5.5L 440 HP Next Gen Base Vette Motor Info!
06-30-2010, 02:01 AM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
5.5L 440 HP Next Gen Base Vette Motor Info!
Didn't see this posted yet, pretty good info about the next gen motor on Autoblog apparently taken from next month's Motor Trend.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/29/r...-5-5-liter-v8/
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/29/r...-5-5-liter-v8/
06-30-2010, 03:12 AM
#2
E85 capable is something that would make the C7 far superior in terms of having a long term future than the C5, C6, or any other vette. That's at least if you plan on actually driving the car and filling the tank at actual ordinary gas stations.
Just as so many of the old vette engines were built for leaded premium gasoline and are thus just about impossible to drive on pump gas.....the C5 and C6 are all built for high octane unleaded with no more than 10% alcohol. ( High octane is a relative term. The Z06 recommends 93 octane which was never even available in many parts of the country when the first cars were sold. )
You younger guys think I'm kidding about the older vettes just try filling up ANY original or rebuilt V8 with 10.25 to 11.00 to 1 compression on 93 octane unleaded and see what happens when you mash the gas. ( Unless you've added octane boosters or tweaked the timing though still it's tough to get it "just right". )
Just as so many of the old vette engines were built for leaded premium gasoline and are thus just about impossible to drive on pump gas.....the C5 and C6 are all built for high octane unleaded with no more than 10% alcohol. ( High octane is a relative term. The Z06 recommends 93 octane which was never even available in many parts of the country when the first cars were sold. )
You younger guys think I'm kidding about the older vettes just try filling up ANY original or rebuilt V8 with 10.25 to 11.00 to 1 compression on 93 octane unleaded and see what happens when you mash the gas. ( Unless you've added octane boosters or tweaked the timing though still it's tough to get it "just right". )
06-30-2010, 07:50 AM
#4
Le Mans Master
Not much of a surprise based on the Corvette Racing Team using what amounts to this same engine. What will be interesting is how they implement direct injection and other technologies.
, just not in a Corvette. 
06-30-2010, 08:14 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
Well...?Again using Motor Trend as the source...Corvette Blogger says:
Sources within GM have told Motor Trend that the C7 Corvette will be one of the first cars to feature the next-generation small block V8. General Motors recently announced its investment of $890 million to develop and manufacture the powerplant. The new V8 will feature aluminum blocks and heads, direct injection and a new combustion system.
Motor Trend says the new V8 will come in at 5.5 liters with a target output of about 440 horsepower. The current Corvette’s LS3 engine is a 6.2 liter engine with 436 horsepower.
The new 5.5 liter V8 will retain its traditional overhead-valve layout ensuring compact dimensions and lower manufacturing costs. Motor Trend says prototype engines are already running on test mules in Detroit.
This is no big surprise as the Corvette Racing team recently moved from a 7.0 liter to a 5.5 liter by destroking the engine. Program Manager Doug Fehan says that at 5.5 liters, the C6.Rs are able to run a larger restrictor which produces the amount of torque that current Corvette owners are accustomed too.
Motor Trend says the new V8 will come in at 5.5 liters with a target output of about 440 horsepower. The current Corvette’s LS3 engine is a 6.2 liter engine with 436 horsepower.
The new 5.5 liter V8 will retain its traditional overhead-valve layout ensuring compact dimensions and lower manufacturing costs. Motor Trend says prototype engines are already running on test mules in Detroit.
This is no big surprise as the Corvette Racing team recently moved from a 7.0 liter to a 5.5 liter by destroking the engine. Program Manager Doug Fehan says that at 5.5 liters, the C6.Rs are able to run a larger restrictor which produces the amount of torque that current Corvette owners are accustomed too.
Last edited by vettedoogie; 06-30-2010 at 08:17 AM.
06-30-2010, 08:17 AM
#7
Team Owner
Interesting.
06-30-2010, 09:21 AM
#9
Team Owner
E85 capable is something that would make the C7 far superior in terms of having a long term future than the C5, C6, or any other vette. That's at least if you plan on actually driving the car and filling the tank at actual ordinary gas stations.
