2006 Corvette Z06

[cohocarl]

I want one. I want one real bad....Some of the specs:LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating components 500 horsepower (373 kw) at 6200 rpm 475 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) at 4800 rpm 7000 rpm redline Titanium connecting rods and intake valves Dry-sump engine lubrication system Engine hand-built at GM’s new Performance Build Center Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle passenger compartment floors combine carbon-fiber skins with an ultra-lightweight balsa wood coreFixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses Unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter Wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL Huge 14-inch (355-mm) cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340-mm) cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers 18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires 3-inch-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless steel tips Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers; and steering cooler Rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution Unique interior features including revised gauge cluster and lightweight two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters Curb weight of 3130 pounds / 1419.7 kg (estimated) 3 inches (76.2 mm) wider than other Corvette models $60-70,000

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[Sputnik]

See also:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=13912

[cohocarl]

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »See also:Whoops, sorry for the double post.I still want one though.....

[Sputnik]

Well now that you've made a double post you can't have one! Just kidding.

[PhillyVibeGT]

Quote, originally posted by cohocarl »I want one. I want one real bad... Add me to the list, I want one too. Maybe I can sell some sperm to raise the 70g's

[LoveMyPontiacs]

It's beautiful, and I would totally buy one, but does anyone think it kinda looks like a Dodge Viper, ever so slightly?

[Psychobroker]

Quote, originally posted by PhillyVibeGT » Add me to the list, I want one too. Maybe I can sell some sperm to raise the 70g's Wow, that'd be some edumucated sperm!

[Mavrik]

Your cruel Christian Those are fun to drive to... though I didn't get to drive it very far, push button start and electric door handles... threw me off.

[cohocarl]

Quote, originally posted by PhillyVibeGT »Maybe I can sell some sperm to raise the 70g's That's an idea!!! How much do you think I could make b4 they notice I had a vasectomy a couple months ago??

[PhillyVibeGT]

Quote, originally posted by cohocarl »That's an idea!!! How much do you think I could make b4 they notice I had a vasectomy a couple months ago??I won't tell if you don't.

[MadBill]

