperature limit from -30 ° to 170 ° C and 95% humidity. "Last winter, we have also instructed our engineers to use all 80 days in pre-prototype distances from home to work and vice versa" means the Oppenheiser, project manager for Camaro.

"Their task, to each use, was to open and close the hood five times, in all weather conditions." The third test concerns the resistance to water, one of the milestones in the project of a convertible. The cars, for this test are chosen by lot among the copies ready for sale. The treatment consists in the casting of 25 000 liters, for 8 minutes at a rate of 4000 liters per minute.

By its very nature a convertible should be ready with the arrival of spring. But no, at least, not in this case. The Camaro is expected in our market after the summer. In both versions Coupé and Convertible, the Italian will not debut until September. Regarding the Convertible, the mark of the GM Group has implemented changes to the usual adjustment of the body to stress to the chassis and the mechanics of a typical model that comes "close" and is made in convertible version at a later time.

The Camaro Convertible, in fact, has been strengthened at the level of the mounting body with a front strut bar, and reinforcements at the level of transmission, the pillars, the central tunnel and the underbody. The engines will be two choices, the same as the Camaro Coupe. That is to say, the LLT V6 3.6-liter direct-injection and 315 hp at 6400 rpm, equipped with the Aisin six-speed manual transmission (optional automatic control will be available Hydra-Matic) and the most efficient V8 6.2 litriLS3 (dedicated to SS version), which develops 432 hp at 5900 rpm, coupled with 6-speed Tremec manual transmission, an option will be possible to equip the SS Convertible with the Hydra-Matic automatic, also 6-speed, in this case, the power drops to 405 hp.

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