Next Corvette to get Small, High-Revving Turbo DOHC V8

[vitaminG]

Dont know how accurate this is, but damn a 3.0 twin cam v8 revving to 10,000 RPM, in a Chevy???

slightly larger than 3 liters in displacement. The engine will be of an overhead-cam, rather than traditional overhead-valve design, using a dry sump oil system that’s particularly well-suited to high-performance road courses rather than straight-line acceleration. The engine is expected to feature a narrow 80.5 mm bore and a long stroke, more like a Ferrari or Lamborghini powertrain than the approach used for traditional Motor City metal.

The engine is likely to be extremely high-revving, perhaps climbing to a near-Formula One-class 10,000 RPMs, suggested one source involved in the project.

»Next Corvette to Target Euro-Supercar Fans With Small, High-Revving Turbo V8
“We have to target a very different sort of buyer.”

by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.25, 2011


Coming at you: GM will adopt a European-style, small-block, turbocharged V8 for the next-gen Corvette.
This exclusive report (c) TheDetroitBureau.com. It has been updated to reflect additional details.


Anxious to attract the sort of high-performance buyers increasingly drawn to European sports cars from the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini, General Motors is planning some major changes for the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette – starting with a high-revving, small-displacement powertrain, that will substitute for the big V8s traditionally found under the hood of the Chevy 2-seater.

TheDetroitBureau.com has learned that GM has approved the use of a very European-style V8 that will be only slightly larger than 3 liters in displacement. The engine will be of an overhead-cam, rather than traditional overhead-valve design, using a dry sump oil system that’s particularly well-suited to high-performance road courses rather than straight-line acceleration. The engine is expected to feature a narrow 80.5 mm bore and a long stroke, more like a Ferrari or Lamborghini powertrain than the approach used for traditional Motor City metal.


The Inside Story!
A very senior GM executive also confirmed that the new engine will be turbocharged, which will help yield a broad torque curve and maximum performance under a variety of driving conditions. The engine is expected to deliver in excess of 400 horsepower, which means a specific output in the range of 125 horsepower per liter. That’s the sort of number that would help the next-gen Vette stack up well against the likes of a Porsche 911 or Lamborghini Gallardo.

The engine is likely to be extremely high-revving, perhaps climbing to a near-Formula One-class 10,000 RPMs, suggested one source involved in the project.

The revelation tracks in line with a recent comment by General Motors’ North American President Mark Reuss, who recently promised that the so-called C7 Corvette, due to market in less than two years, will be “completely different” from the very American sports cars that have come before it. Since its launch in 1953, Corvette has been governed by the philosophy, “there’s no replacement for displacement.”

While Reuss and other senior executives have declined to discuss plans for the next Corvette publicly, several well-placed sources have given TheDetroitBureau.com a good sense of what’s to come. The small V8 underscores what one of those insiders says is the desire to “target a very different sort of buyer for the next Corvette. Let’s face it, the current customer is getting old.” But without making significant changes, that source acknowledged, younger sports car fans will continue to be “conquested” by more modern, high-tech imports.

Significantly, Corvette won’t abandon its more classic powertrain roots entirely. There will be several different types of engines offered for the C7, including a more classic, big-block OHV V8 designed to appeal to traditionalists.

In fact, some of the design cues of the new car will be borrowed from early generations. There have even been rumors of the C7 going with the split window of the very collectible 1963 Corvette, though TheDetroitBureau.com has not been able to confirm that detail has been given the go.

Meanwhile, expect the interior to be much more modern than the current car’s, which GM’s global design chief Ed Welburn admits, “is a disappointment.” The styling boss, a long-time Corvette fan himself, says he is personally overseeing the development of the C7 interior and promises it will be “absolutely world-class.”

Adopting a mid-engine layout, rather than the long-running front-engine design, is considered a strong possibility, though it would be a significant engineering shift for GM. Nonetheless, sources say that wouldn’t be entirely out of line, as the Corvette has often served as the technological test bed for the maker.

GM adopted the then-radical approach of using a fiberglass body when the original 1953 Corvette was launched. The sports car has introduced plenty of other features, over the years, including the MagneRide suspension, which uses a magnetically controlled fluid to continuously vary suspension settings to match road conditions and driving behavior.

When migrating from the fifth-generation Corvette to today’s C6 model, GM trimmed weight and brought the sports car’s overall size down to something closer to that of a current Porsche 911. Anticipate further cuts in mass for the upcoming remake of Chevy’s halo car.

GM is investing $131 million in the Bowling Green, Kentucky plant that produces the Corvette to prepare for the C7 launch.

The use of the new small-displacement V8 is likely to have some knock-on effects at GM, said one of TheDetroitBureau’s sources. As with current Corvette powertrain technology, the high-tech engine will find its way into the Cadillac line-up, it appears, where it would help that brand’s V-Series evolve into a more sophisticated offering, rather than the brute-force line-up it is today.

The switch to a smaller, turbocharged V8 isn’t exclusive to GM, incidentally. Ford made the move with its big F-Series pickup for 2011, offering a downsized EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 — which delivers the same sort of towing power as the F-150′s biggest V8, while yielding significant fuel economy improvements.

Mike Levine, a contributor to TheDetroit Bureau.com, and editor of PickupTrucks.com, contributed to this report.

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011...ving-turbo-v8/

[Leopold Stotch]

I think a smaller displacement TT V8 would be good for the normal vette owners, but for people wanting big power, nothing beats a displacement.

