A History of Greatness: GM Produces 100-Millionth Small Block Engine
GM Produces 100-Millionth Small Block Engine
A ZR1 LS9 Engine just produced by Chevrolet was the 100-Millionth manufactured by the company.
In the past 56 years, since Chevrolet began producing small block engines, the bowtie emblazoned automotive company and the small block engine has been synonymous with one another. In that time, every iconic car produced by Chevrolet has been known and linked to their famous small-block engine design in some manner. Most recently, the fifth generation Camaro has become a small block powered icon on both road and track, much like it's LS small block powered big brother, the Corvette.
The sheer number there--100,000,000 for those who like lots of zeroes--really highlights the durability, reputation, and potential of the small block and speaks to the iconic nature of the GM engine. It is fitting then to also consider that the first small block, introduced in 1955, was built for the first generation Corvette and the 100-millionth produced was a hand-crafted work of art LS9 made specifically for the sixth generation Corvette's special edition ZR1--the fastest Corvette ever produced.
Of course, the transition from the first small block to the modern pinnacle LS9 is a long one, filled with numerous exciting and memorable engines. In 1992 Chevrolet first introduced its second-generation Small Block, known as the LT1, in to its Corvette. This engine became an absolute staple on tracks across the globe, and adorned various vehicles from that Corvette, to the F-Body Camaro and Firebird, and the B-Body Impala SS and Caprice Police car. The LT1, which featured a newly developed reverse cooling, is still being used in races all across the globe today.
Following the second generation, Chevrolet then introduced their first LS Engine in 1997. This third generation small block, which was first placed in the C5 Corvette, was an even greater step forward. The LS engines are all-aluminum small blocks, and the first of them, the LS1, was rated a naturally aspirated 350HP and 365 lb ft of torque--numbers that, today, are still incredibly impressive for a naturally aspirated 5.7L engine. The LS engine was then featured, in some form, in numerous different vehicles and even had a more powerful, LS6 version introduced in the C5 Z06 Corvette in 2001. This LS6 featured the same 5.7L displacement as its LS1 brethren, but put out a stomach churning 405HP and 400 lb ft of torque.
Those numbers were fairly mind-shattering for a naturally aspirated engine of the LS6's size and weight, at least, until 2005 when the first of the fourth generation small block was released. In 2005 the Corvette went from its fifth generation vehicle to the now current sixth generation, and with the change in body also came the biggest change: the introduction of the Chevrolet LS2. The LS2 was almost identical to the LS6 engine in performance and displacement, but also featured a much more even Torque curve through-out the RPM range, and had the potential to be modified for incredible gains. It was from this base LS2 that the LS7--the now revered 505HP and 470 lb ft torque monster--was produced and introduced to the 2006 Corvette. Just one year after the update of the small block, this engine seemed to be where everything was building, and the Z06 became the undeniable greatest performance bang for the buck on the globe. Within the year, there were Z06's running against quarter-million dollar European exotics on racetracks all across the globe, and each one came with the distinctive sound and tone that only a Chevrolet small block V8 can deliver through the exhaust.
Of course, Chevrolet wasn't finished there (thankfully, they're dedicated to the production of envelope-pushing performance machines) and we saw such engines as the 430HP LS3 (now outfitting the base-level C6 Corvette and the Chevrolet Camaro SS), the LSA (a 556HP Supercharged monster that can be found in the world's fastest production sedan, the Cadillac CTS-V and will also hit the streets in the body of the new super-Camaro ZL1 this year), and the engine that would be made as number 100,000,000--the LS9.
The LS9 is an absolute marvel worth talking about as well, especially considering that everything before it brought us to this point. The LS9, which can only be found in the top of the line Corvette ZR1, produces an amazing supercharged 6.2L engine based on the LS3 block and putting out a ferocious 638bhp and 604 lb ft of torque. Those numbers, in combination with the Corvette's lightweight body and wide, aggressive stance, have produced a vehicle that runs track times that best it's $250,000+ competitors. Today, the ZR1 is the undeniable greatest bargain on wheels that exists for the performance minded consumer, and, as such, is the only engine fitting to be given the designation as number 100,000,000 of its kind.
Of course, Chevrolet's not stopping at 100,000,000 and the future of the small block engine holds a great deal of excitement. Already, official reports have come out that Chevrolet is updating their engine for the seventh-generation of their Corvette, and we may see the introduction of such features as direct injection and an upgraded combustion chamber design, as well as the improved performance and efficiency numbers to match. GM enthusiasts should expect to see the next small block engine first hit the streets in the C7 Corvette, scheduled for release some time in 2014.
