Ford revived the pony car genre in the mid-2000s (after inventing it in the 1960s) with the Mustang Mk5, but it was GM that modernized the segment with the 2010 Camaro Mk5. The Blue Oval followed GM's example with the all-new 2015 Mustang Mk6, but it won't be the only new kid of the block, as Chevrolet is readying its response with the sixth-generation Camaro that we spied here for the very first time.

The pictures were taken from a distance, so they're not crystal clear, but they're good enough for us to notice the shape of the car and certain interesting details such as the pair of vents on the hood, the quad pipes, big wheels and what looks like a big spoiler at the back.

As pointed out by our man behind the camera, these cues suggest that we could be looking at a high-performance edition of the next Camaro, possibly the ZL1 or the lesser-potent, SS 1LE replacement.

In regards to the shape of the car, it appears to have thinner, yet more rounded buttocks, together with a shorter trunk lid and a sloping rear windshield. And as if the current Camaro wasn't claustrophobic enough, the roof seems to have been lowered further, or at least that's what we get from these images.

While the exterior appearance of the new Camaro Mk6 will certainly grab the headlines, it's not the only thing that will change, as significant revisions are to be found underneath the sheet metal starting with a new platform.

The new Camaro moves to GM's lighter and more sophisticated Alpha rear-drive architecture found in Cadillac's new ATS and CTS models. Given the good reviews that both models have received in terms of handling, the Camaro should prove to be a fun ride, especially if drops a couple hundred pounds, as rumored.

In the powertrain department, the current model's 3.6-liter V6 should carry on with 323hp or even more, if GM tweaks it, while there's a strong possibility that the SS may get the new Corvette Stingray's LT1 6.2-liter V8 with 455-horses. To combat Ford and the new Mustang with the 2.3-liter turbocharged four Ecoboost engine, GM is believed to offer a tuned version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four found in the ATS and CTS, in which it generates 272hp.

Besides the traditional manual gearbox, the next Camaro will be offered with an automatic, possibly GM's new 8-speed unit that was just introduced in the Corvette Stingray.

The new Camaro is expected to launch late next year as a 2016MY, initially as a coupe, with the convertible and top-end performance editions to follow in 2016.

Should be lighter and faster than its predecessor

Chevrolet recently confirmed the 2015 Camaro will be "its final year in the fifth generation" and our spies have finally snapped photos of the next-generation muscle car.

Caught undergoing testing in Michigan, the prototypes reveal the sixth-generation Camaro will have an evolutionary design that closely echoes its predecessor. The camouflage hides a lot of details but we can see the car will have familiar proportions, a higher beltline and restyled mirrors. We can also an evolutionary front fascia and what appears to be a sportier rear end with a four-tailpipe exhaust system.

Chevrolet has been tight-lipped about specifications but the model will reportedly ride on the long-wheelbase Alpha platform that underpins the Cadillac CTS. This could enable the 2016 Camaro to weigh several hundred pounds less than its predecessor.

Engine options are still shrouded in secrecy but they are largely expected to carryover with minor modifications for improved performance. There have also been rumors about a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that could produce at least 272 bhp (202 kW) and 295 lb-ft (399 Nm) of torque.

Camaro will have an evolutionary design that closely echoes its predecessor

These are our first spy shots of prototypes for the all-new, sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. As the prototypes confirm, the new Camaro won't look very different from the current model, but there are some big changes taking place beneath the skin.

As we’ve known for some time, the new Camaro, which should launch on the market in the second half of 2015, as a 2016 model, will be based on General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] brilliant Alpha platform, currently found in the Cadillac ATS and CTS. Both light and stiff, the platform should ensure the new Camaro is leaps and bounds ahead of the relatively heavy fifth-gen model when it comes to acceleration, handling and economy. It should come as little surprise that the prototypes for the new Camaro are about the same size as the Cadillac ATS Coupe.

The lighter weight will also allow the new Camaro to offer a four-cylinder engine, providing a rival for Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] new Mustang EcoBoost. Note, the Mustang EcoBoost weighs in at 3,532 pounds, and considering the Alpha-based ATS sedan weighs about 200 pounds less than this, the Alpha-based Camaro could have quite the advantage over its traditional foe.

In the powertrain department, the four-cylinder engine will likely be a version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged unit that produces 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque in the Cadillac ATS and CTS. Of course, V-6 and V-8 units should continue to be available. In fact, these prototypes are wearing quad-exhaust tips, suggesting they’re running V-8 engines. We hear the new Camaro SS will adopt a V-8 based on GM’s Gen V small block instead of the current model's aging LS3.

At launch, we should see at least a base V-6 model, V-8-powered SS and perhaps the new four-cylinder model. Further down the track we can expect replacements for the 1LE, ZL1 and Z/28.

Look for a debut of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show next January. Production will take place at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant located in Michigan, the same site where the ATS and CTS models are built. The current Camaro is sourced from Canada.

Stay tuned for updates as development progresses.

Will adopt an evolutionary design

Theophilus Chin has digitally interpreted the next generation Chevrolet Camaro scheduled to go on sale in 2016.

Last month we found out from a first batch of spy shots the sixth-gen Camaro will adopt an evolutionary design and now Theophilus Chin decided to render a potential look ahead of an unveiling set for next year as a 2016MY. The vehicle has been envisioned with a slightly longer wheelbase along with shortened front and rear overhangs while the overall length has decreased. In addition, the roof is now more curved and has been lowered to create a sleeker appearance.

Details about the model are scarce at the moment but it is believed the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro will use the same long wheelbase Alpha platform as the Cadillac CTS which should enable a loss in weight of several hundreds of pounds in comparison to the outgoing model which starts at 3,702 lbs (1,679 kg). The engine offerings will likely be carried over with some improvements and a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline motor could join the range with an estimated output of at least 272 bhp (202 kW) and 399 Nm (295 lb-ft).

An official unveiling of the 2016 Camaro will occur at a major North American show sometime next year.

GM surprised us today at the Nürburgring where it brought along a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro prototype without the heavy camouflage of the previous testers.

With all those black plastic bags gone, we get a much better view of what the sixth generation Camaro's sheetmetal will look like when it debuts sometime next year as a 2016MY.

What we see is a much pointer and lower fascia, not unlike the Transformers 4's Camaro Bumblebee Concept, edgier surfaces on the body, an even lower roof and profile window line, and a rear end that flows into the body.

The twin nostrils on the scooped hood, the big tires and wheels, the decklid spoiler and the quad pipes at the rear point towards this being a ZL1 or an SS 1LE-equivalent model in the next Camaro's range.

This is hard to tell from pictures alone, but it looks like the new Camaro might be a tad shorter than the current model, which could make sense since the Mk6 replaces the cut-down Zeta architecture shared with cars like the Chevy SS with the Cadillac ATS' new and lighter scalable Alpha platform.

Under the hood, we'll see the usual crop of GM's latest V6 and V8 engines such as the Corvette Stingray's 455hp LT1 6.2-liter V8. The big question is whether GM will compete with Ford and its turbo'd four-cylinder Mustang EcoBoost offering a similar powertrain on the Camaro. If it does, then the 2.0-liter turbocharged four found in the ATS and CTS, in which it generates 272hp, is a prime candidate, possibly in tuned form.