[rawr]

Not gonna happen.

[RabidRat]

The engine will be of an overhead-cam, rather than traditional overhead-valve design, using a dry sump oil system that’s particularly well-suited to high-performance road courses rather than straight-line acceleration.

Why would dry sump be suited for road courses RATHER than straight line performance? What disadvantage could there possibly be for any use case? And hasn't the Z06 always had a dry sump system?

[JoshuaWong]

Whatever they are planning, its going to be amazing. I expect nothing less from the Corvette team.

[DC5-S]

I want a c6 z06 sooo bad.. 50k used can buy you a car faster then a f430 around a track..

[J____]

not a fan of the decision. You buy american muscle for the huge displacement and power. Not a high revving motor.. but i guess it makes sense from a consumer efficiency point of view.

this is like taking a v12 outta a ferrari and replacing it with a 6 liter v8 for more torque...

[heleu]

I hope they don't do this.

All the germans are already have turbo V8s.
The large displacement V8 is what makes it...american.

[Mancini]

Not going to happen. It wouldn't be lighter than the pushrod so why bother?

Maybe they'll replace the supercharger on the ZR1 with a turbo since that already has the "small" motor. The Z06 has the big one.

[Meowjin]

dont they have to have emission standerds or something by 2014 that all cars have to do a certain mileage?

[Gridlock]

I think its great. Get a whole bunch of the corvette fanboys pissed off that they are changing the vette.

Remember the big deal about changing the flip up headlights?

I think it would be awesome to see something new and different out of the car.

[Nightwalker]

This gave me a massive erection.

[Walperstyle]

its nice seeing the big three starting to figure out Variable Valve timing, and better ECU fuel control.

[Mancini]

Let's compare some stats between the LSx and late model BMW motors (turbo and n/a):

BMW M3 (S65)
Displacement: 4.0
Output (hp/tq): 414/295
Weight: 445 lbs
Gas Mileage (mpg): 14/20

BMW 335i (N54)
Displacement: 3.0 turbo
Output (hp/tq): 300/300
Weight: 429 lbs
Gas Mileage (mpg): 17/26

Corvette (LS3)
Displacement: 6.2
Output (hp/tq): 436/428
Weight: 415 lbs
Gas Mileage (mpg): 16/26 mpg

Corvette (LS7)
Displacement: 7.0
Output (hp/tq): 505/470
Weight: 440 lbs
Gas Mileage (mpg): 15/25

Gas mileage figures are American mpg for consistency.

The only advantage BMW holds is that the weaker N54 holds a 1 mpg advantage over the LS3. That advantage would certainly disappear in a 400+ hp variant.

The LSx has the weight advantage and more power across the board. I won't even bother posting the LS9.

[hk20000]

they might be up to something in using that engine class in a different class in the Le Mans entry....and thus the homologational requirement of building some street versions of it.

other than that the current V8s will rev to 7000 all day long so I really don't see how halving the displacement and raising 3000RPM is going to do....It's like making an S2000 on steroids.

[sonick]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Why would dry sump be suited for road courses RATHER than straight line performance? What disadvantage could there possibly be for any use case? And hasn't the Z06 always had a dry sump system?

Perhaps it's just poorly worded and meant to say Dry Sump is more beneficial in road vs. straight line, rather than good for road but bad for straight line. At first I was like 'wtf' too.

[Phil@rise]

lol a vtech vette

and dry sump is better for road courses over wet sump due to less chance of oil starvation during excessive cornering g's

[dangonay]

Before the next Vette comes out I wanna see the ZR1 make another run at Nurburgring. The newly updated 2012 ZR1 is already posting 3 seconds a lap faster at Virginia compared to the previous ZR1.

[toyota86]

im glad they are admitting the current interior is horrible and will try to make a nicer one. bring back the g8, put that dohc ttv8 into it, offer manual trans. half price m5 no frills edition. i'd buy one.

[unit]

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane

dont they have to have emission standerds or something by 2014 that all cars have to do a certain mileage?

i believe the total fleet average has to meet a minimum mpg or something to that effect. so they can have some gas guzzlers as long as they have eco cars to make up for them.

[vitaminG]

Originally Posted by J____

not a fan of the decision. You buy american muscle for the huge displacement and power. Not a high revving motor.. but i guess it makes sense from a consumer efficiency point of view.

this is like taking a v12 outta a ferrari and replacing it with a 6 liter v8 for more torque...

article states theyre still gonna offer a big V8 as an option

Originally Posted by Mancini

Let's compare some stats between the LSx and late model BMW motors (turbo and n/a):

The LSx has the weight advantage and more power across the board. I won't even bother posting the LS9.

bear in mind that a corvette is about 500 lbs less than a 335i or M3. Compare a 4000lb G8 GXP to an M3 and theyre about the same MPG 14/20, same power, and roughly same weight.

[dhari]

Originally Posted by Phil@rise

lol a vtech vette

and dry sump is better for road courses over wet sump due to less chance of oil starvation during excessive cornering g's

vette-tech

[Mancini]

Originally Posted by vitaminG

bear in mind that a corvette is about 500 lbs less than a 335i or M3. Compare a 4000lb G8 GXP to an M3 and theyre about the same MPG 14/20, same power, and roughly same weight.

Good point.

Still, considering that the LSx is lighter, more powerful and has more displacement, it's impressive that it gets comparable gas mileage.

[bloodmack]

you want big displacement? get a C6RS vette.. 7.0L V8 750bhp/820 lbs-ft