New Camaro strip-tease rolls on

General Motors has revealed more details of its sixth-generation Camaro coupe ahead of its world debut in Detroit on May 16 – and its Australian release as early as next year.

The headline act of Chevrolet's latest Camaro release – which follows the announcement of its official reveal date and its new retro badge earlier this week is its 6.2-litre LT1 V8.

GM says 20 per cent of the engine in the Camaro is different from other applications, including its new tubular "tri-Y" exhaust manifolds (pictured), and has released an official soundtrack to prove it.

No more powertrain details were provided, but Chevy's Camaro teaser video suggests the next model will be even more powerful than the current 505hp (377kW) Camaro Z/28.

Chevy's next Camaro could also be available with petrol V6 and turbocharged four-cylinder engines, echoing the move by Ford with its latest Mustang, which is reported to have attracted 20,000 interested Australians ahead of its arrival here in December.

The first official image of the 2016 Camaro's all-new chassis architecture has also been revealed, and GM says 70 per cent of it is unique to Camaro, which is also expected to be lighter, quicker, more efficient and more refined.

Therefore, only 30 per cent of its rear-drive Alpha platform – which replaces the fifth-generation Camaro's Australian-designed Zeta platform shared with the VE Commodore – is common with the Cadillac ATS.

"In fact, the only two parts carrying over from the previous model are the brand's bow-tie emblem at the back and the SS badge," says GM.

GM's executive vice-president of Global Product Development and former Holden boss Mark Reuss said the Gen 6 Camaro's Alpha architecture was designed to compete with premium European brands by delivering "exceptional driving dynamics and refinement, as well as a balance of mass and stiffness necessary for a world-class performance car".

"Our global engineering team is incredibly passionate about Camaro, and they sweated all the details to make Gen 6 the best Camaro we could possibly put into the hands of our customers," he said.

"Alpha provided a strong foundation, but more than 70 per cent of the components are unique to the Gen 6 Camaro, including exterior and interior dimensions, an all-new interior, front and rear suspension, and powertrain components."

GM says the Alpha platform's front structure was developed specifically for the Camaro. It was lengthened to create the longer dash-to-axle ratio required for the GM pony car's iconic silhouette and widened to produce wheel tracks that deliver "stable, confident cornering", and there's also revised suspension at both ends.

"The minute you see – and hear – the Gen 6, you know it's a Camaro, from the stance to the driving experience to the sound of the small-block V8."

Chevrolet has confirmed it will reveal the Mk6 Camaro – which has big shoes to fill, given the Mk5 model has outsold the Ford Mustang for the last five years in the US – on Saturday, May 16, during a special public event at Detroit's Belle Isle park.

GM is yet to confirm right-hand drive production of the next Camaro, but – like Ford's new Mustang – it's likely to be a global model for markets including Australia, where it's odds on to replace the last homegrown Commodore SS as Holden's rear-drive V8 sports flagship.

Indeed, if comments made by GM's executive VP of Consolidated International Operations Stefan Jacoby at the Detroit show in January are any guide, the new Camaro should reach Australian showrooms before the current Commodore departs in early 2018.

"We will bring a Holden sports car in the future, in the near future," Jacoby told Australian media two months ago. "It will be something which truly fits the requirement of a true Holden sports car," he said, adding that it will "most likely" come with V8 power.