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#1 ·
Hi, there
look what I found today at Road&Track!!!
The new STS V Supercharged 440 hp - that`s it!
 

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#27 ·
The R&T article is pretty good for some of the details of the car as well as the pictures and such. The GM Performance Division worked closely with Cadillac and R&T to come up with the "reveal" in the February R&T issue since the STS-V will officially be unveiled in person at the Detroit Auto Show in early January. This will be the magazine cover on the newstands during the Detroit show so it is particularily timely....

Since GM worked very closely with R&T the article has pretty good info and is fairly accurate.

Basically, I cannot imagine any descriminating motorist being unhappy with the STS-V. It is an excellent blend of track level performance and refined elegance in the same car. The STS is an excellent starting point and the HPVO group in the GM Performance Division was allowed free rein to incorporate the modifications necessary to make the car perform at that level, make it track capable off the show room floor and add the uplevel luxury befitting a car like that.

The "leather wrapped" interior has to be seen/touched/smelled to be fully appreciated. It basically blows away most anything else regardless of "value" or "price point"....

The entire suspension/brakes/driveline has been replaced with re-engineered parts to significantly increase the performance level of the car. This is not just a bolt on of other parts from other GM cars. These are new parts specifically designed for the STS-V. An example is the engine placement in the car. The engine is actually lowered almost 2 inches in the chassis compared to the production STS...a modification that would be unheard of years ago...yet one that was deemed necessary regardless of the expense for vehicle balance and packaging so it was incorporated into the STS-V.

The goal of the car was unquestionable performance on the track where it will be judged next to the competitors. One example of the dedication to this was the use of the more conventional mono-tube shock absorbers rather than the magna-ride system. Given a specific endeavor, such as track work, the monotube shocks can be developed to a higher absolute level than the magnaride system at the moment...so the decision was made to go with the monotube design. The magnaride allows a far greater range of chassis control in terms of smooth and soft ride quality at the one end of the extreme but, within the narrow performance band, the monotubes were still judged to be better after much evaluation and tuning so they were used. Everything in the car was subjected to this type of scrutiny to make sure it was the best available for the purpose of the car.

The outside body panels include a new, composite hood with a slight "power bulge" to clear the supercharger, fascias, valence panels, etc. including the wire mesh grill. ALL the body panel changes were developed in the wind tunnel to improve vehicle aero balance, cooling, duct cold air to the front brakes, duct air to the differential cooler, etc... All of it is funtional and none of it is "rice"...

The six speed auto trans is a new piece that will set the standard I feel for normal automatic trans operation and track oriented "tap shift" or manual control. The trans has the heavily developed Performance Algorithm Shifting logic built into it and it really works on an autocross track or the racetrack if you decide to leave the tap shift alone. With 6 forward speeds the trans can match the perfect engine speed at any vehicle speed which almost completely negates any advantage a continuously variable trans would have while allowing the launch capability of a torque converter combined with the traction control system.

The engine is a supercharged, 4.4 liter version of the VVT rear wheel drive Northstar. Just about every part in the engine is new, however. The basic architecture of the engine is based on the rear wheel drive Northstar but virtually every part and fastener is specific to the supercharged engine. The block is a precision sand cast part with a closed deck design which is the first time a Northstar engine did not have a die cast block with an open deck. Lower crank case, heads, etc... are all unique castings for the supercharged version.

The supercharger/induction system on the engine incorporates several patented features that were developed by Cadillac for the engine. The air intake to the supercharger is at the rear of the engine and underneath the supercharger and the supercharger blows pressurized air upwards thru the intercooler tubes on the top. The air then makes a single, smooth 180 degree turn down into the individual induction tubes along the outside of the supercharger housing.

