Next vette a small disp. turbo V8?
05-26-2011, 05:47 AM
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Next vette a small disp. turbo V8?
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...-of-buyer.html
Looks like somebody at General Motors got the memo about Corvette owners being aging, denim-swathed lotharios. And to better target the sort of young trendsetters posing in Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis, GM is planning to give some European substance to the Corvette in the form of a smaller turbo V8.
That somebody is Mark Reuss, by the way—GM’s North American president who stated that the seventh-generation C7 Corvette will be “completely different” than the current model. He helped approve plans for a smaller-displacement, higher-revving V8 that would shake up many of the key characteristics that have defined the Corvette over the years. For example, instead of pushrods and overhead valves the new V8 would be an OHC. Instead of the adage “there’s no replacement for displacement,” the V8′s size would be cut down from 6.0 liters to half that size.
And for the first time in its 60 years, the ‘Vette would get turbo motivation—for a flat torque curve and more usable performance in different driving conditions. In total, the new engine should deliver 400 horsepower minimum, and at a projected 3 liters it would churn out 125 horsepower per liter while revving as far as 10,000 RPM.
With these high-tech powertrain advancements, Reuss wants to “target a very different sort of buyer for the next Corvette. Let’s face it, the current customer is getting old.” Still, the traditional OHV engine will be offered with more engine choices across the board than there are now. And as far as styling goes, it would be kept traditional and draw cues from legendary bygone models. Lastly, the oft-criticized interior will be “world-class,” says Ed Welburn, GM’s global design chief who is personally overseeing its interior redesign.
Now would be a good time to revisit those fun mid-engine rumors that have fueled Corvette concepts since the 80s. What’s next—Porsche captures the displaced, aging baby boomers by giving the next 911 a HEMI engine mounted way up front somewhere? Stranger thing have happened in the automotive world, and enthusiasts have burned down castle gates over less.
[Source: The Detroit Bureau]
What you guys think? Im kinda stuck between it.. Big 6.0L v8 = sexy, Turbo 3.0L v8 = kinda mixed feelings, 10k RPM makes it better... Big 6.0L with Turbo =OMFGWOWJIZZMYPANTSIWANTMOAR!!!
Looks like somebody at General Motors got the memo about Corvette owners being aging, denim-swathed lotharios. And to better target the sort of young trendsetters posing in Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis, GM is planning to give some European substance to the Corvette in the form of a smaller turbo V8.
That somebody is Mark Reuss, by the way—GM’s North American president who stated that the seventh-generation C7 Corvette will be “completely different” than the current model. He helped approve plans for a smaller-displacement, higher-revving V8 that would shake up many of the key characteristics that have defined the Corvette over the years. For example, instead of pushrods and overhead valves the new V8 would be an OHC. Instead of the adage “there’s no replacement for displacement,” the V8′s size would be cut down from 6.0 liters to half that size.
And for the first time in its 60 years, the ‘Vette would get turbo motivation—for a flat torque curve and more usable performance in different driving conditions. In total, the new engine should deliver 400 horsepower minimum, and at a projected 3 liters it would churn out 125 horsepower per liter while revving as far as 10,000 RPM.
With these high-tech powertrain advancements, Reuss wants to “target a very different sort of buyer for the next Corvette. Let’s face it, the current customer is getting old.” Still, the traditional OHV engine will be offered with more engine choices across the board than there are now. And as far as styling goes, it would be kept traditional and draw cues from legendary bygone models. Lastly, the oft-criticized interior will be “world-class,” says Ed Welburn, GM’s global design chief who is personally overseeing its interior redesign.
Now would be a good time to revisit those fun mid-engine rumors that have fueled Corvette concepts since the 80s. What’s next—Porsche captures the displaced, aging baby boomers by giving the next 911 a HEMI engine mounted way up front somewhere? Stranger thing have happened in the automotive world, and enthusiasts have burned down castle gates over less.
[Source: The Detroit Bureau]
What you guys think? Im kinda stuck between it.. Big 6.0L v8 = sexy, Turbo 3.0L v8 = kinda mixed feelings, 10k RPM makes it better... Big 6.0L with Turbo =OMFGWOWJIZZMYPANTSIWANTMOAR!!!
05-26-2011, 06:35 AM
#3
Why would you make it so high revving when you have a turbo attached? You'll have a hard time getting a turbo to bridge a rev range that big and still be efficient or effective throughout. There's a reason they make so many turbo sizes and why so many turbo cars have lower redlines. If they revved to 10,000 rpm, I'd expect more like 450 hp even with boost tapering off at higher revs.
The Corvette is pretty light already but I'd love to get a 375 hp version in a 2900 lb body with a smaller chassis and body. I'll take less power and less weight over more power and maintaining the weight.
The Corvette is pretty light already but I'd love to get a 375 hp version in a 2900 lb body with a smaller chassis and body. I'll take less power and less weight over more power and maintaining the weight.
05-26-2011, 06:46 AM
#4
I'm all for innovation but I feel like the Corvette has a good recipe already. I think the Vette is the perfect combination of boyish muscle car power meets sophisticated chassis and suspension. Hell, even the big bad v8 is pretty damn sophisticated. The car makes plenty of power and it gets good gas mileage.
The only I thing they really need to mess with the exterior styling a bit. It's still a little too cheesy. I say taper the back end like an Aston Martin DB9 and get a little more creative with the taillights. And of course, the interior could be a little better.
The only I thing they really need to mess with the exterior styling a bit. It's still a little too cheesy. I say taper the back end like an Aston Martin DB9 and get a little more creative with the taillights. And of course, the interior could be a little better.
05-26-2011, 07:02 AM
#5
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10K RPM? Why design a street engine that requires that kind of tolerances and that's targeted at longevity? That'll never happen. The current 6.2L power plant is simple, reasonably light, and has terrific economy of scale. I say they simply go DI, maybe some kind of cam-phasing tech, heck, improve MPG and hit 475-500HP, then just keep the supercharged variant for specialty vehicles. I'm assuming we'll see the 7.0L Z06 motor disappear soon too.
Keep the "heart" of the car, and just redo the things people are critical about: fit/finish, interior, electronic options, etc.
Keep the "heart" of the car, and just redo the things people are critical about: fit/finish, interior, electronic options, etc.
Am I missing something?
hmmm I still prefer like the 7.0 V8 (ZO6)
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05-26-2011, 07:58 AM
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In the 70's the corvette was going to have a Rotory, in the 80's Chevy was going to offer a value corvette with a v6. None of that ever happens because GM does know one thing. Corvettes are known one way... Big V8 up front, lots of fiberglass in the middle (SMC now) and rear wheel drive with indipendent rear suspension (63 and later). They will not mess with that formula.
05-26-2011, 08:03 AM
#10
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GM is targeting a different demographic? Following the trend of smaller/lighter?
A 3 liter V8 with a 10,000 rpm redline sounds good to me...Even if it still has a classic engine, the focus on the interior sounds promising.
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011...ving-turbo-v8/
A 3 liter V8 with a 10,000 rpm redline sounds good to me...Even if it still has a classic engine, the focus on the interior sounds promising.
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011...ving-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.
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.