American Racing Headers for the 2010+ Camaro
The question, as with many in the car scene, has been answered a hundred times over: which is better- long tube headers or short tube headers? Before we go there, and anger thousands worldwide over the internet, we'll also be discussing the hot topic questions of running catalytic converters versus not running catalytic converters, and why the header manufacturer X-pipe is needed when installing long tube headers. We've been eyeing the headers from Camaro American Racing Headers for a little while now, and decided it was time to do an informative investigation.
The first question that should be addressed is user specific, and really depends on where (and if) the car is going to be registered. There are a few important questions that should immediately come to mind when beginning down the thought road of whether or not to modify your exhaust. First and foremost, is it legal to change the factory equipped exhaust set up in the state/county/region/province the car will be registered in? There are some states and counties that have extremely strict emissions laws; the first coming to mind is California and most major populated areas. We're not here to debate whether there are or are not ways around these laws, as anyone in the automotive world for any length of time has usually heard of or seen ways around them before. We're here to discuss the legally correct and proper way to go about modifying the exhaust on a car. In most places, a catalytic converter (I will be using 'cat' for short, as it is much easier on the eyes and ears, and your authors hands) is required, sometimes two, sometimes more. The primary purpose of a catalytic converter is to help dampen sound, collect/filter/burn pollution causing discharges from your engine, and to generally help the earth keep us around a little while longer while we drive around in our carbon emitting cars. So, with that in mind, removing your cat(s), might net you some frowny points with Green Peace. Also, if you're going to be racing the car, you can for most intent and purposes forget about cats. Catalytic converters are usually nonexistent in the racing community for the majority of all races, and are generally not required for 99% of all sanctioning bodies (stock classes being the exception along with some manufacturer specific events).
So now that we've touched on the catalytic converters and legality issues, we can move on to the real meat of the article: long tube vs short tube. The question really boils down to a few simple problems. Long tube headers- more often than not- will have clearance issues with either the ground, or other components in the engine bay. Whether or not you are willing to invest the time, energy, and money into the extra gains that could be netted by long tube headers is a decision to be left up to you. The general consensus from numerous sources around the scene and long time standing beliefs are that long tube headers are better and deliver more power. Conventional wisdom agrees, although there are misconceptions and as always exceptions. The idea behind long tube headers in basic terms is, generally speaking, the longer the primaries, the better the scavenging effect. For those of you who don't know what the scavenging effect is, it is (simply put) the effect hot gases leaving a space (we'll just say exhaust side of the engine) have when they enter a cooler space, and "propel" themselves out to the cooler spaces. So, the better the scavenging effect is on the headers, the better the manifold or headers can pull air through and effectively makes more power out of the engine. More air = more power. There is an excellent description of scavenging in reference to automotive exhaust manifolds on Wikipedia. So, with scavenging in effect, and longer –TUNED- headers being more efficient, it would seem that this would be the obvious choice to go with.
Here's the catch.
One of the major drawbacks to long tube headers is a simple clearance issue. Long tube headers are notorious for caressing speed bumps, railroad tracks, etc with their long fingers. Between that and the install being notoriously a bigger PITA than short tube headers, it is a bigger decision than just power. If the car is going to be a street car, especially a daily driver, then it might be a good idea to stick with short tube headers, especially on something that's going to see a lot of street time. The next debatable issue is going to be the install. To install long tube headers, it is not only a recommendation but usually required that you use an aftermarket x-pipe for the collector. By utilizing long tube headers, they are going to be longer than the factory exhaust, and will overlap where the factory cats used to reside. So, the header install went from being a simple header replacement to being a full on exhaust replacement (not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but definitely of note to consider BEFORE the fact). Also, by using the aftermarket X-pipe, you will be losing the factory cats- also something to think about for the price tag and the legality issue. In some instances, like with the Camaro Headers or the Corvette American Racing Headers, just installing Headers, Long Tube or Short Tube removes your cats (as the OEM Cats are on the Exhaust Manifold, see below). Installing long tube headers also usually comes with the added space that was taken up by nothing- usually intentionally by the manufacturer to aid in cooling- and is now taken up by the primaries. This doesn't sound like much of an issue, but actually by taking up once empty space with now fire containing primaries off of the engine, the overall under hood temps will usually increase due to their now being less space for cool air to flow through. This means other components in the vicinity will be experiencing hotter temperatures all the time now, causing premature wear or the possibility of melting as has been attested to by prematurely cracked/melted spark plug wires, higher temperatures under near and around the brake/slave cylinder, steering components among numerous other under hood components. There are solutions to these issues that can be applied, such as ceramic coating, installing heat shields, and can be done when necessary.
