King For a Day? 312-HP Camaro V6 ends short reign of entry-level Mustang *UPDATE-We love Cars

King For a Day? 312-HP Camaro V6 ends short reign of entry-level Mustang *UPDATE: "

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Chevrolet, Ford

2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6 - Click above for high-res image gallery

We knew General Motors wouldn't take the rampant boasting coming from Ford about its more powerful and efficient 2011 Mustang V6 lying down. According to the crews at Modern Camaro and Camaro5, the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro will boast a number of features that should help put the Bowtie's six-pot back on top. First and foremost, it appears that GM has directly contacted these enthusiast websites with some select tidbits about the 2011 car, with Camaro5 going so far as to post a short letter credited to a number of GM folks tied to the program - Cheryl Pilcher, John Fitzpatrick, Adam Denison and Scott Settlemire. Of primary importance in the note is that the Camaro's base V6 will now boast a total of 312 horsepower - beating out Ford's offering by seven ponies. That should allow GM to resume bragging that it has the most powerful entry-level muscle car out there, even if the bump in grunt doesn't make up for the fact that the Camaro weighs in at 282 pounds heavier than the Mustang. (See here for an explanation on why that really matters.) Nor does the forum claim to know what the new EPA fuel economy rating of the '11 Camaro V6 model will be after its engine's gets upgraded.

Both websites also say that buyers will be able to pick up any trim level in Chevrolet's new eye-searing Synergy Green - a color that was previously limited to the 1LT car. If the forum is to be believed, GM has also made the Camaro's heads-up display standard equipment on all 2LT and 2SS models.

If true, the changes aren't exactly earth shattering, but they should be enough to keep the Camaro near (or even at) the front of the muscle car pack for now. We would have liked to have seen The General put its pride and joy on a serious diet for 2011, but we won't exactly thumb our nose at a little extra horsepower, either. We'll be on the horn with Detroit today to confirm these claims. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

UPDATE: Official press release from Chevrolet added after the jump that confirms everything above. One note: There were no actual changes made to the Camaro's V6 engine that resulted in a power increase. Rather, Chevy says the current 304-hp rating was conservative and a new SAE certification resulted in 312 hp. So that means anyone who bought a 2010 Camaro V6 shouldn't feel shortchanged, as their engine is just as powerful as the 2011 model that will start production on June 7th.

Gallery: The Joy of Six: 2010 Chevy Camaro V6 RS