New Z06 SS

[Poverty]

Word has sprung up on the internet that GM is working on a Corvette SS to end all Corvettes. The site DigitalCorvettes.com has a post by a guy named Patrick in which he lays out what little details are known so far. According to Patrick the project is definitely a go but very early on in development. The SS Vette will get a “charged” LS9 motor that will not be used in any other brand’s vehicles. Despite being smaller in displacement than the Z06’s LS7, this engine will produce well over 600 hp. It will be produced in limited numbers though that won’t happen for a “very very” long time. This is not the long fabled “blue devil” vette, but it will take the mantle of top dog away from the Z06.

Of course, Patrick also doesn’t put it past GM to leak this information intentionally. Perhaps a little rallying cry for the troops when the chips are down? For everyone’s sake, we hope it’s real.

I hope this is true to force the Europeans into a power war with the americans

 

[SRV2LOW4ME]

Hopefully they don't sky rocket the price and expect people to dish out hundreds of thousands for a 'vette. It would be a great product to see, but if its priced the same as a Ferrari, I could see a "limited numbers" being smaller then anticipated.

 

[YSSMAN]

They have been talking about this Vette for YEARS now...

I dont think GM would ever go with a supercharged powerplant in the Vette as it does go against a lot of the rules, but we will see. Personally, I would much rather have a naturally aspirated V8 under the hood... No waiting for boost, and although the supercharger whine is sometimes acceptable, its not on a production Vette.

 

[Onikaze]

Uh, the point of a supercharger, especially on a large displacement engine kinda IS not waiting for boost.

I'd bet we will see a Corvette SS, 600+ Hp, 2900 Lbs or less.

 

[YSSMAN]

...True, I suppose... But they still shouldnt stick a supercharger on a production Vette. GM has the ability to produce 600+HP LS7 variants for their C6R racecars, so why not use similar technology for the "Corvette SS"?

 

[Onikaze]

Just out of curiousity, why is a supercharged vette a bad thing?

I'm really wondering here.

 

[YSSMAN]

Its not that it is a BAD thing perse, but its the fact that GM can do without forced induction, and they have done so on the Corvette for 53 years...

Call it tradition, obsession, etc... But if they dropped a supercharger on the Corvette, Duntov wold be rolling in his grave...

 

[crimson_menace]

^True that.^

 

[Onikaze]

That may be so.

I don't think Duntov would really mind too much if they resorted to Forced Induction to put the Corvette name up there with the fastest cars that ever were though.

 

[Joey D]

I highly doubt a Corvette SS, they wouldn't make something with even more power then the Z06. However I would expect the Z06 to get more power in a year or two, somewhere in the neighborhood of 555hp would suit the car nicely. All they would need to do is do is some minor things to knock the power up 50 ponies.

I think GM should rebuild the Grand Sport, now that would be cool. But it would have to have the blue paint, red fender stripes, and of course black rims.

But as far as the SS goes, I'm not going to hold my breath. Hell I didn't even hear about this at GM, not saying there wasn't talks, but it was pretty unlikely.

 

[YSSMAN]

Yeah, the SS name on a Vette is a no-no in the world of GM. The only "Corvette SS" was a concept racecar... They would be better of bringing back names like Grand Sport, ZL1, ZR1, etc.

 

[Danny]

No doubt TVR will line some competition up.

The Typhon would be a decent start.

 

[YSSMAN]

...Being that TVRs arent sold in the US, and the "Corvette SS" would probably be sold only in the US, TVR has nothing to worry about...

 

[eliseracer]

My trust in the Corvette's "best performance for the price" was shot to hell when I heard the price they were selling normal C6 Z06's here in Canada: 98,000$.

Not to mention Elises have a 58,000$ price-tag up here.

 

[YSSMAN]

That might be because the Canadian dollar is only worth about $.87 US Dollars...

So, your Average Z06 2LZ (sans navigation and chrome wheels) would cost $69,635.00 USD, but in the great-white-north the same car should retail for $80,048.20...

Same car with technically the same price...

 

[MistaX]

You're forgetting dealer markups.

Go find a dealer that'll sell you a Z06 for MSRP.

 

[Driftster]

didn't we all discuss this in the one of 498073208943 z06 threads?

That if GM was to bring out anoehr vette considering the LS7 is a limited production "collector engine" along with the Z06 being a collector car..what they'd do is force induct a modified LS2..not only would it be alot safer and have a long lifer...the engine architecture is more suited for boost than the huge displacement ls7

 

[Ev0]

My trust in the Corvette's "best performance for the price" was shot to hell when I heard the price they were selling normal C6 Z06's here in Canada: 98,000$.

Not to mention Elises have a 58,000$ price-tag up here.

Even at $98,000 CAD, it is still a bargain, considering it is one of the fastest production cars ever made. Heck, I think it is the fastest car on sale in Canada. The only cars on sale here (that I can think of atm) that would give a Z06 a hard time on a track would be the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Merc SLR. Obviously those are vastly more expensive cars though.

 

[Omnis]

didn't we all discuss this in the one of 498073208943 z06 threads?