Short tube headers on the other hand can be installed without some of the drawbacks to the install process for a few horses less. This is completely an end user judgment call, but for legality issues- particularly if the car will be registered in an area where emissions requirements are strict, short tube headers are usually a safer bet to roll the dice with, so to speak, when concerning Johnny Law. Short tube headers generally don't produce the highest numbers and broader curves (in both HP and torque) that long tube headers can produce. They are however, still an exceptional way to increase power over the restrictive factory cast manifold. However, it should be noted again that there are always exceptions. Also of note, usually short tube headers retain the factory exhaust do not require the headers Manufacturers X Pipe because they will connect right up where the stock H pipe or Pipe begins. In many applications you will still have the Cat issue as they would of come out with the OEM Headers and still require you to purchase an X Pipe with Cats.
However, while we're here, and what I'm sure you've been dying for your author to get at is the American Racing Headers for the new Camaro. These guys take a lot of the issues that I've presented earlier and simplify them. Making clearance issues lesser, and taking things like having to ditch the factory exhaust with long tubes a thing of the past. American Racing Headers provides an X-pipe with a cat or no cat option for their long tubes, and as the ARH exhaust pieces finish their run, they taper down to 2 ½ inch ID to mate perfectly with the factory muffler system. They actually took the liberty of dyno testing the middle diameter primary option (1 7/8"), with the use of cats, and the end of the factory exhaust and produced a claimed 50 RWHP and 45 lb/ft over stock with a tune. Not too shabby. The system is produced with 3/8" thick flanges, TIG welded and hand ported inlets. The quality that these guys build their systems with is excellent. Everything they make is made out of 304 Stainless Steel, and comes with grade 8 hardware and OEM style band clamps. The entire system comes in a 3" standard, until the end as mentioned before. They have primaries available in sizes from 13/4", 1 7/8", and 2". They also do custom jobs and race set ups where everything can be made much larger- up to 4" for race applications. Overall the pieces that we've seen in the past from American Racing Headers have been of great quality and they have excellent customer service and a reputation for producing some of the best headers on the market today.
2012 Camaro Z28 to possibly have Vented Hood?
The speculation has been rampant about the 2012 Camaro Z28 and how it seemed to have a hood vent in the spy photos from numerous sources. Well, as of about a week ago, dealers were confirmed nationally that production on the new "HP Edition" Camaro Z28 will begin on January 1st, 2012. It will feature the louver/slat design that was seen in the leaked/spied photos over the past couple of months. It was brought to our attention by a couple of members on the camaro5.com forum (Luce MI and macalot) that the hood on the new Camaro bears a very striking resemblance to the hood on the CTS-V race coupe by Cadillac. It seems that there are a few similarities between the two cars that have been noted by Car and Driver- namely the 6.2 liter LSA powerplant, which is rated at 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. Sounds like good stuff to us. The brakes quite possibly are also a close variant of the mammoth stoppers found on the CTS-V. The exterior styling is confirmed by Chevy to have a more aggressive grill and possibly a number of smaller aesthetic touches such as a slightly more sculpted rocker panel, and rear fascia sporting quad exhaust tips. Until the real pictures come out… keep an eye on this guy. It's sure to be a mean one…
Pictures are property of their respective owners and are for informational purposes only. 2012 Camaro Prototype pictures from caranddriver.com and CTS-V Race Coupe pictures from camaro5.com.
The Havoc Camaro – An Exercise in Cool
I really enjoy sharing articles with you concerning certain products I've had the pleasure of seeing in person, and this newest one is one of the coolest. Created by the folks over at Innovative Vehicle Solutions, the Camaro Havoc body kit for the Camaro is, without question, one of the coolest, and most well put together body kits I've seen for a Camaro. We've had icy weather where I live all week, but yesterday it was nice enough finally that I decided to take the Camaro out for a spin (she hadn't had a chance to stretch her legs for a couple of weeks, thanks to the weather, and I was worried about her a little bit). While navigating less than savory road conditions, however, I came across another Camaro owner who was, admittedly, doing the exact same thing I was. Only, their Camaro looked different: a lot different. I managed to corrall them in to a gas station parking lot to get a chance to talk to them, and I quickly found out why - the Havoc body kit.
Note: I didn't have a Camera with me, so all pictures I'm using are taken from various other Camaro owners with Havoc kits that I've found online (mostly through the Camaro forum communities).
