HendrickCorvette

Our latest blog with our take on the LT1 engine and what we expect to see. Agree? Disagree? Really want to hear your thoughts.

Click here and let us know if you agree or disagree.

Jinx

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I think "display" is a great word choice, because nobody can touch it or use it yet; "power" is only estimated and relative, and "performance" depends on the car you put it in, gas-powered margarita makers excepted

The article is a good summary of what we've been told, and its enthusiastic tone is certainly appropriate for your blog.

I think it's fascinating that they chose more displacement and more torque when they would probably satisfy both greenies and shoppers more easily with a smaller-displacement higher-peak-hp engine. I suppose we can take this as a good sign that they're most interested in keeping the Corvette faithful happy with a fat torque curve and whoever doesn't like it can go sit and spin

But torque aside, the numbers look soft, suspiciously so, and I think we'll all be disappointed if the media blitz in January doesn't "surprise" us with healthy bumps. Honestly, I expect a non-trivial improvement in combined fuel economy and a 10% horsepower bump over LS3 given the same displacement, and I don't think I'm alone. This didn't meet those expectations; that doesn't mean it can't still be impressive when we know the whole story.

We really haven't gotten more than hints about how it all works; I think the only "artistry" we can say we've seen so far is in the marketing.

.Jinx

HendrickCorvette

Jinx,

Awesome response. Really appreciate your feedback and perspective. Thanks for reading and giving your thoughts on this.

Have a great weekend!

JerriVette

GM can't report all the hp of the LT1 until after the election (kidding). The lt1 is awesome!

Shrike6

I don't mean to sound crass, but, with all the new tech, with the attendant weight and complexity, I would have expected way better output AND fuel economy numbers than we are hearing now. Something is fishy.

rcallen484

Agree

millpond

I agree that the engine is a big improvement over the previous base engine. It's amazing how many hours were spent developing this engine. I'm looking forward to seeing the total 2014 Vette, and expect that I will own one in 2013 or 2014.

plasboy

I tink it's great if it all works reliably. I'm sure there will be more maintenance costs in the long run if you keep your car past warranty. It's the price we pay I guess for less pollution and better or equal performance. Signed up to be at the reveal and hope the whole package is exciting.

GoldenRod

I am impressed with the estimated power output from the new engine, but surprised at the poor fuel mileage estimate. Prior to switching to E10 in my area, the C5 was capable of 34 mpg on the highway in cooler weather. I lost a couple MPG when ethanol was added, but it was still a solid car for a couple to travel in. More than just a sports car, I always admired the practical, grand touring quality of the C5/6. I had imagined that with more sophisticated fuel management, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation, the C7 would far surpass either of its predecessors. Many would make the argument that someone who buys a new Corvette has little interest in its fuel consumption, but conserving resources is a priority for many consumers. A lighter car with more advanced technology should be significantly better in that department. Let's hope the estimates are low. If we want the great American sports car to survive, we need improvements in performance AND economy - otherwise it will be legislated out of existance.

BlueOx

Honestly, I am pretty thrilled. This is the next generation of Corvette engine and it is a fantastic foundation for the future to be built upon. Classically Corvette and yet fortified with leading edge technology and testing rigor.

There are those who will expect far more HP but, as we have seen, even ZR1 owners have been known to go far beyond the stock capabilities with modifications. So the real question ultimately is 'what is a stock Corvette to be?' My belief is that the small block foundation is alive and well and clearly shows incredible potential to blow the competition away as it has over and over again.

But beyond that foundation is the incredible car I sense is coming our way. My hope and belief is that we will see a whole new Corvette experience that will not ignore the past, but build on it and go well beyond.

Paulchristian

26 MPGs? Doesn't the current corvette achieve this on the highway? I've even heard several ZO6 owners who claim to achieve very close to 30! A friend of mine owns a ZO6 and he's getting close to 26 mpg highway....