The performance of the engine is very exciting. At 440 HP @ 6400 the engine is making 1 HP per liter of displacement....a specific output that is better than most any engine on the market...even some of the exotics...and much better than the E55 which has a screw compressor, even. Better yet, the 1 HP per liter is obtained at 6400 RPM....not the 8500 RPM required by some of the competitors. Reading between the lines this means that the engine has huge torque and a very very wide torque curve that is what will really move the STS-V. About 90% of the engines peak torque is available from 2800 RPM thru 6500 RPM meaning that it pulls like a locomotive no matter what gear you are in. The engine is rated at 430 lb.ft. of torque at 3600 RPM.

The engine will be built at the dedicated Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan by trained engine builders. Each engine will be built by a single assemblers to insure ownership and quality of the powerplants. The PBC is representative of the commitment of GM to competing with the best in the world in specialty cars and engines. There was a need for a facility to build very low volume engines that require special assembly techniques and care so the PBC came into being. It combines all the error proofing and fastening techniques of the normal assembly process with dedicated assemblers in a low volume atmosphere. Here, each engine can be assembled by one person and appropriate care and time devoted to each engine to ensure that it is done correctly without the demands of high volume production and the necessary automation restricting what can be done in the engine design and manufacturing techniques.

I have seen quite a few drivers that are used to some very fast and high output engines drive the prototype STS-V cars and I have yet to hear one that was dissatisfied with the performance.

Both the intake and exhaust sytems are specific for the STS-V and heavily developed for low restriction and high flow.... No "cold air intake" from the aftermarket required....LOL. The engine group set some extremely aggressive targets for inlet restriction and exhaust backpressure to obtain the 1 HP per liter goal and the targets ended up being exceeded by the induction and exhaust groups. Amazing little inlet restriction, excellent induction noise control and low backpressure still meeting the passby noise targets.

Keep in mind that a supercharged engine has to overcome the parasitic load of the supercharger.....so...in this case the engine is actually making over 500 HP when you consider what it takes to drive the supercharger at peak power. That means that the fuel system, cooling, etc... all are actually handling 500 HP....

The various STS-V mule vehicles and prototypes have lived on the Milford Road Course , the Nurburgring and several other race tracks around the country since the program started. I cannot imagine a vehicle (aside from the Corvette) that would have accrued as much track time during development as the STS-V. Actually, within the past 2 years any time there was a Corvette track test there were STS-V cars there also so it probably has more track time per vehicle than the Corvette mules given the number of laps turned.

BTW....the cars are being driven by very competent test drivers. One of the aspects of HPVO is to train and certify drivers against some of the best in the world so that vehicle performance is accurately rated. To say that some of the drivers of the STS-V program are "good" is an understatement. John Heinricy, who is very well known as a racing driver outside of GM, is the head of HPVO so he serves as the gold standard for driver performance. This really raises the bar in terms of vehicle performance and capability as the driver level is good enough to as to tax the car to the very limit.


The racetrack is certainly not the final answer for any car but a lot can be learned about the durability and performance of things like the powertrain, cooling capacity, fuel system (fuel pickup during slosh), etc... so the advantage of being able to test the STS-V almost daily on the MRC was huge.

The vehicle is track capable off the showroom floor with adequate brake cooling to ensure fade free performance at the performance limit for a full tank of fuel on the track. There are dedicated coolers for the radiator, engine oil, trans, power steering, intercooler heat exchanger, air conditioning, final drive, etc... that all meet track performance requirements in hot weather.

One of the main goals with the car was to provide this level of absolute performance while maintaining complete "street-ability" and requiring no compromises on the driver in daily traffic. This is one place the 6 speed automatic trans shines. It performs like a racing transmission on the track yet allows for simple stop and go traffic on the commute. The engine power level and power band is important here, also, as a high revving, peaky engine can get pretty tiresome in traffic and has low real world "cut and thrust" performance without constantly shifting. The supercharged Northstar comes to life with just a slight nudge of the pedal. NVH tuning was especially critical for the real world phase of operation as induction roar, droning exhaust booms, etc...would really detract from a world class car and would not be acceptable. All these types of things make the STS-V a world class luxury performance sedan that requires no special compromises by the owner/driver. One nice feature is the acceleration performance of the package. The engine power band combined with the torque converter/auto trans and launch traction control put the sub-5 second 0-60 times in the hands of every driver every time... no special clutch slip or launch procedure required for best times. Just stab the accelerator...but be sure you are pointed in the correct direction first.
 
