We're learning more about the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro every day. Chevrolet is, wisely, dolling out the information over a period of months to build anticipation because it knows how much automotive enthusiasm surrounds the Camaro, a fact that's kept its Kelley Blue Book re-sale value high since it re-ented the market in 2010. One doesn't have to look far to find Camaro enthusiasm, either. General Motors' ' CEO, Mary Barra, is an admitted Camaro owner and fan, as is Mark Reuss, GM's Executive Vice President of Global Product Development. Mr. Reuss was on hand last week during the new car's latest exposure to automotive media in Michigan, and his passion for the Camaro reflects his history with it (his first car was a Camaro).

Reuss was quick to point out the new Camaro's lighter weight, which ranges from 223 pounds lighter for the upscale V8 (SS) version to 390 pounds lighter for the base model featuring a new 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine. This massive weight reduction comes from using a new "Alpha" modular platform and combining it with world-class engineering talent and the latest in materials and production technology. For instance, engineers were able to use computer modeling to pinpoint specific areas of the chassis where a small amount of added material would have a large impact on overall strength. The result? A chassis that's 28 percent stiffer than last year's Camaro, despite the reduction in weight.

Additional investment in manufacturing technology further contributed to the new Camaro's weight loss, with advances in aluminum-to-aluminum bonding techniques and laser brazing in key areas, including the Camaro's roof seam. This type of bonding not only reduces weight but adds to the car's appearance, with body seams that appear tighter and more refined than traditional welding. The attention to detail in light-weighting efforts on the new Camaro went beyond chassis design and bonding technology. For instance, the engineers looked at the length of suspension bolts and, where possible, cut the thread area when they saw sections that weren't being utilized.

How do these efforts translate into performance, a key component of the Camaro's appeal in the increasingly competitive performance coupe segment? Reuss told us the new 2016 Camaro will hit zero-to-60 in 5.4 seconds with the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine and manual 6-speed transmission. That's about the same time a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS would take getting to 60 mph...with its 454 cubic inch (7.5 liter) V8. The new Camaro's 3.6-liter V6, which has also been upgraded for 2016, hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds with the manual or 5.1 seconds with the auto. The V8-powered Camaro SS does zero-to-60 in 4.3 seconds with the manual or 4 seconds flat with the auto.

The Camaro's weight-loss program doesn't just aid acceleration. The reduction in mass translates to increased fuel efficiency (Mark Reuss told us to expect over 30 mpg from the four-cylinder version) and better handling, with all versions capable of producing almost 1 G of lateral acceleration. Reuss has driven early production models and flatly stated, "This car goes exactly where you point it, and it is very entertaining to drive." Buyers interested in learning more about the 2016 Camaro should visit the Camaro Visualizer website, where you can build your own Camaro with countless combinations of engines, colors and options. For fans anxiously awaiting the car's arrival at the end of the year it provides a surprisingly-entertaining bridge to the real thing.