LS7 (Z06 now) vs. LS8 (future Z06) vs. LS9 (ZR-1) vs. LSA (CTS-V) vs. LST (Camaro?)

[verbs]

From Left Lane news, take it with a grain of salt.....I hadn't heard anything about the LST before, and leaked GM documentation from a year or so back had the LS8 being an N/A motor.

LS7
This is, of course, the current 7.0-liter, naturally aspirated motor in the Z06. It's handbuilt at GM's Wixom performance center and is very expensive to make. Too expensive with the LS9 motor coming. While there will be several months where the LS7 and LS9 will be built at Wixom, the LS7 will eventually die, probably sometime between late-2009 or mid-2010.
Several publications have repeatedly insisted the new CTS-V will be powered by the LS7, but this is completely false. GM cannot spend engineering dollars on a CTS-V to start with the LS7, then 12 to 18 months later, switch motors after the LS7 is discontinued. Rather, the super Caddy will feature an all-new powerplant.
LSA
The LSA will find its way under the hood of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. The LSA is a 6.2-liter, smallblock V8 with a supercharger. It features an intercooler integrated into the intake manifold.
Preliminary specs have it over 500 horsepower with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. The CTS-V will start production in September of 2008 with this motor. Look for around 6000 to 8000 units annually.
Original plans also had the LSA going into an Escalade V-series truck. However justifying the development cost — not to mention CAFE considerations — might put possibility of such a truck in jeporady. At present, it is unclear whether the Escalade-V a truck is still part of the plan.
LS8
This is another 6.2-liter, smallblock V8 with a supercharger. It also features an intercooler integrated into the intake manifold. This will be the motor going into the top-end Zeta platform cars. The most premium Camaro, probably called Z28, will get this motor.
That said, original plans had this motor going into a Denali SUV or truck, however, those plans now seem to be canceled. Again, this maybe a result of CAFE.
Some of Holden's vehicles may also get this motor eventually. Initial specs have this motor at 475 to 500 horsepower with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions.
When the LS7 dies, the Z06 will get this motor. Possibly, slightly uptuned from the version the Zeta cars would get. This motor will start production in first or second quarter of 2010.
LST
Yet another 6.2-liter, smallblock V8 with a supercharger. It also features an intercooler integrated into the intake manifold. This motor may or may not still be in GM's plans. The original plan was to put it in GM's Heavy Duty trucks.
Delivering in excess of 450 pound-feet of torque, it was set to start in the middle of 2008. However, it now seems this motor may no longer be part of the plan. GM may have decided its diesel offerings were sufficient. It's also possible GM had a hard time justifying the cost of development. Of course, CAFE might have also played a role.
LS9
This is the 6.2-liter, smallblock V8 with a supercharger going into the ZR-1 Corvette. Like all the others, it has an intercooler integrated into the intake manifold. Original specs had this motor at 600 horsepower and 550 to 560 pound-feet of torque. It now seems the horsepower rating may have jumped to as much as 650.
If that's true, it would probably be safe to estimate a similar jump in torque to around 600 ft lbs. Sources have stated the LS9 can make 700hp on a test stand. Obviously though, that is without a car attached to the motor. Don't look for any production hp number starting with "seven."
It now appears an auto/paddle shift may also be an option on the ZR-1. This motor will be handbuilt at GM's Wixom performance center. They will only make 1500 to 2000 units a year. Production of the ZR-1 starts in July of 2008.

Interesting. Different name codes for all the blown 6.2L motors when at the end of the day it's most likely the same motor with different tunes/pulleys and maybe exhaust/intake manifolds for fitment purposes....

[Jpjr]

What people have not really discussed yet extensively, is how unbelievably easier it will be to add power with a supercharged platform. All you literally need to do is change the supercharger pulley in a belt driven system and/or the lower crank pulley and away you go. Turn the wick up and you have instant boost increases that will go right to the wheels. Of course, the real interesting part is the internals. Building a motor for a power adder application means much more solid internals that can last through a 5 year warranty period= bulletproof compared to a typical production smallblock V8.

