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The engine that we should be paying attention to is this one, the DOHC 2.7L LB3 that GM is building for the 2019 Silverado. It is a turbocharged I-4 that makes over 300 HP and nearly 350 ft-lb of torque. It is GM's answer to Ford's Eco-Boost V-6. This engine is the technology leader for everything else GM is doing in IC engines. Whatever DOHC engine ends up in the 202X Corvette, it will derive from this engine. Conveniently, a V-8 derived from this I-4 would displace 5.4L and make over 600 HP. Not too shabby.
GM 2.7L DOHC Turbo I-4
That's pretty good, but Honda's new 2.0T that they put in the Accord has the following specs:
GM's numbers are probably very conservative as well, and I bet it will put down better numbers than what the official specs show.
I have a 2016 Volvo T5 2.0L turbo I-4 that puts out 240 HP and 258 ft-lb of torque and gets incredible gas mileage. It's a great little engine. The T6 uprated version of this engine uses a supercharger in sequence with the turbo to put out over 300 HP. These new turbo I-4's with 8+ speed transmissions are replacing V-6's (turbo and NA) across the board in passenger cars, and now in trucks. Pretty interesting engineering and able to get unprecedented fuel economy.
GM's numbers are probably very conservative as well, and I bet it will put down better numbers than what the official specs show.
and hopefully it will sing a bit better song and be cheap like the lnf 2.0 turbo. I need to stuff one of these into my saturn sky with a big turbo and hold on
I have a 2016 Volvo T5 2.0L turbo I-4 that puts out 240 HP and 258 ft-lb of torque and gets incredible gas mileage. It's a great little engine. The T6 uprated version of this engine uses a supercharger in sequence with the turbo to put out over 300 HP. These new turbo I-4's with 8+ speed transmissions are replacing V-6's (turbo and NA) across the board in passenger cars, and now in trucks. Pretty interesting engineering and able to get unprecedented fuel economy.
My daily driver has the updated T6 motor in a loaded Volvo S90. Great motor and fuel efficient I never thought I would have a large luxury sedan with a 4. I am a big BMW guy and other than my M cars BMW is using 4”s now, that was against everything they preached in the past, definitely changing times.
My daily driver has the updated T6 motor in a loaded Volvo S90. Great motor and fuel efficient I never thought I would have a large luxury sedan with a 4. I am a big BMW guy and other than my M cars BMW is using 4”s now, that was against everything they preached in the past, definitely changing times.
They stayed away from turbos because of lag. My wife has a 2017 bmw 230i turbo 4. It lags, not awful but certainly a noticeable delay at times. The NA 6 was a much better driving experience.
The engine that I expected to obsolete OHV and DOHC engines has been labled "Free Valve" by Koenigsegg and it sounded like the ideal solution: infinitely variable intake and exhaust valve timing, simpler construction, 40% Hp increase from converted engines. The only thing is that I don't hear any news updates on it, which makes me wonder if there is some fatal flaw. Basically, instead of cam actuated valves, the valves are actuated electrically, like fuel injectors.
I got curious and checked for updates on the Free Valve technology. No mention of when it is going to hit production, but they are using pneumatic operation of the valves with electronic control now. On a converted Chinese turbocharged engine, they went from 160 hp to 240 hp. That sounds like 50% to me. The fuel economy is substantially improved but I missed the number. Cold start is improved, catalytic warmup is improved, no pre-cat required, no THROTTLE is required (handled by the intake valves), Direct injection is not needed, the engine gets smaller, especially the heads, they lost about 60 pounds off this small engine. This sounds like such a gamechanger for the internal combustion engine that I can't understand why there isn't a Manhattan Project like program at most manufacturers to get this into production. Unless they figure everything will be electric down the road, Hope not.
Pretty interesting discussion. Christian Koenigsegg is a genius, and an indefatigable champion of new and better automobile technologies. His sports cars are just unbelievable if a little expensive, (they really put the new-generation Bugatti's to shame.) I wish I could afford one.
This new Free Valve concept he is pursuing could be very important. It is the ultimate implementation of Advanced Fuel Management, (AFM), which GM pioneered and has used very successfully. Free Valve is just one way to do this, however - if you Google "camless engine", you will se a lot of variations on this same theme - direct computer control of intake and exhaust valve actuation. All very promising from a performance and fuel economy standpoint, but the big question for all of these concepts is reliability. The OHV and OHC reciprocating engine mechanical design incorporates over 100 years of design evolution, with an emphasis on reliability.
As for electric cars, they seem inevitable in many ways, but as of 2018, nobody in either the public or private sectors has really stepped up to create the infrastructure to provide rapid charging stations in nearly enough places across the US to replace the ICE engine. Not even close. In addition, Tesla appears ready to fully implode financially as Musk goes "full Trump". Finally at the end of 2018, the most compelling argument for buying a Tesla or other electric vehicle in the USA, the $7500.00 tax credit goes "poof".
The wise Marine fighter pilot and consummate car guru, Bob Lutz, predicted this whole state of affairs, so I guess I'm not really surprised. I do think we will see a lot more electric cars in the future, but they are really suited for a niche market of urban settings and short commutes. (Kind of like big streamlined versions of the golf carts in very large planned carless communities like The Villages in Florida or Ontario Ranch in California.) I do not think they will completely replace ICE-powered cars in the foreseeable future for the simple reason that the energy density of gasoline is still EIGHT TIMES greater than the best Li-Ion battery you can buy, and that deficit will not be erased anytime soon. Energy density drives fuel fraction which drives vehicle range. Physics has not been repealed by Elon Musk or anyone else.
They have been working on that free valve tech for longer than I can remember has to be longer than 15 years. It seems like it would be a reliability nightmare unfit for mass production vehicles.
08-24-2018, 07:51 AM
