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General Motors’ LS series of V-8 engines currently enjoy the status of being one of the most popular powerplant designs in history, appearing in models all across the globe and available in several different variations.

To ensure the engine's viability in a world of tighter fuel economy and emissions regulations, GM is investing more than $890 million to produce a new generation of fuel efficient truck and car engines and in the process also create or retain more than 1,600 jobs.

The next generation small block engine family will have improved fuel efficiency through direct injection and an all-new advanced combustion system design. The new engine family will rely exclusively on aluminum engine blocks, which are lighter and contribute to the improved fuel efficiency. In addition to being E85 ethanol capable, these engines are being designed with the capability to meet increasingly stringent criteria emissions standards expected throughout this decade.

The current fourth-generation of small block engines can be found in models such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V and the GMC Yukon. Specifics about the new engine capabilities as well as product applications will be shared at a later date. For more details check out John Voelcker’s extensive report over at GreenCarReports.com.

[GM]

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Marty Howard
2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion
Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC
2007 Factory Five Challenge Car.
http://www.mh-motorsports.com

I don't know much about engines, but direct injection and aluminum blocks don't sound like cutting edge technology. Or even very new.

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"Build a man a fire and he'll stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll stay warm the rest of his life."
'93 Subaru Legacy DIRTBOMB
'98 BMW M3
2013 Rallyx Co-VP

The LSx still has push rods: case and point .

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2011/2012 Autox VP
2013/2014.5 President
2013 Top Gun

2015 Fit

22R-EC => 4G63 => D16Y7 + D16Y8 => EJ255 + K24Z2 => K20Z3 + K24Z2 => K24Z2 + M54 => L15B

yeah, because OHC engines are so much newer.

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Marty Howard
2011 NASA SE Factory Five Challenge Champion
Track Events Logistics Coordinator - TZC/THSCC
2007 Factory Five Challenge Car.
http://www.mh-motorsports.com

Touche

_________________
2011/2012 Autox VP
2013/2014.5 President
2013 Top Gun

2015 Fit

22R-EC => 4G63 => D16Y7 + D16Y8 => EJ255 + K24Z2 => K20Z3 + K24Z2 => K24Z2 + M54 => L15B

Gasoline direct injection is certainly fairly new to production cars though there were some early adopters doing it over a decade ago, that's still fairly new in the automotive world and widespread use is a very recent trend.

As for pushrod's, I've become a fan. Lots of people like to talk about specific output, but really that's just an engineering bragging right. When it comes to actually building cars what really matters most? Specific output or output when compared to physical size and weight of the motor?

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'07, '08, '11 Autocross VP
'06, '10 Mike Dishman Cup
'21 MX5, '13 Corvette GS, '92 Corvette 383 c.i. 413whp/390wtq, '03 Expedition

the gen IV engines are just a little larger than the 302, yet easily make 100+ hp over the "advanced" 4.6l dohc. I own a 4.6l and can honestly say the dohc powerband sucks compared to the power delivery of a GM Gen IV engine.

IMO this news is pretty exciting.

Disclaimer: this isn't to say that the 4.6l sucks.

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In need of car.

X2

If pushrod sounds like too archaic of a term, try "cam-in-block."

It's tough to find a combination of power output, tune-ability, and space efficiency like an LSx motor. There is a reasonably good reason why people stuff them in all kinds of cars that didn't come from GM. It must be because they're all luddites and just want to hang on to their inferior, low-specific-output 1950's technology.

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Tom Freeman
'98 M3/4/5 | '93 Spec3 325i | '12 TSX sport wagon | '03 Tahoe
Team Silver Bullets '91 240SX

Too bad GM doesn't take advantage of the compact size by putting it in a relatively small car . . . smaller than a Vette but bigger than a Miata. Ideally a nice sloped hatchback (like an original Datsun Z) with a load area big enough to carry a set of autocross tires/wheels plus a small floor jack and air tank. (The fact that I could carry a passenger AND tires, etc. inside my 260Z was a big part of getting hooked on autocrossing). Ditto in later years with my 5.0 Mustang hatch.

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

are we really entertaining a trashing of a LSx motor? or a Corvette for that matter?

i may have sold my Z06, but i still stand ready to deliver an ass whooping to foolhardy Nipponese FanBoi-dom. track that Scoobie Mr. Short, the real cars await.

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

Wo wo wo wo wo wo....I was only following Michael's comment. I have NOTHING against an LSx motor in the least...pushrod or not.

_________________
2011/2012 Autox VP
2013/2014.5 President
2013 Top Gun

2015 Fit

22R-EC => 4G63 => D16Y7 + D16Y8 => EJ255 + K24Z2 => K20Z3 + K24Z2 => K24Z2 + M54 => L15B

I added another item to the "THSCC Topics of DEATH!!"

http://www.thscc.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=4985

"#15 Pushrod vs. OHC engines. Particularly the Chevy LSx series found in the Corvette. "

Without getting into the Pushrod vs. OHC rathole, I think the addition of direct gas injection is a move forward. I see most if not all new auto gas engine designs doing this in the near future.

What will be interesting is the impact on ALMS/LMS racing. The GT2 class does not allow direct injection unless the stock car does. Porsche runs a direct injection engine in ALMS while Corvette does not. Corvette was using direct injection in GT1 (was allowed in GT1 even if stock car did not have it) and would love to have it back in GT2.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

I think the direct injection requires an extremely high working pressure to operate correctly, right?

It will be interesting to see how that effects the "swap" community. Fuel Injection is relatively easy to adapt to any car due to the low 40-60psi operating pressures. It will be more difficult to adapt a much higher pressure system.

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In need of car.

That is a good point. In addition to the high pressure, I think the injectors use engine specific spray patterns. For example, I think I read somewhere in which Porsche was using special spray patterns to get optimal cooling effects on the pistons. I think the "tuning" level on these engines is much higher than a regular engine so it is going to have to up the game of those who are building their own engines.

I wonder how long it will take until we see a version of something like Megasquirt setup for direct injection. Megasquirt currently does not support sequential injection, so it would probably take an entirely new design to support direct injection.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Look at about 0:46 into this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73BrXCsbd64

Notice how the spray pattern is setup? It clearly is taking into effect the size of the cylinder, location and angle of the injector in the head, etc. The point being that I suspect it is going to be difficult to mix and match stuff like direct injection injectors. That the development of new combos might be beyond a typical garage mechanic.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.