Now that everyone got their opinion of the Ecotec 4 base Camaro out of their system, I'll bring up something I think was missed.

A year and a half ago, Chevrolet displayed a Belair with a I5 turbo engine. This engine will see production in a RWD car eventially.

It's pretty unlikely there will be a ecotec 4 in the next Camaro if it (hypothetically) ends up on GM's upcomming "Performance" chassis. But GM is going to need to sell the next Camaro to a wide range of people or else the next Camaro will have an unfortunately short existence.

The latest is that Chevy's "performance coupe" will be positioned above any Solstice-like car, and will "probally" outpower Mustang across the board. The I5 is putting out somewhere in the 220-240hp range, costs barely more than the Ecotec to produce, and would be able to be hopped up just as easily as the Ecotec.

Now say that GM's Camaro guys actually give in, and produce a middle engine that would be cheap & easy to certify without much investment (the blown I5 from the Belair) potentially making it popular with the "Fast & Furious" Crowd.

Up top (in the $30K catagory) is a 6.0L V8 Camaro SS (the 5.7 LS1 is being phased out).

What's the opinion here about this?

 

An interesting idea, because it doesn't carry the I4 'stigma', IMO, plus it would be new, and somewhat unique (depending on how widely it gets used)

A stumbling block could be engine height, though, right? Unless it could do the slanted install, BMW-ish thing...

 

I thought the I-5 was too tall for any decently sized car? or they could put some kind of slick cowl hood on it

It makes 220 horses NA? that's not a bad start for a base car at all. It all depends how it drives though. I dont know what I-5's are like but, for instance, we have a mazda 4 cyl and that engine vibrates more then my misfiring firebird with a broken trans mount. You dont need that kind of crap man, least in a base car now as for a 400 horse v8 with a loping cam...

 

How about NO!

 

It might be a good idea.

Base: I5
RS: V6
SS: V8
Z28: V8 with all the all-out stuff

 

They can slant it like BMW does. What Guion isn't mentioning though is that the I5 was used in the Bel Air because it was built on the Chevy Colordo platform that carries an I5 anyway.

As far as I know there has been no talk work done concerning using the I5 in a Sigma/VE car. The I5 however is likely to go in a Nomad or Bel Air if they see production because they will be built on the same line as the SSR using either a Trailblazer or Colorado platfrom (I am unsure what the difference is).

That being said the 200HP 3.5L OHV in the Malibu would be a much simpler and cheaper solution, and if they wanted more power they could used the 230+ HP 3.9 OHV which is pretty much a bigger 3.5L. If they wanted a hopped up version they could even break out the 280 HP 3.5L supercharged engine that will go in the Grand Am replacement.

 

Plus it would sould like a Volvo....

 

All very true about the Belair. And it's possible that GM used the Belair to preview the engine for the Colorado (2 years before it came out). However, at the time it was shown, it was stated the I5 would see production in a "future car", something shrugged off at the time.

As for the engine's height, that's a factor in it's length. The curvature of a car hood would make an I6 impossible (even with a slight slant), while the shorter 4 would easily fit and 5 cylinder would fit under any hood that could take a V8 with forward induction (ie: LS1 V8 Camaros).

I brought this subject up more out of curiosity than anything else. The comments on the Camaro Ecotec thread reminded me of some things that were said when Belair came out (future car application), the realization that the new VE cars won't have the I5 (as far as I currently know), and the recently noted word that repeated the I5 would show up in a passenger car.

Could be a Belair/Nomad, could be the next GTO/performance chassis, could be some Buick down the line. It is comming. On what? For now I'm just speculating.

 

If an I5 can be slanted why not the I4? That is one reason I think a Solstice with an Ecotec (FWD 4) is less likely than and Atlas (RWD 4). Perhaps the Solstice, tubular, platform is a scaled down Camaro, rumble. Like the rumored smaller VE for the Torenza, don't remember actual name of car, smaller Holden. If it were the case that Rumble was chosen quite a while ago and is further along than we had even hoped wouldn't it make sence that the Solstice is essentially a smaller version of it utilizing many of the same parts. Rather than create a whole new platform?

 

Turbo I5 would have too much power and be too expensive for a base car.
220HP N/A I5 would be good a base engine but why bother since the 245HP 3.9L OHV would be an easier solution and put out more HP

Turbo I5 in the Camaro RS would be nice.

I personally think the best application for this engine would be in a new Syclone.

 

It's called the Torana. Think of a 2 door Opel Kadett (or Chevrolet Monza) and you'll get the picture.

This thread at Cheers & Gears has quite alot of pictures of the last one, which died in the 1970s as local made coupes became extinct in Australia.

http://www.cheersandgears.com/boards...?TOPIC_ID=2426

 

Why even bother with an I-5 in the Camaro when GM has plenty of V6 engines which already make their way into cars? Why not even use a small V8?

 

I'll second that.....

if they had to go inline why not an I6?

 

i think the base f5 should be the I6, then also have a factory turbo or twin turbo option u can add at any time.

Guion just read ur sig...good stuff