Holden's new V8 set for production
Holden's new Gen IV alloy V8 officially goes into production next month...The most powerful standard engine ever offered by Holden will roll down the line next month. The all-new alloy 6.0-litre engine (news of which was first broken on CarPoint) is being fitted to all V8-powered Holden-badged vehicles.
Introduced to comply with new emissions regulations which came into force January 1, the the new Gen IV V8 is built in Mexico. It delivers peak power of 260kW at 5600rpm, with maximum torque 510Nm at 4400rpm.
Holden says the new engine's torque delivery is significantly increased at lower revs offering improved acceleration, low speed engine response and improved ease of towing. Though the engine is fitted with cylinder deactivation in its US form, significant testing and calibration development requirements mean that the Aussie version runs on all eight, all of the time.
Codenamed L76, the new engine is a member of GM’s fourth generation small block V8 family. The 2006 Holden range is the first application of the engine within the General Motors group. The engine will also be installed in 2007 model year SUVs for the US market.
The engine is fitted to Commodore SV8, SS, Calais and Berlina sedans, Statesman and Caprice, Berlina wagon, Ute SS, Crewman SS and Crewman Cross8. AS previously reported it is no longer offered in the Adventra all-wheel drive wagon.
The power upgrades have been matched by chassis changes on some models. Commodore SS sedan and SS Ute receive front and rear performance brakes standard while SS Crewman adopts performance front brakes only. The upgraded brakes feature bigger front and rear ventilated rotors.
Exhausts and automatic transmission upgrades are included in the updates.
GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney, said the new powertrain
continued Holden’s evolution as the leader in affordable V8 performance. He said low end
torque and responsiveness took the V8 models to a new level which delivered performance and economy to owners.
“The extra power is mainly noticeable where it’s most useable down low in the rev cycle,” Mr Mooney said.
“We’ve heard what our customers have been saying about useable torque and the new L76
engine delivers that well. The cars deliver excellent power-to-weight ratio and we’ve also
managed to retain the impressive fuel economy which the Holden V8s can deliver," he said.
Key changes to the L76 engine/powertrain include:
- All-new aluminium cylinder block casting
- Cylinder bores measuring 101.6mm in diameter, combined with stroke of 92.0mm
- Revised high-flow cylinder heads deliver the airflow necessary to complement the engine’s larger displacement
- 55mm inlet valve and 40.4mm exhaust valve diameter
- Flat-top piston design
- Compression ratio raised to 10.4:1 from 10.1:1
- More efficient ignition coils require less energy to provide a comparable spark
- Larger, 90-mm single-blade throttle body
- Revised and more powerful engine controller incorporates electronic throttle control
- External knock sensors
Model year 2006 changes – V8 variants:
- SS sedan VZ Monaro CV8 alloy wheels (including spare) – standard
Performance brakes front and rear – standard
Performance exhaust – standard
Leather seats – standard
Silver Grey accent stitching on steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake
handle on all interior combinations
Rec. retail price $51,790 excluding government and dealer charges
- Ute SS Performance brakes front and rear – standard
Performance exhaust – standard
Devil Yellow colour new to Ute
Rec. retail price $41,490 excluding government and dealer charges
- Crewman SS SS Crewman adopts performance front brakes
Performance exhaust – standard
Rec. price $47,690 excluding government and dealer charges
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