Here's a bunch more technical detail on the LS7. Awesome!Not too shabby for a production two valve pushrod 'Murican V-8! (Oh yeah, and still ~30 MPG!)(o:bThe New LS7corvettefever.comBy Steve DulcichFrom an engine builder's perspective, looking at new OE engine designsalmost always leaves us with a trace of self satisfaction and maybe a hintof smugness. Looking over a newly introduced factory powerplant, we maysay, "That's a nice piece." Inside, however, the hot-rodder that lives inour consciousness leaves us with a pleasant thought: Nice for a stocker,but I can make it better.Qualified that way, we feel an air of haughtiness, real or imagined, whilereveling in what the OE left on the table for us to exploit. Some portingin the heads, a little more compression, trick rings and bore finishes,lightweight parts, and so on; our hot-rodder's bag of tricks runs deep.Unconstrained by the impositions faced by mass production, our customefforts allow us the fancy of outdoing monolithic corporations wieldingunimaginable resources. Normally, this ego self-gratification is part andparcel of any OE engine review. Then it happened: the LS7 small-blockdebut. The only reactions for someone truly in the know are deference andawe.The size alone gives it credence: 427 cubic inches in its all-aluminumsplendor. Matching the displacement (coincidentally?) made famous by themost legendary of performance Corvettes from a generation long past, thisis the largest "small-block" engine ever produced by General Motors, whilemaintaining the external dimensions of previous Gen IV small-blocks. But itencompasses so much more than its internal girth. With a rated output of500 SAE net horsepower at 6,200 rpm, the real mechanical energy emanatingfrom this beast far outstrips any of the big-blocks of yore.Based on the groundbreaking Gen IV small-block architecture introduced asthe LS1 in 1997, the LS7 is much more than simply a displacement increase.It's an exotic 7,000-rpm race-derived powerplant brought upon the public ata level of execution unrivaled in any production car. Dave Muscaro,assistant chief engineer for passenger car V-8s, put it succinctly, "Inmany ways, the LS7 is a racing engine in a street car. We've taken much ofwhat we've learned over the years from the 7-liter C5-R racing program andinstilled it here. The reality is, there has been nothing like it offeredin a GM production vehicle."It seems intuitive that larger displacement offers a greater potential forpower. Detroit manifested this theorem in the big-block engines of the'60s. A keener appreciation for the need to increase displacement comeswith a more intimate knowledge of the relationships between torque andhorsepower, torque potential, and rpm. We'll illustrate the point as wespell out a simple proof. Normally aspirated engines have a finite torquepotential based on volumetric efficiency and displacement. Horsepower isderived as a computation based on torque and rpm.If the goal is more horsepower, and torque production is at the limits ofthe size and efficiency available, there are only two avenues left toachieve more power: increase size or raise rpm. In the progression of theGM small-blocks, the torque potential of the original LS1's displacementwas significantly exploited, particularly in the LS6 configuration of theprevious Z06 powerplant. Increasing output by a significant measure, suchas the 25 percent gain achieved with the LS7, could only have beenaccomplished by employing much higher rpm, or the larger engine. The largerengine was the obvious choice. The larger displacement delivers glorioustorque in greater abundance from lower in the rpm range than can possiblybe achieved with a smaller engine in normally aspirated form. Maintain thattorque as far up the power curve as practical, and you've found horsepowernirvana. That's what was accomplished with the LS7 engine.While it may seem like a simple requirement, maintaining torque into thehigh-rpm ranges becomes increasingly difficult as the displacement of theengine is expanded. Torque peaks when airflow and velocity through theintake ports and the limits of cam timing are reached. In the racingaftermarket, this point in the power potential of an engine is referred toas "port saturation." Apply the same cylinder head to a larger-displacementengine, and the torque produced will be higher as a function ofdisplacement, but the limitations of port flow and velocity curb torqueproduction earlier in the rpm range, which hinders peak power output. Toachieve their goals of abundant power output into the upper rpm range withthe larger- displacement engines, the LS7 required a spectacular cylinderhead, and a close examination of its layout makes it clear this requirementwasn't lost on the GM development team.We examined the LS7 cylinder head at the GM Tech Center in SouthernCalifornia, and were stunned by the execution. On paper, the specificationsalone were impressive: 2.200-inch intake valves, 1.61-inch exhaust valves,and CNC-porting of the intake and exhaust runners and chambers. These arehealthy valve sizes, and the CNC-porting is a unique attribute. However,the port configuration and shape made an impression. A cylinder-head portis more than a hole in a chunk of aluminum. Coaxing air through a passageat high rates is an art hard to appreciate without having lived with theflow bench and die-grinder, carving shapes, testing, chasing the elusivemotion of invisible gasses. It's a specialized world unto its own, masteredby few, where the subtle hips of the port throat are as sexy as those of apop princess. Those passages become personal and identifiable, and asindividual as a signature. Those ports are the work of a master craftsmanwith a grasp of the nuances of airflow and port shape that made it clearthese cylinder heads are truly something special. Sure enough, we found outthe cylinder-head design was a collaborative effort between General MotorsEngineering and renowned aftermarket airflow expert Mike Chapman.The intake ports are substantially enlarged, providing the criticalcross-sectional area required for maintaining torque production high intothe rpm range. Allowing the greater cross section are offset intake rockerarms, spreading the pushrods away from the port centerline and eliminatingthe restraint to the port width they impose. To gain a more advantageousgeometry for airflow into the cylinder, the intake ports are significantlyraised in comparison to LS1/LS6/LS2 configurations. The intake-valveinclination angle was reduced to 12 degrees from the previous engines'15-degree angle. The higher port approach and shallower valve angle aremodifications straight from the realm of serious small-block race-enginebuilding.The valves are longer overall in stem length than those used in otherengines from this family. Longer valves ease the constraints to portheight, valve spring height, and valve lift, which can be applied toproducing a performance-minded cylinder head. The valve lift is increasedto .591 inch, a level unheard of in a production engine. Helping achievethat level of lift is an increase in rocker-arm ratio to 1.8:1, in contrastto the 1.7:1 seen in other small-blocks. The advantageous use of the rockerratio results in a fast action at the valve, allowing the valvetrain totake advantage of the cylinder heads' abundant high-lift flow, without therequirements of extreme camshaft duration. This would be impractical fromthe standpoints of emissions, efficiency, and smoothness. The radicalvalve-opening rates can present a control limitation at high rpm. The useof titanium valves on the intake and a lightweight, hollow-stem,sodium-filled exhaust valve lighten the reciprocating w