#29 ·
Bbob,

Thanks for the excellent info! It sounds like this will be one amazing car! A couple of question for you though. First, why 4.4 Liters? Why go down in displacement for the HO model? Second, do you know the torque numbers? Third, will we be seeing this six speed auto in the Corvette pretty soon? Finally, is there an XLR-v coming our way soon? How about the others models, any V work headed their way?
Thanks again for all the great details!
 
#31 ·
Crozier said:
Ok. I give up on my subscription. What are the M45's numbers?
Not to steal the New STS-V thunder but the M45 numbers via Car & Driver put it's 1/4 mile time at 14.2 sec @ 101 mph. That's pretty good for a 4 door car with 335Hp. Car and Driver ESTIMATES the STS-V with it's 440 Hp running the 1/4 mile at 13.8 sec @ 101 mph and when stacked up against the STS-V the M45 is 280lbs lighter. I am sure the STS-V will put up better numbers than what C&D estimates but the M45 is quick espically when compared with the V8 STS.
 
#32 ·
Crozier said:
Bbob,

Thanks for the excellent info! It sounds like this will be one amazing car! A couple of question for you though. First, why 4.4 Liters? Why go down in displacement for the HO model? Second, do you know the torque numbers? Third, will we be seeing this six speed auto in the Corvette pretty soon? Finally, is there an XLR-v coming our way soon? How about the others models, any V work headed their way?
Thanks again for all the great details!
The supercharged engine ends up at 4.4 liters due to a reduction in the cylinder bores from 93 mm to 91 mm to create more space between the cylinder bores to enhance cylinder head gasket sealing with the boosted engine. In addition, the engine runs a multilayer steel head gasket, precision ground block and head deck surfaces and 2.0 mm thread pitch head bolts for strength.

The advertised power numbers for the supercharged Northstar engine in the STS-V are 440 HP @ 6400 and 430 lb.ft. @ 3600.

Check out the info being released in the press for the Corvette....

What XLR-V.....?????
 
#33 ·
Bbob, any idea how much power this engine makes without the supercharger? im thinking if the SC adds ~150 hp but costs 60hp to run. then its netting 90 hp, so would the engine make 350 hp without? my numbers are basically made up. but i was thinking if this engine is stouter than the standard N* AND more powerful, maybe it could become the standard V8 for the STS/SRX. thus bringing price down as well, economies of scale, blah, blah, blah.
 
#35 ·
Reckamech said:
I can't say I am not impressed ;) Is their any word if the STS-V is still using the 5 speed auto transmission? From the pictures I see their is no manual but wondering if their is a 6 speed auto.
There will be a new 6 speed/manu-matic.
 
#36 ·
********* said:
I have seen quite a few drivers that are used to some very fast and high output engines drive the prototype STS-V cars and I have yet to hear one that was dissatisfied with the performance.


The various STS-V mule vehicles and prototypes have lived on the Milford Road Course , the Nurburgring and several other race tracks around the country since the program started. I cannot imagine a vehicle (aside from the Corvette) that would have accrued as much track time during development as the STS-V. Actually, within the past 2 years any time there was a Corvette track test there were STS-V cars there also so it probably has more track time per vehicle than the Corvette mules given the number of laps turned.

BTW....the cars are being driven by very competent test drivers. One of the aspects of HPVO is to train and certify drivers against some of the best in the world so that vehicle performance is accurately rated. To say that some of the drivers of the STS-V program are "good" is an understatement. John Heinricy, who is very well known as a racing driver outside of GM, is the head of HPVO so he serves as the gold standard for driver performance. This really raises the bar in terms of vehicle performance and capability as the driver level is good enough to as to tax the car to the very limit.
Bob , the more you talk about vehicle devlopment the more i want to be a part of it...Im to the point im willing to throw away my "never wanna see snow again" mantality .....Too bad i blow at math ....but if you need a driver call me .....
 
