Which engine is better, more powerful? The new GM 3.9 v6 or 3.6?
12-13-2005, 11:18 PM
#16
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: West Middlesex, pa, usa
Posts: 82
Re: Which engine is better, more powerful? The new GM 3.9 v6 or 3.6?
Originally Posted by rlchv70
Compare the torque curves:
http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en...7_LaCrosse.pdf
http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en..._Malibu_SS.pdf
The 3.6L torque is virtually flat across the rpm range. However, the 3.9L torque exceeds the 3.6 at almost all rpm points. Therefore, this is a strong argument that the 3.9L is faster than the 3.6.
http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en...7_LaCrosse.pdf
http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en..._Malibu_SS.pdf
The 3.6L torque is virtually flat across the rpm range. However, the 3.9L torque exceeds the 3.6 at almost all rpm points. Therefore, this is a strong argument that the 3.9L is faster than the 3.6.
Here is the 3.6 in Caddy tune.
http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en...6L_LY7_STS.pdf
I'll take a wild guess that if they were to go for an SS or GTP application they might get more pep out of it than they do for Buick or Caddy.
12-13-2005, 11:59 PM
#17
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 3,123
Re: Which engine is better, more powerful? The new GM 3.9 v6 or 3.6?
If we're all consistent, we'd opt for the 3.9L. 
But marketing forces being what they are... Japanese/Euro makers go the complex and expensive route with their engines mainly because fuel is waaay too expensive for their destination markets... be that as it may, their 4 and 6 cyl engines perform just fine with DOHC. V8s are a different ball game, though, I don't think I'd love the 3.6L engine if GM added two more cylinders to it... I'd still prefer my LS1 to a DOHC V8 anyday.
But marketing forces being what they are... Japanese/Euro makers go the complex and expensive route with their engines mainly because fuel is waaay too expensive for their destination markets... be that as it may, their 4 and 6 cyl engines perform just fine with DOHC. V8s are a different ball game, though, I don't think I'd love the 3.6L engine if GM added two more cylinders to it... I'd still prefer my LS1 to a DOHC V8 anyday.
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