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The legions of American muscle car fans are in mourning - rising fuel prices have forced General Motors to consider using a four-cylinder engine as an option in its new Chevrolet Camaro.
The drivetrain under consideration is the turbocharged 195kW 2-litre unit used in Stateside GM models, the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadster.
GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz said at the New York motor show that if fuel prices continued to climb, a four-cylinder Camaro could see production.
GM plans V8 and V6 versions of the Camaro coupe and convertible. The V6 version will be powered by the same engine used in the Cadillac CTS, a direct-injection, 3.6-litre quad-cam unit rated at 225kW.
But it would be detuned in the Camaro to deliver around 195kW and fuel usage of about 12 litres/100km (24mpg).
Those fuel figures would put the Camaro among best in class for a US performance car, he said.
GM has dropped plans to offer a low-priced, entry-level Camaro with one of the company's low-tech V6 engines. It will aim V6 and V8 versions of the Camaro at its chief rival, the Ford Mustang.
The base model Mustang uses a 4-litre V6 rated at 155kW. The base model Dodge Challenger, due to go on sale in the US in October, will use a 185kW 3.5-litre V6.
Most attention from muscle car enthusiasts in the US has focused on the Camaro V8, which is likely to be a 300kW version of the 6-litre unit used in the Holden Commodore.
It will have a cylinder cut-off system that shuts down half the engine when the car reaches cruising speed to improve fuel economy.
But Lutz says he thinks most buyers will opt for the V6 because the performance will be strong, especially mated to a manual transmission.
"Back in the old days, if you wanted a muscle car, to get a decent one, you had to buy the V8," said Lutz.
"And if you bought the V6, you got a fairly rough, unrefined pushrod engine with low horsepower and weasely performance.
"This time, the V6 in its own right is a very fast, very legitimate car."
Lutz says the lighter V6 gives the Camaro a nearly perfect 50-50 weight distribution. "With the V6, it is not a heavy car. The Camaro will be a lively and engaging car," he said.
The Camaro is soon to go on sale in the US as a 2009 model, priced higher than the Mustang but "better equipped", says Lutz. The V6 Mustang coupe is priced from US$20,235 ($25,528). The V8 GT coupe begins at US$26,825.
"We are going to be above the Mustang," said Lutz. "We have a sophisticated suspension system and, frankly, a much nicer interior.
"We are not going to try and match the Mustang on price."