#37 ·
Brett said:
Bbob, any idea how much power this engine makes without the supercharger? im thinking if the SC adds ~150 hp but costs 60hp to run. then its netting 90 hp, so would the engine make 350 hp without? my numbers are basically made up. but i was thinking if this engine is stouter than the standard N* AND more powerful, maybe it could become the standard V8 for the STS/SRX. thus bringing price down as well, economies of scale, blah, blah, blah.

I would say that it would make...about....310 HP without the supercharger. The 4.6 rear wheel drive Northstar makes 320 HP and that engine is pretty well tweaked for maximum HP combined with a good torque curve. I wouldn't expect any gains past that, really. The supercharged engine makes 440 HP because of the supercharger....period. That is why all the work went into adapting the blower to the motor.
 
#38 ·
the Sandman said:
100 HP per liter. ;)


Yea, thanks for the help. That is what I meant but my typing exceeded my brain I guess....


It is nice to note that the 440 HP rating is a very conservative rating. It is indicative of readily achieveable intercooler coolant temperatures on a warm day...not a flash number achieved by running ice water thru the intercooler...LOL. Give it cold water on a cold day and watch out.....
 
#40 ·
the Sandman said:
I see that the predicted numbers for the 300 Hemi C SRT 8 with 425 HP are 0-60 in 4.9 and the 1/4 mile in 13.2. Any predictions for the STS-V BBob?

I'm surprised that they are going with "only" 425 HP....they have considerable displacement over the STS-V. I'm also wondering how they are going to haul that heavy car down the 1/4 in only 13.2 with that power level....LOL.

My money is on the STS-V in a heads up race. Hard to quote numbers at this stage. I would rather the magazines test them and report the numbers so no one thinks there is BS or bias.
 
#43 ·
********* said:
I'm surprised that they are going with "only" 425 HP....they have considerable displacement over the STS-V. I'm also wondering how they are going to haul that heavy car down the 1/4 in only 13.2 with that power level....LOL.

My money is on the STS-V in a heads up race. Hard to quote numbers at this stage. I would rather the magazines test them and report the numbers so no one thinks there is BS or bias.
Actually, I was mistaken about these "predictions". They are actual test results reported in the latest Motor Trend. The CTS-V did 0-60 in 4.7, and the 1/4 mile in 13.1. The '05 GTO did the quarter in 13.3. Damn this is a golden age for performance - the new Z06 should be in the mid 11's... for around $75,000.
 
#45 ·
CoupeDevilleRob said:
I heard somewhere, I wish I could remember where, that the new Z06 will be priced between $60,000 and $65,000. How's that for bang for the buck!
The latest Motor Trend has a nice article on the upcoming Z06, and estimaties the price at $75,000 - $85,000. Still a bargain for a Dodge Viper and Ford GT slayer... :D
 
#49 ·
Good Gawd....that red is just awful! :vomit:

I sincerely hope the red is just an option and not standard on the V. I'm priming the wife to let me buy a V when they're introduced, but I'd really hafta think a few more times if it had to come with that cheapass boy-racer interior.

I'm sure there are folks that will love it - and more power to them. Just, please, don't make it standard equipment. Let's let the grown ups have a choice and not just the children!

Just MY opinion......

Regards,

John
 
#51 ·
I almost shit bricks when i saw this car! OMFG this thing is insane! I love it, the front bumper looks soo sexy, the CTS-V would look better with a lower lip on it like the STS-V, I thought this car was suppost to have a v-12? the rear bumper design is incredible! The CTS-V shoulda had the same thing, But one thing that both cars lag is Quad exhaust tips! other than that, A lil more aggresive body work and this car is perfecto! I would definitely take this over an E55, RS6, And M5! It jus looks too damn good! :D
 
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