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NEWS
New Corvette V8 could power VF Commodore
GM reveals 335kW/610Nm 6.2-litre Gen 5 V8 for next Corvette – and potentially Holden's upgraded 2014 CommodoreGeneral Motors has revealed an all-new 6.2-litre Gen 5 V8 that produces 335kW of power and 610Nm of torque in next year’s seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette and could also power Holden’s facelifted VF Commodore from 2014.
Though still a single-cam pushrod design with two valves per cylinder, GM’s fifth-generation small-block alloy V8 now features direct fuel-injection, continuously variable valve timing and variable-displacement.
Set to debut as the LT1 engine in the redesigned 2014 Corvette coupe, which will make its world debut the day before the Detroit motor show on January 13, it will not only make the slightly shorter and significantly lighter new Corvette quicker and more powerful than before, but also more fuel-efficient.
Chevrolet says the next (C7) Corvette, which will enter production by next September, will sprint to 60mph (96.7km/h) in less than four seconds – making it the quickest standard Corvette ever – while also being the most efficient Corvette ever with provisional highway fuel consumption of just 26mpg (9.0L/100km).
GM has already begun a teaser campaign ahead of the new Corvette’s unveiling by recently revealing the sportscar’s revised Crossed Flags emblem, and will cease production of the outgoing C6 Corvette at its Bowling Green plant in Kentucky for six months from February in preparation for its new performance flagship.
While the LT1 is destined only for the Corvette, it will be the first in a whole family of new Gen 5 V8 engines destined for new full-size GM SUVs and pick-up trucks, including the redesigned GMC Sierra and Silverado ute, which will also debut at Detroit in a little over two months. A version of the LT1 could also power performance versions of Holden’s new VF Commodore, which will be revealed next February before going on sale later in 2013.
Although the current Commodore’s 6.0-litre Gen 4 V8 is already available with Active Fuel Management, which shuts down four of the engine’s eight cylinders under light loads, it consumes at least 12.2L/100km. The LT1’s 335kW/610Nm outputs would also not only eclipse the current Commodore V8’s performance (270kW/530Nm manual, 260kW/517Nm auto), but also match the power and better the torque of FPV’s existing 335kW/575Nm supercharged 5.0-litre DOHC V8.
At least some examples of HSV’s upcoming ‘F Series’ line-up, meantime, are expected to deliver even more performance from a version of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s supercharged 432kW/754Nm 6.2-litre LSA V8.
“The Holy Grail for developing a performance car is delivering greater performance and more power with greater fuel economy and that’s what we’ve achieved,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer.
“By leveraging technology, we are able to get more out of every drop of gasoline and because of that we expect the new Corvette will be the most fuel-efficient 450 horsepower car on the market.”
GM said the next Corvette’s LT1 engine, which has been in development for five years and will be produced at Tonawanda in New York State, will deliver as much torque below 4000rpm as the 7.0-litre V8 in the current Corvette Z06. However, at 465 pounds (211kg), it weighs 30 pounds (13.6kg) more than GM’s fourth-generation Gen 4 V8, which has been in service since 2005 – including 317kW/550Nm and 325kW/550Nm 6.2-litre LS2 versions for HSV and a 320kW/575Nm 6.2-litre LS3 for the outgoing Corvette.
Other details revealed yesterday by GM for the LT1, which it claims is the first overhead valve engine to be fitted with direct-injection, include an 11.5:1 compression ratio (up from 10.7:1), the ability to run on both regular and premium unleaded petrol and a 6600rpm fuel flow cut-off.
The LT1 will be also be produced with both wet- and dry-sump lubrications systems, the latter replacing a conventional oil pan with a separate oil reservoir in high-performance vehicle applications – presumably including the Corvette Z07.
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Written byMarton Pettendy
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