The new horsepower war

Automotive Design & Production,  Nov, 2003  

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Get set for a new retro trend: horsepower wars. Like the late 1960s and early 1970s, Detroit is about to unleash a number of high-horsepower cars and trucks on the market, at a time when the political winds (2004 is an election year) suggest this might not be the best course of action. But, unlike the past, Detroit isn't alone. European manufacturers (most notably Mercedes, BMW, and Audi) are in the midst of a horsepower extravaganza of their own, and each new Japanese model has more power than the one it replaces.

When Chevrolet rolls out the sixth-generation Corvette at the North American International Auto Show in January, the [Gen.sub.4] V8 under the hood will have a reported 405 hp, the same as the current [C.sub.5]-based [Zo.sub.6]. Insiders at both GM and suppliers say the [Zo.sub.6] will have an even 500 hp, but will not be the most powerful Corvette. That prize will belong to the limited edition Z[L.sub.1] which is producing [6sub.25] hp in production trim. The [Gen.sub.4] has thinner bore walls, stronger bulkheads, and retains cast-in-place iron cylinder liners. The casting process includes a mechanically induced rapid chilling of the bulkheads to promote swift directional solidification of the aluminum and a fine grain structure, both of which improve dimensional stability. A composite barrel crank core replaces the current segmented barrel design, again for tighter and more consistent more dimensions. The cores are screwed and glued together, the aluminum pumped in rather than poured, and the oil galleries gun drilled and machined.

The word out of Auburn Hills is that Dodge is readying an Uber Viper response should the Z[Lsub.1] actually reach production. A limited number of light-weight Viper Coupes sporting a high-output [V.sub.10] is the most likely possibility, though the same powertrain eventually might be offered in a higher-spec convertible aimed at less hard-core buyers. It's doubtful the engine will be shared with the SR/T10 Viper-engined Ram pickup.

Ford is looking a, various performance possibilities. One places the 500-hp V8 from the ford GT (and 2005 SVT Lightning) in the SVT Mustang Cobra, or-considering the renewed alliance between Ford and Carroll Shelby-in a new rendition of the Shelby Mustang. A second places a high-output [V.sub.10] in the 2005 Ford GT, though this plan may be superceded by the creation of a new Cobra Daytona coupe, where the front mounted [V.sub.10] powers the rear wheels through a six-speed manual. That car may make its debut in concept form at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in an effort to steal Chevy's thunder. Unlike the ground pounders of the past, the new engines will be clean and relatively frugal. Also, they will be offered to the public in strictly limited numbers, not in every mid-size platform in each company's lineup. The goal, however, will be the same: to provide a halo for each company.--CAS

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gardner Publications, Inc.
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