That if GM was to bring out anoehr vette considering the LS7 is a limited production "collector engine" along with the Z06 being a collector car..what they'd do is force induct a modified LS2..not only would it be alot safer and have a long lifer...the engine architecture is more suited for boost than the huge displacement ls7

They said LS9, not 2 or 7.

There are rumors that the LS9 is gonna be DOHC, too. Personally, I think they should throw on a fatass supercharger.

Is it possible to have a pushrod/dohc configuration? That would be interesting... Dohc could kick in like v-tec in the higher RPMs, and the pushrods could just crank out all the time.

 

[Jay]

Is it possible to have a pushrod/dohc configuration?

DOHC would void any and all reasons why you would need or want pushrods. If they made the engine DOHC if they are willing to spend the time and money they could adapt a nice variable cam timing and lift system.

 

[skip0110]

GM had some dual cam-in-block prototypes. The cam still sits between the cylinder banks, but there are two of them. The benefit being that you can independently phase intake and exaust (variable valve timing on both). I think they can accomplish this more efficiently with trick lifters that vary the leakdown rates, though.

GM already has VVT on the pushrod V6 3900 series engines, so seeing this on a LS-series engine soon ought to be expected.

 

[Jay]

GM had some dual cam-in-block prototypes. The cam still sits between the cylinder banks, but there are two of them. The benefit being that you can independently phase intake and exaust (variable valve timing on both).

Really? thats sounds very interesting, do you have some more info/diagrams of this? I'm curious where they fit the cam phasing mechanism around at the front of the engine, guess they would have to modify the water pump to fit them in.


Is the VVT in the 3900 V6 a full multi cam profile system (for lift and timing) or just some cam phasing system or both combined?

 

[YSSMAN]

I dont think GM will go DOHC unless they absolutely had to. They learned their lesson with the LT5... Not to say that it was a bad engine (it was far from it), but it was expensive to build and maintain, something not generally associated with a Chevy small block.

 

[skip0110]

Really? thats sounds very interesting, do you have some more info/diagrams of this? I'm curious where they fit the cam phasing mechanism around at the front of the engine, guess they would have to modify the water pump to fit them in.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures or more info on this. I'd imagine with an electric water pump it could be accomodated.

Is the VVT in the 3900 V6 a full multi cam profile system (for lift and timing) or just some cam phasing system or both combined?

It is just cam phasing (electronically controlled).

Here are the best pictures I could find of the mechanism.

 

[Jay]

Sorry, I don't have any pictures or more info on this. I'd imagine with an electric water pump it could be accomodated.

Yeah I assumed they would have to do that.

It is just cam phasing (electronically controlled).

Here are the best pictures I could find of the mechanism.

I always find VVT systems very interesting, this is the first time Ive seen a pushrod cam phasing VVT, thanks for the pics 👍.

 

[eliseracer]

Same car with technically the same price...

Same price? There's a 18,000$ difference. That's a whole lot of money.

And a car that could keep up on the track? 911GT3 would do some damage, no doubt. But considering there are, ohhhh, 3 decent tracks in Eastern Canada, I'd be more inclined to look at road performance, where (in what I've read) the Corvette's chassis seems to be uncomfortable dealing with. Especially something like my crap Quebec roads...

But logically speaking, of course, without any bias whatsoever, I'd take a Lotus and 40,000$ cash before the Corvette.

Regardless of how good the Vette is, you have to remind yourself of how much 40,000$ is, people.

 

[Omnis]

DOHC would void any and all reasons why you would need or want pushrods. If they made the engine DOHC if they are willing to spend the time and money they could adapt a nice variable cam timing and lift system.

Yeah, but still... Pushrods are generally more reliable than belt-driven cams, right? I know it would probably be more weight than necessary, but at least you'd have 2 cams up top to kick in for like super amazing airflow, while leaving the economy pushrods to take the beating of everyday driving.



....Hahaha.

 

[skip0110]

Yeah, but still... Pushrods are generally more reliable than belt-driven cams, right? I know it would probably be more weight than necessary, but at least you'd have 2 cams up top to kick in for like super amazing airflow, while leaving the economy pushrods to take the beating of everyday driving.



....Hahaha.

Pushrod engines still have camshafts. The camshaft can be driven by a belt or chain, just like a OHC engine.

But your comment makes it sound like you have no idea what you are talking about, anyways.

EDIT: Oh yeah, pushrod valvetrain arrangements can both
a) fail at high rpms (bend a pushrod, quite common in drag racing)
b) sustain high-rpm power (consider a NASCAR engine, that spins to 9500 RPM)


EDIT 2: LS7 heads flow 360 cfm on the intake. Show me a factory OHC engine that can match that.

 

[YSSMAN]

...When was the last time a $42,990 (base MSRP) Lotus Elise was a better deal than a $46,185 (Z51 1LT) Corvette? Sure, the extra $3000 would be nice to have, but you can drive the Corvette comfortably everyday and still pull 30MPG on the highway. The performance differences between the two are rather small, mostly the Lotus having better handeling capabilities, but the Corvette having a helluva lot more power...

There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldnt want an Elise (preferably an Exige), but chances are the Corvette would come first.

 

[eliseracer]

Oooh, I thought we were still comparing with the Z06. My mistake.

And owners have gotten 'round 27-29mpg in Elises. No biggie.