Just as so many of the old vette engines were built for leaded premium gasoline and are thus just about impossible to drive on pump gas.....the C5 and C6 are all built for high octane unleaded with no more than 10% alcohol. ( High octane is a relative term. The Z06 recommends 93 octane which was never even available in many parts of the country when the first cars were sold. )
You younger guys think I'm kidding about the older vettes just try filling up ANY original or rebuilt V8 with 10.25 to 11.00 to 1 compression on 93 octane unleaded and see what happens when you mash the gas. ( Unless you've added octane boosters or tweaked the timing though still it's tough to get it "just right". )
Just as so many of the old vette engines were built for leaded premium gasoline and are thus just about impossible to drive on pump gas.....the C5 and C6 are all built for high octane unleaded with no more than 10% alcohol. ( High octane is a relative term. The Z06 recommends 93 octane which was never even available in many parts of the country when the first cars were sold. )
You younger guys think I'm kidding about the older vettes just try filling up ANY original or rebuilt V8 with 10.25 to 11.00 to 1 compression on 93 octane unleaded and see what happens when you mash the gas. ( Unless you've added octane boosters or tweaked the timing though still it's tough to get it "just right". )
E85 is a joke. Do a google search on E85 CAFE ratings and you'll find that it is effectively a government loophole. Chevy Surburbans and such get a CAFE rating of high 20s to near 30 for offering E85, despite the fact that it is almost impossible to actually find it (and nobody would pay the price for it anyway).
As to the 5.5/440 rumors, anything that is printed today is subject to a lot of change over the next three years. But I'm always interested in reading the rumors because they can point the way to what is being worked on.
06-30-2010, 09:32 AM
#10
Instructor
I don't believe any of it. They still think that the C7 could be out in 2012. That's a model year away, riiggghhtttt. I don't believe even GM knows when the C7 will be out, what motors it will have, or what it will look like. They also need to be able to produce more than 12,000 units before they do anything. The economy in the next couple years isn't going to allow it. And I don't know what the big deal is with E85. That's mainly some fuel system upgrades so that the E85 can't eat through anything.
06-30-2010, 09:37 AM
#11
Le Mans Master
The rags are basing this 5.5L on the Racing motor. The racing motor is a 6.2L or even a 7.0L block with "inserts" to shrink the bore to make it 5.5L.
This isn't a new block, and cannot be used in a production car.
The Gen 5 Engines will have the displacements of the Gen 4 (current) engines, as they will of course be evolutions of the current designs.
This isn't a new block, and cannot be used in a production car.
The Gen 5 Engines will have the displacements of the Gen 4 (current) engines, as they will of course be evolutions of the current designs.
Q: Corvette Racing will introduce a production-based 5.5-liter small-block V-8 engine in 2010 in place of the 7.0-liter and 6.0-liter engines used previously. What's the outlook for the engine program?
Fehan: "GM Powertrain has completed the initial dynamometer tests of the 5.5-liter small-block V8, and the race team has conducted the first track test with the new engine. We are quite satisfied with its performance level at this point. We plan to continue development and introduce the 5.5-liter engine package in competition at Sebring."
Fehan: "GM Powertrain has completed the initial dynamometer tests of the 5.5-liter small-block V8, and the race team has conducted the first track test with the new engine. We are quite satisfied with its performance level at this point. We plan to continue development and introduce the 5.5-liter engine package in competition at Sebring."
06-30-2010, 10:17 AM
#16
Racer
If gm's ipo doesn't fly,they could stop production on the corvette completely or postpone future generations. Whitacre will look at the bottom line and what he thinks is best for his boss O' bumpkin.
06-30-2010, 10:45 AM
#19
Instructor
Member Since: Apr 2009
Location: Lancaster CA
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know we will have to wait, but I will assume that with direct injection and semi-aggressive cam, you don't need 5.5L to develop 440 hp. I will guess that 4.5L V8 should be big enough for 440hp.
With DI, 100hp per 1L should be easily achievable.
