The New Corvette Engine: More Efficient Power!
Well, GM officially announced that the next generation Corvette, the C7, will be among the first vehicles to utilize its new small block V8 engine. The newest engine in the family line of Chevy LS engines, GM put $890 Million in to its development, and came out with a fantastic piece of manufacturing. The next-gen LS will feature aluminum blocks and heads (for weight-saving and improved structural integrity), direct injection, and a new combustion system. With these features, the new engine will come in as a 5.5L 440-Horsepower V8. The current Corvette engine (the LS3) is a 6.2L 435-Horsepower V8. What this means is that the customer will see a drop in engine displacement, but a rise in power, meaning that GM has developed an extremely efficient piece of machine!
Of course, this engine wont change too drastically in other ways. They will maintain their traditional overhead valve layout, which is what allows them to be manufactured with so much power at such an affordable price. It also allows a great deal of compactness in the engine design itself, something which the next LS will certainly capitalize on even further with its lower displacement, lighter-weight build, and push towards higher fuel efficiency. GM says that they're already running test mules of the engine in Detroit to fine-tune it as best as possible. In all, I like the sound of this new engine, as it seems to be a more well designed machine, which will run in a much more efficient manner! Good work GM!