The thing looked fantastic. It was sleek and aggressive, and really highlighted the best aspects of the Camaro's curves in an undeniable way, and I knew I had to do some more research. The thing, you see, I'm always pretty skeptical with body kits. I've seen some (Extreme Dimension's line of Duraflex body kits) where the quality is atrocious, and the pieces don't hardly ever fit in the proper way. I've seen others, like some of the complete dry carbon kits that are out there, where the price really is not justifiable ($12-14k for a complete body kit, in some cases!). Yeah, sure, dry carbon is strong and lightweight, but is it worth the money. Of course, upon seeing the Havoc kit, I was certain that it would probably reach the upper echelon of pricing for non Dry Carbon body kits, but was pleasantly surprised when I found its pricing online.
The kit itself is cool and sleek, and the black chrome wheels, rear diffuser, and rear spoiler were the obvious highlights of it for me. The side rockers and front chin were also great looking, don't get me wrong, but their greatest aspects were their subtlety and poise, as opposed to the truly powerful look the other body pieces gave the vehicle. The kit seemed to be designed flawlessly, also, as each body piece fit perfectly flush against the vehicle, and nowhere was there any sign of an installation struggle (on some Duraflex kits I've seen installed bits of nothing can be seen between the vehicle body and the aftermarket pieces, which lend itself to a very obvious sense of poor production). The Camaro I had the pleasure of spending some time checking out had had its kit installed and painted at a body shop local, and they had done a fantastic job with the vehicle. The striping continuation, apparently purchased as part of the Havoc kit, blended the Rear Spoiler in perfectly with the Cyber Gray Metallic and Black Striped Camaro. All in all, the body kit itself was impressive, and while I may not purchase the entire thing immediately, I'm definitely going to invest in a Camaro Havoc Rear Spoiler and the Havoc Rear Diffuser for myself (I'd like to do the entire kit, but may wait off a bit. The Camaro Havoc Wheels would be the obvious next purchase, and at just around $1000 they're more affordable than most wheel kits I see out there). If you're in the market for a body kit for your Camaro, I would definitely check out the Havoc kit, as this thing is a work of art that compliments the best aspects of the Camaro in a very impressive manner.
On a side note, the Camaro I saw didn't have the Camaro Havoc interior installed, but it appears that IVS also has a complete interior leather upholstery set. The kit would need to be upholstered by a local shop, but the look of the kit is fantastic in the pictures I've seen of it. The two-tone, complete leather kit looks like the sort of interior modification bit that could really spice up the Camaro's appearance and turn some eyes. Ultimately, I think it depends upon the quality of the leather itself to see if it's worth the money, but if the quality of the rest of their products is any indication, the interior upholstery kit has to be pretty nice.
Another interesting thing to note is the Rear View Back-up Camera System that IVS offers. Again, I didn't see it installed, but it looks like a really nice addition for the Camaro (especially if you have a rear diffuser installed). I imagine that's another modification piece I'll be certain to get for my baby, too.
Camaro Z28 Confirmed and Discussed
That's right, this bad boy's officially official now! Earlier this week Chevrolet called together representatives from its various Dealerships to have a little chat with them, and one of those dealerships (one Ms. BeckyD from Rodger's Chevrolet) has decided to share the good news with the Camaro loving public. The Z28, or the 'HP Model' as they refer to it in house, will be an absolute monster, outfitted (officially now) with a 6.2L Supercharged engine (can anyone say LSA?) and a lot of other goodies, and will begin its production in Janurary of 2012. The official news is that the Z28 will have these wonderful performance modifications with it:
- 2012 Camaro Z28 production begins January 1, 2012
- Internally referred to as the "HP Model"
- 6.2L supercharged engine
- Magnetic Ride suspension
- 285F / 330R tires
- Hood design to have louvre/slat design seen in spy photos (dealers in attendance were shown a gray Z28 model)
- Slight (not major) updates to the interior, with some brighter trimwork
Let's consider some of these things real quick. The 6.2L Supercharged engine is almost, without question, the same LSA that's in the Cadillac CTS-V. That LSA puts out 556HP in the Cadillac, and is easily good for a lot more. Maybe Chevrolet will tune it down a little bit for the Z28 release, maybe not, only time will tell, but either way the Camaro-loving crowd now has knowledge of the engine's incredible potential. The next thing on the list might be the most exciting of them all: Magnetic Ride Suspension(MRC, or Magnetic Ride Control as it's typically known)! MRC utilizes magneto-rheological fluid0based actuators in the suspension to provide the vehicle with a powerful, adaptive, and incredibly responsive race suspension that offers the vehicle an enhanced range of soft-to-firm damping capabilities, as well as real-time traction control functions. MRC is the same type of suspension system used in the Corvette and the CTS-V, and has been praised world-round for its incredible feel and responsiveness. The tires mentioned are incredibly intriguing as well, as a 285/330 configuration is just sick. The Camaro, currently, can't fit larger than 315 in the rear without having the wheel protrude from the well a bit, either, which means that the Z28 will almost undoubtedly be outfitted with widened rear quarter-panels as a means of fitting those wheels comfortably within the vehicle's body. The wider wheels (which are comparable to the wheel widths found on Corvettes) should really provide the Camaro Z28 with the grip necessary to hold the road as it pushes all 556(maybe) of its HP through the wheels and to the pavement. Ultimately, with the combination of GM's greatest race technologies and their greatest looking body, the Camaro Z28 should end up an absolute monster of a vehicle that will tear apart its competition with relative ease.
