For a street car, I'd rather have a torque monster. I still like my mildly modded 91 Corvette as much as any LS1 car I've driven with regards to street performance. I've driven high rpm cars (2000 celica comes to mind), and just don't find them anywhere near as exciting or "powerful" feeling as a car with a lower power band. The celica is only about 200hp, but compared to more traditional 200hp cars, I still found it boring. Sure, at 6k rpm it starts to pull good, but I get bored long before I get to 6k rpm, and by then it's time to shift during normal driving, so the extra power up top is of no use. A 200hp V6, like the one in the G6 I drove, was a far, far more exciting experience and provided much more useful power.

Obviously in racing it's a different issue, because you can keep the car in the rev range you want, but for the street, where I don't plan to do 6k rpm clutch dumps, low end power rules. It also means better reliability if you're not constantly turning 7k rpm looking for power.

 

6.3 liters is is about 383 ci., only about 37 ci more than the LS1's 346. 385 lbs/ft of torque is NOTHING to sneeze at. It's absolutely shocking this much torque is still being brushed off with disappointment by some.

The engine is obviously built for revs, and just by eyeballing the thing, I'm guessing that ImportedRoomate and the couple others who chimed in are right in that this thing is going to continue making torque where traditional pushrods give up the ghost.

If this thing puts out torque down low like traditional pushrods (and unlike OHC engines), and continues to put out gobs of torque high in the rpm range, regardless as to how much torque an LS1 or LS2 put out, this thing's going to absolutely scream on a track just as much as it will on a highway.

Can anyone tell I'm pretty stoked about this motor?

 

GM's been working on a 3 valve pushrod for a very long time.

I recall someone mentioning it here back when I was living on the internet the month I was recovering from shoulder surgery (2001) and it came up again when someone on this site aquired and posted a list of all powerplants General Motors had in the past as well as in development a couple of years ago.

I think that's why it seems familiar with a few people here.

 

For those people who are complaining about the torque, think about how this engine can perform with a new, properly geared 6 speed auto behind it.

 

If I were to guess correctly, would you confirm or deny it?

 

I would love a motor with those specs in a light weight Z/28 package, backed by a 6 speed manual. It would make the GT500 look absolutely silly.

But don't get too caught up in that Autoweek report. There's alot of BS there.

 

In that SAE paper it states that the heads are only 1 in wider, which in my opinion is not too bad. I am sure the added weight of the heads is far below the weight of a Supercharger, intercooler, and assorted piping.

 

So will it have good power down low? Because that's all I care about.

 

that motor is in the sept. 2006 issue of GM high tech performance magazine. they call it he ls9. "It features an upturned throttle body arrangement, a massive intake manifold, and looks to be a large twin screw supercharger".

 

What are those 4 extra valves above the headers for? ive never seen anything like that.

 

stop screwin around man...no really......really?

 

I like the sounds of 470hp and a 7k redline.

 

Another killer small block from the General. Afterall, this is what they do best! It's about time too, I can recall hearing about this 3-valve configuration quite a while ago (as Guy mentioned). I would take this to mean they have tested the hell out of the thing, and we should expect that it will be quite impressive. Very cool indeed!

 

I do too.
This is GM we're talking about here, it will have a torque curve thats pretty damn flat. I like the higher peak torque number, its a large displacement V8, it will have gobs of low end. Camming and intake/exhaust tract being setup for rpm are going to make this thing an absolute screamer.

And GT500s really are going to be laughed at by top model camaros if they are running this thing. boost schmoost.

I just pray the 3v engine is going to make it as the base V8 engine. If so...

 

... the GT500 might as well start packin' .