eight at the valve.A longer, highly refined valve spring with small titanium retainers offercontrol. Again, these techniques are derived from the race-engine buildingworld. Flow is given in engineering parlance of 203 grams per second at theintake and 146 grams per second at the exhaust, measured at the peak valvelift of .591 inch. We were officially told the cylinder heads flow 43percent better than the LS6 on the intake and 26 percent better on theexhaust. Leaning on GM sources for numbers without the strain ofvolume/mass metric/imperial conversions, we heard flow figures of 360 cfmon the intake and 214 on the exhaust at .591-inch lift, at the performanceindustry's standard measuring spec of 28-inch water depression. Flownumbers like these are so far beyond the realm of production engines it'sastounding. Put into perspective, a good aftermarket head for an old-stylesmall-block flows 250 cfm. A good sportsman race head breaks 300 cfm, whilethese numbers were seen on full-house NASCAR-style heads.Although great things were achieved with the cylinder head, it is one linkin the chain of flow into and out of the engine. The flow system beginswith the Donaldson PowerCore airbox where attention is given to flowefficiency and flow is increased 20 percent as compared to the LS2. To workwith the revised cylinder-head intake-port configuration, an all-new intakemanifold was developed to meet the high airflow demands. Like the other GenIV small-block intake, this intake is of friction-welded, three-piececonstruction, produced from a composite material. The throttle body wasenlarged to 90 mm, and the injectors were uprated to meet the demands ofthe engine's requirements. The exhaust system features hydroformedindividual tube headers leading to a unique inline collector flange. Asweeping collector forms a tapered transition from the header flange intothe wide-mouth high-flow catalysts mounted immediately aft.The exhaust system features hydroformed individual tube headers leading t aunique in-line connector flange. A sweeping collector forms taperedtransitionfrom the header flange into the wdie-mouth high-flow catalystsmounted immediately aft. The exhaust system features a pipe diameter of 3inches.The bottom end of the engine comprises the short-block assembly, and theexotica found at the top of the LS7 is continued downstairs. The job was toaccommodate the displacement increase, and build in a level of strength andreliability suitable for high-rpm operation. The LS7 block is unique,partially to meet the increase in displacement and partially to withstandthe output the engine is designed to produce.The engine block features a bore size of 4.125 inches and, rather than thecast-in-place liners of the other Gen IVs, receives thicker-walledpressed-in dry cylinder liners. The bores are finished with torque platesfastened to the decks to simulate the distortion created by thecylinder-head fasteners. The main caps are installed and torqued duringmachining operations. This procedure, typical of custom-built racingengines, allows machining and finish sizing to be accomplished while theblock is stressed analogous to after final engine assembly. Truertolerances in the assembled engine are the result.Adding to the strength of the bottom end is the use of six-bolt doweledforged-steel main caps in the place of the powdered-metal material used onother Gen IVs. The main caps secure a 4.00-inch stroke crankshaft forgedfrom 4140 chrome-moly steel, with rolled fillets where the journals meetthe cheeks. This specification of crankshaft is more akin to a racecrankshaft than the undercut-fillet carbon-steel forgings used in olderproduction engines. While the high-grade steel in the crank is notable, thereal news in materials relates to the connecting rods. The use of titaniumprovides a uniquely high ratio of strength and fatigue life to weight.Titanium is exotic even in the racing world, and its use here is a firstfor a domestic auto manufacturer.Other aspects of the LS7 engine borrow from principles having more incommon with the racetrack than production automobiles. The lubricationsystem of the LS7 is unique, as it's a variation of the dry-sumparrangement normally seen only on the racetrack. Rather than supplying oilfrom the bottom-mounted sump directly into the engine's pressure-fedlubrication system, the LS7 employs a two-stage oil pump and reservoirtank. The scavenge stage of the pump continually evacuates the engine'slubricant, sending it to the remote reservoir tank. The tank allows highcapacity without the penalty of windage losses, aeration, and controldifficulty associated with oil collection in a conventional sump. The oilaccumulates at the reservoir tank and is drawn back to the pressure stageof the system, providing uninterrupted and reliable pressurized oil underthe most demanding driving conditions.Compression ratio has been moved up to 11:1, serious territory for apump-gas powerplant, made possible through advanced engine management andthe fast-burn technology built into the cylinder-head design. The pistonsare full floating and are designed with the pin supports moved in. Thisallows for a shorter pin, which is stiffer and reduces reciprocatingweight. The piston ring lands are anodized for improved surface hardnessand wear resistance, while the skirt portion is coated with a lubriciouspolymer to reduce bore friction.You might notice the recurring themes of strength and weight reduction, andthis isn't coincidental. Lighter-weight components induce less internalengine stress, which is exponentially increased with rpm. Largerdisplacement through longer strokes increases piston speed, and thesefactors conspire to place a demanding load on a voluminous high-rpm engine.Reducing weight reduces component stresses. Figuring out how that can beaccomplished while adding strength is a credit to the engineers on theprogram, and the goal of any racing engine builder.The LS7 is not a product of a standard mass-production assembly line, butrather is created at the new GM Performance Build Center, where each engineis hand-assembled by an engine-building technician specialist. The facilityis dedicated to crafting engines for specialty applications such as the Z06in an environment akin to custom race-engine assembly. Each engine isviewed as an individual unit, and each is seen through the assembly processas the responsibility of a dedicated builder.The engines are rigorously inspected and hot-tested in a 20-minute runcycle upon completion. Timothy Schag, site manager of the Performance BuildCenter, explains, "This process brings a higher level of quality becauseeach builder is personally involved in every aspect of the assembly. It wasimportant to step away from the high-volume world we all had lived in forso long and soak in the cadence of these specialized environments. Welearned a lot and established a low-volume manufacturing system on par withthe world's best niche builders, but we didn't lose sight of the qualityalready in place at GM."We haven't failed to recognize the GM team's achievement in making this newsmall-block a milestone in the performance world. While we appreciate theengineering execution, it leaves us eager for the thrill of shaking downthe new Z06 in the flesh. Indications are of 0-60 performance in the 3s,and quarter-mile acceleration in the 11s. Missile-like acceleration on thatlevel would be recommendation enough to indulge our own automotiverequirements. However, acceleration and speed alone are only one dimensionof the capabilities of this best-yet Corvette platform. We're anxiouslyawaiting a set of keys to experience it firsthand.(Oops! A little longer than I realized, but great info!)