Before we get started, I'll just get this out of the way now:
1) No, the 6thgen won't come with an AWD option from the factory... that's a virtual guarantee.
2) AWD Camaro? OMGNOOOOO!!!!11!1one1!!1 THAT'S THE MOST HORRIBLE IDEA EVaR!!! THE EARTH WILL GET HURLED STRAIGHT INTO THE SUN IF THAT EVER HAPPENS!!1!!!11! JUST BUY A STOOPID IMPORT YOU IDIOTT1!!1!1!!! *throws up in mouth* (...okay, I just had to get that one out of the way for some of you so it doesn't have to be endlessly repeated.)
3) If #2 adequately expresses your feelings on the subject, please keep them to yourself.
4) Yes, there are some definite tradeoffs with AWD vs RWD. This thread isn't meant to be the place to bicker back and forth like little children about them. Honest, mature discussion is always a good thing, whining like little babies is never a good thing (unless you're a little baby).
Okay, so:
I've always wished for an AWD Camaro for many experienced reasons, but it was never a realistic proposition...
...until 2016?
There are a lot of unknowns, but it's got the rusty wheels in my head turning, so I figured I'd look into it just a little bit. Before I go further, I have to add that a V8 may not be in the cards for this (BlasphemyOMG!!!... Whatever. Let's not go there). If you're still interested in the idea as well, then read on...
We all know that the 6th gen will be based on the Alpha platform, which, of course, the Cadillac ATS is based on. The ATS is available in AWD, though only with the N/A V6 and an auto tranny.
While the 6thgen Camaro will likely be a much different car than the ATS (consider that the Pontiac G8 was on the Zeta platform which they modified for the Camaro), it's possible, but definitely
not a certainty, that the Camaro will have a similar enough chassis/suspension/drivetrain setup to the ATS that swapping some of these things around might be a feasible proposition.
Unfortunately there is no manual tranny with AWD in the ATS, but some reviewers have been saying that the 6L45 auto in the ATS shifts lightning-quick in sport mode. I've never liked slushboxes but I might be okay with a quick shifting flappy-paddle 6-speed if the gear ratios are reasonable. The 6L45 that is mated to the 3.6 and the AWD system is the weakest in that family of transmissions, but I can't find its actual torque rating. I would imagine that it probably won't handle much more than the stock N/A 3.6 for hard use, but I could be wrong.
The 6L50 is supposed to be very similar to the 6L45 and it's rated at 332 lb/ft in a 5000 lb vehicle. The 6L50 is the trans in the current auto V6 Camaro, and while it isn't rated very high, some forum members have used it reliably in some rather high HP boosted V6's (GretchenGotGrowl comes to mind). Those aren't necessarily used in high-traction situations though, at least all the time, like an AWD car might be. Regardless, they sound like they can handle some abuse. The torque converter sounds like a different story, though, as there are several reports of them failing in stock cars. There are aftermarket converters available though, and I'd want a higher stall than stock anyway to get the most out of the newfound traction.
The question there remains... how similar is the 6L50 to the 6L45? Would they be a direct swap, or could you beef up the 6L45 with the innards of a 6L50? They are both similar and designed for AWD use, so they might bolt up to the same transfer case, no?
Going further, could you use any stronger parts from a 6L80 or 6L90 in the 6L50? The 6L80 is the auto used in the current L99 Camaro. This might be a further stretch, but I only know that the 6L45/6L50/6L80/6L90 are the same family of transmissions with the same basic design. Does anyone know what, if any,
parts are interchangeable?
Regardless of which, a big honkin' trans cooler is a given.
The transfer case is the next consideration, and honestly I don't even know what type of transfer case it is. So far, the most I've been able to find that is remotely related is:
"The 6L50 all-wheel-drive transfer case in CTS applications
uses an active center differential, responding to traction conditions and assigning torque to the axle with the most available traction"
That means diddly squat other than to say that it's a 'real' AWD transfer case (unlike some open-diff brake-activated systems out there). Does anyone know what type of diff it uses? Is that the same case that's in the ATS? Torque ratings?
The front and rear diffs and axles have it easier because only part of the power is going to them. I don't imagine they'd not handle a good amount of power, but GM might have skimped on the components because it's not a performance designed system. I don't know.
The V8 (most likely LT5) in the Camaro might not have clearance for the front diff and axles. I have no idea if it does or doesn't, but it very well might not. For some of you, that kills it right from the start. For me...
moar bOOst!!!
The upcoming ATS Vsport will have the 420hp TT V6, though only with RWD. It is, of course, the same engine externally as the N/A 3.6 in the ATS AWD, which will probably be the same engine in the Camaro, except that it has some pretty tightly packaged turbos. That's another unknown to me... Would the turbos have clearance for the AWD components? If not, custom piping is always a possibility, but makes it a tad bit harder. If so, great!
I don't know the potential of this TT 3.6 yet, but usually a lot more power is just a few more psi away...
So, this is all premature of course, but to me a highly boosted 3.6TT AWD 6thgen would be an amazing car to say the least... and still likely lighter than any 5thgen V8.
Does anyone here have the answers to some of the unknowns?
If it won't be reasonably doable, then at least I had to spin the gears in my head for short bit. That's never a bad thing.