I don't understand this suposed increase in MPGs??? Are all C6 owners exaggerating about the MPGs they are earning? If not, I don't understand all the talk about improved gas mileage on the C7.

Jinx

I have to believe that they're using 26mpg as the C6 baseline and laying the ultra-conservative claim that C7 will be better. Think about how much rounding error there is in these relatively small numbers. How bad would it suck if they said they'd do 29mpg and they fell a hundredth short of being able to say that, and they had to put 28mpg on the Monroney?

That said, if the new design favors reducing rear lift over the cleanest possible airflow, the highway number might not improve as much as we hope.

The highway number is a nice bragging point (admit it, you love whipping out your highway mileage when some troglodyte calls your baby a gas-guzzler), but what I'm really hoping for is an improvement in city efficiency. I don't know how they'll get it without downsides except weight loss, but I'm hoping just the same. It's city efficiency that will eventually put the squeeze on us; the longer we can stay ahead of minivans and SUVs the longer we can keep buying sports cars.

.Jinx

rcallen484

Window sticker on my 2011 A6 coupe says 15/25. Cruising at 70 mph on level highway I get 30. The STICKER highway number on the C7 will apparently be 26. What does that mean comparable cruising at 70 on 4 cyl will be? The interesting number will be when "spirited" driving is involved. If it gets better mileage then with more torque and horsepower then that IS a technological achievement.

JoesC5

To be accurate, GM did say in their press release that the LT1 will exceed the C6's 26 MPG. They didn't say by how much, as I doubt if the EPA has finished with GM's papers.

The window sticker on the C6(manual) says 26 MPG and people get 32-34. My Z06 says 24 MPG and I get 29-30 MPG on the highway at 70 MPH. On a recent 3427 mile trip I averaged 27.4 MPG and that included highway, city, back roads, rain at 80 MPH, etc.

I suspect that the Base LT1 manual trans window sticker will read around 19 city and 29 highway, but suspect the car will hit 35-36 MPG cruising on the highway.
But, the BIG number on the window sticker is the average MPG that owners can expect. If you read the little print it gives the range one can expect, depending on drivers, conditions, etc.

My Z06's window sticker says 15 city and 24 highway with the BIG print but also says the city range is 12 to 18 MPG for most drivers and the highway range is 19 to 29 MPG for most drivers in the little print.

So, my 29 MPG on the highway is what the window sticker says it will do. No lies. Then there are two disclaimers on the window sticker. One is "EPA fuel economy estimates" and the other is "Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle".

The EPA estimate is printed on a piece of paper, not carved in a block of granite.

red2012

if this engine doesn’t make your mouth water just a bit, you aren’t really a Corvette fan.(posted by Hendrick Corvette)

you guys will have to correct me if im wrong but am i missing something? all the talk about VVT, DIRECT INJECTION, CYLINDER DEACTIVATION (which im not a fan of) all this technology has been around for a while now in other cars so why is everybody gaga over this stuff. is it because it finally trickled down into a corvette? to me its old news and old technology only in a car that never had it before. is that the premise? BTW i could care less about gas mileage in sports cars and thats not what sport cars are about anyway.

JoesC5

I'm very excited about this new engine and am looking forward to the high performance versions specs. Also looking forward to see what will be available in the way of transmissions and gearing.

I'm not excited about what I've seen in the body design renderings. I hope the renderings are as far off as the rumors were on the C7's engine displacement.

1RedVettFor2

I'm not a big tuner kind of guy but I think with the VVT it will make for complex tuning as well as just being more complicated to work on. I had a 2006 BMW X5 that had valve seals go out at 100,000 miles and were $8000 to fix because of the complicated VVT. I would however think that a GM motor will be slightly cheaper to fix? I still want to see the outside of the car as much or more than find out all of the true performance specs. A corvette is as much a thing of beauty as is a machine judged by its numbers.

LS1LT1

Agree.




The most powerful standard Corvette ever.
The quickest standard Corvette ever.
The most fuel-efficient Corvette ever.

Enough said.

Nitrous Oxide