Of course, lets not even get into the aftermarket blower options that will emerge... a more efficient blower will result in more boost and more power. With a totally refined chassis I think that the sky will be the limit. If done right, this LSA motor is the answer to our prayers. It will take a days worth of tweaks and a tune (assuming injectors and fuel delivery is adequate), and we will be smoking the new M5 even if it debuts with a more powerful V10 as is the current case.

[Jpjr]

To further the point, I also think the V will be much funner to mod and build than the new ZR1. The problem for modders with the ZR1 will be weight. As most car-builders agree, it is ten times easier to add significant power than reduce weight. We have plenty of weight in a four door V, which means that significant power increases will have a more distinct impact on performance. In other words, the ZR1 will be pre-modded upon delivery LOL.

[lawfive]

Originally Posted by Some Guy

Sources have stated the LS9 can make 700hp on a test stand. Obviously though, that is without a car attached to the motor.

[JimmyH]

Old news. Everything has a supercharger now. Those of us who prefer NA will stick with what we have.

Why does GM need like 20 different blown V-8s?

[lawfive]

It's a good question.

[asrapid]

So no more NA engine in top end GM cars?
According to this all future engines in top models are 6.2l V8 supercharged but with different HP ratings.

[rand49er]

Going FI, there's less pressure (no pun intended) to go OHC and multiple valves per cylinder to add power; GM can stay with the pushrod design and get more power.

As a postscript, all this horsepower has me saying ... WOW!

[asrapid]

Originally Posted by rand49er

Going FI, there's less pressure (no pun intended) to go OHC and multiple valves per cylinder to add power; GM can stay with the pushrod design and get more power.

As a postscript, all this horsepower has me saying ... WOW!

But rumors are that MCE cts-v or maybe n.g will get forced induction Ultra V8 (or northstar 2) which is DOHC.

[lawfive]

Nope

[JimmyH]

Originally Posted by asrapid

So no more NA engine in top end GM cars?
According to this all future engines in top models are 6.2l V8 supercharged but with different HP ratings.

kinda sucks if you ask me (not that anyone is)

[asrapid]

Rumors are that n.g m5 and amg will also get forced induction . Seems no more NA engines over 500 hp in top sedans.
Maybe gen. V. LS will change something when it comes(but i doubt that engine will be put in CTS)

[JimmyH]

It is hard to get 500+ hp out of any road-going engine without forced induction. Sure the Z06 and Viper have it, but those are very expensive engines. Adding a blower is a cheap way to wring out more horsepower. But do we really need that much power? Eventually the horsepower wars will end. They have to. Otherwise you are going to eventually see 800, 900, maybe even 1000 hp in street-legal cars. Which is ridiculous. Stillmore, you have the problem of even putting that power on the road. The viper has 300+ rear tires I think? And even they can't put all 600 hp down. And all the acceleration in the world gets old after a while. My Ninja was capable of sub-11sec 1/4 miles. Sure it is exhilarating, but after a while it is no big deal. The CTS-V doesn't feel that fast to me after being on a sportbike for years.

My point is that these performance cars are getting too fast. And with oil prices going no where but up, this is all going to come crashing down eventually. They need to start building lightweight (<3000#) sport sedans that do 14.0 1/4's with 35 mpg. That would sell like hotcakes.

[asrapid]

As long as there is people who wants that much power there will be this kind of cars. And if you want lightweight sport sedan..well...then you have to use lightweight materials such as different kind of alloys, carbonfibers, etc. Which doesn't come cheap. Imagine cts-v with all that..it sure would cost much more. And now throw DOHC V8 in equation which is supposed to come in near future.
For now it seems it's easier and cheaper to just add more horsepower then it is to lose weight. I would like to see light cars with max. 500 hp. But since cts-v will probably be heavier and competition is also upgrading their engines we're more likely to get heavier cars with more power in near future.

[JimmyH]

A 2800 lbs sedan, with 300 hp and the right gearing would hand the CTS-V it's ass