Just in Case you had Forgotten about the Z28…
Camaro5 teamed up with Brenda Priddy & Co. to bring us another image of the future Mustang killing machine, this time taking test runs in the snow. There's not much more to say with this photo, honestly, other than the fact that the car looks gorgeous (still). The fact that Chevrolet has continued to test it in all various sorts of conditions, too, speaks volumes to their commitment to providing a top-notch performance machine, and should inspire confidence in the Z28's future.
All in all, seeing the Z28 is always a good thing, because it proves to us that yes it's real, and no, we're not just dreaming (pinch me).
New Camaro Z28 Nurburgring Testing Video
This video, the most recent of the Camaro Z28 spy footage, shows a lot of what we've seen already, and some new bits too. Obviously taken by the same group of individuals who provided us all with the first two Camaro Z28 spy videos, this one also has some fantastic moments of the Camo-wrapped Z28 rounding wide bends at the Nurburgring. I'm starting to be less satisfied by these videos then I was at first, though, and really want some more official word from Chevrolet concerning the Z28's performance. Sadly, those numbers will be a little ways out, so until then my Z28 desire must be satiated by videos like this one. It's definitely worth a watch, as it's new footage of the Z28, and you really can't go wrong with that.
More Camaro Z28 Spy Footage
Camaro5 has done it again by providing the Camaro-loving world with another great video of the Z28 on the Nurburgring. The sound in this video is even more impressive, too. The Camaro sounds absolutely fantastic and looks great tearing up the track. It appears powerful and responsive through some of the Nurburgring's tightest and most dangerous corners, and looks great staying flat through some of the sweepers. The LSA sounds awesome opened up, too. I liked the sound in the first video, but it's even more impressive in this one. If you're not in love already, you're doing something wrong.
There's also another great video of what happens when you take a pure muscle-car like the Camaro SS and allow Neiman-Marcus to get their hands on it. The Neiman-Marcus Camaro is meant to provide a presentation of a muscle car as it can be transformed in to a $75,000 luxury vehicle. The modifications are really only visual and luxury based, but they appear nice, and should make for a really interesting Camaro when they're done.
Camaro Z28 Spy Footage
I have to give the Camaro5.com guys some love. They have definitely got some great connections, and some money to spend, as they've now purchased and provided the internet with the ultimate Camaro Z28 sneak peek: some video footage of it! The video's not the best quality, but it is awesome to be able to see and hear the 2012 Z28 in its full glory running joyfully around the Nurburgring! The LSA V8 in this Camaro monster sounds absolutely incredible, too. I can't wait to see the Z28 with the Camo wraps off, tearing up the Nurburgring in a full, all-out, time-trial run. That will be a fun fun day.
Of course, until then, you have this:
Camaro Z28 Spied on Nurburgring
It feels like every couple days new pictures of the Z28 in camo pop up. The last few have been exciting, as they've provided some idea of what the vehicle will look like, but it's this newest batch that is the most incredible. Chevrolet took their next Camaro darling out for a spin at a little place called the Nurburgring. Oh, what's that? You've heard of this place before?
The Z28 was spied at the 'Ring, which has quickly become one of the most hallowed courses in the field of vehicle performance and performance testing, and the fact that Chevrolet took the time and money to take the Z28 there for testing, especially this early still in its development, shows that they are truly dedicated to delivering a high quality product! One can be certain that Chevy didn't just take the Z28 Camaro out to Nurburgring for a joy ride, but that it was instead there running numerous tests on its performance, providing them a base upon what is working right now and what can be improved upon for quicker track times, and greater competitive dominance. This dedication to quality is exciting and speaks volumes about the future of the Camaro Z28.
Also worth nothing, the presence of the spoiler in these images. Up to this point, the Z28 had always been seen without a rear deck spoiler. The spoiler on the Z28 is simple and small, but good looking (because, let's face it, the Camaro always looks good). Check out the images and get a little more excited about this vehicle's future!
