GM 8-Speed Automatic Transmission To See Wide Use

GM’s new 8-speed automatic transmission, known internally as 8L90, will be introduced shortly on the 2015 Corvette, giving it up to 29 MPG on the highway. But its use won’t stop there. According to IHS Automotive, as many as 200,000 8-speed transmission units may be fitted to the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks in each of the next two years.

Starting in 2016, the 8L90 will appear in the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon midsize pickups. The General’s full-size Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans will get the 8 speed garbox in 2018, followed by the Cadillac ATS and CTS models, as well as select Camaros, will also get versions of the 8L90 as well. This new transmission will help GM stretch to meet stringent fuel economy mandates in 2020.

While GM has worked hard to perfect fast shifting for the Corvette application, having an 8-speeds pays significant fuel economy dividends in any rear wheel drive application. GM global product chief Mark Reuss says that transmissions with higher numbers of gears will be “a big part of our product lineup” in the future.

IHS Automotive expects the 8-speed transmission to be superseded by a 10-speed unit that GM is developing jointly with Ford by model year 2018.

Source: Automotive News

The American V8 Muscle Car Extinction Has Begun

The rumble and roar of big-displacement V8 engines has excited generations of young men and women, as well as serving as the battle cry against an endless imported invasion of “sport compact” cars. But while many see the recently-revealed 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat as a triumph of ‘Merican engineering, I see it as the last gasp of the dying V8 muscle car market, a last chance to bid a fond farewell to the American V8 engine.

Just like alligators survived the die-off of dinosaurs, big, loud, and powerful V8 engines won’t disappear for good, at least not soon. But the number of V8-powered cars has been dwindling for years, and even trucks are downsizing their engine options with an eye towards fuel economy.

The two latest examples of discontinued V8 engines is the 6.2 liter V8 found in the Ford F-150 and SVT Raptor, and the Chrysler 300 SRT8, which uses a 6.2 liter HEMI V8. The news that the Ford V8 has been canned means that America’s best-selling vehicle will only have a single V8 engine option, but three V6 drivetrains including a 2.7 liter EcoBoost with V8-like torque. The 5.0 V8 will be the biggest engine offered in the F-150, fueling rumors that the next SVT Raptor will be powered by a smaller EcoBoost engine, rather than a V8.

Meanwhile in Chrysler’s corner, sales of its SRT performance vehicles seem to be bottoming out. For the second time this year, production of the Viper (now branded as a Dodge) has been idled following abysmal sales. The once-popular Chrysler 300 SRT8 has also seen its sales slow to a crawl, with an average of just 75 units being sold each month this year, compared with the over 4,000 luxury sedans Chrysler is used to moving. Only the Jeep Grand Cherokee has kept SRT’s sales numbers afloat, and I’d hardly call that a muscle car.

As for the Challenger Hellcat, with its 707 horsepower 6.2 liter V8, it’s the most powerful American production car ever built, casting a shadow over even the mighty 662 horsepower Shelby GT500, the former record holder. How much higher are OEMs really willing to go? Rumor has it the Shelby GT350 Mustang could make a go at 750 horsepower, but I’m not sure I believe it.

Why? Because the numbers are stacked against V8s in more ways than one. That’s why the 2015 Mustang has embraced smaller engines with a 2.3 liter EcoBoost four-cylinder slotted between the base V6 and the GT model’s V8. Rated at 310 horsepower and 320 ft-lbs of torque, the EcoBoost engine is only 125 horsepower and 80 ft-lbs behind the much bigger and supposedly thirstier) four-banger.

With gas prices only poised to go upward, what matters most is the official MPG rating…though it should be substantial. The rest of Ford’s performance lineup is also anchored by EcoBoost engines in the Fiesta ST and Focus ST. If the Raptor goes EcoBoost as well, that means only the Mustang will offer a V8 performance engine. Why bother stuffing a V8 under the hood when a V6 or four-cylinder engine is nearly as good (and a whole lot lighter).

The next-generation Camaro is also rumored to be in for a downsized body and engine lineup as well, and the future of the Challenger or its replacement car is constantly being called into question. More likely than not, CHrysler will retire from the muscle car game as Fiat’s Italian tendencies temper enthusiasm for big engines. This is happening even in Chrysler’s truck division, where the Ram 1500 has been positioned the 3.0 liter EcoDiesel V6 engine, returning 28 MPG and stump-pulling torque.

Beyond the Challenger, Camaro, you’ve got the Dodge Charger, which shares a platform and engines with the Challenger, as well as the Chevy Corvette Stingray. The Corvette has a meaty 6.2 liter LT1 V8 that incorporates fuel-saving technologies like Active Cylinder Management to sip on fuel at highway speeds…if you can keep your foot off the pedal. Thanks to its lightweight body, the 2014 Corvette Stingray has a 28 MPG rating…and could come close to 30 MPG when it gets a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

Yet even the Corvette is at risk of going with a hybrid drivetrain down the road, as GM recognizes that making a bunch of thirsty V8-powered cars is going to make it difficult to meet the 34.5 MPG CAFE rating required by 2017. That’s why, rather than totally eliminate the V8, automakers are likely to only offer it in top-tier, $50,000+ vehicles.This keeps sales numbers down, meaning a lesser effect on fleetwide fuel economy.

The V8 muscle car may survive, but the cornerstone of their success, affordability, will likely be gone. In its place will be a new generation of smaller, lighter, but just as punchy performance cars with four and six-cylinder engines instead.

Engines come and engines go; but the obvious trend here is that V8 engines disappearing and mostly being replaced by V6 engines. I think we’ve got another ten years, or about two product development cycles, before we see the V8 engine completely phased out from the dwindling muscle car segment.

In other words, enjoy it while it lasts.

Source: Gas2

What American Muscle Car Will Go Hybrid Or Electric First?

I recently expressed my disappointment that the 2015 Mustang is really just more of the same, a fun but inefficient performance car longing for the days when gas cost a dime a gallon. The Mustang ignores a truth all automakers have begrudgingly accepted; electrification of the automobile is the future. Even Ferrari has figured that out.

If the Mustang and other muscle cars like the Camaro and Challenger are to survive as modern day performance machines, they’ll have to eventually embrace hybrid technology, or become such low-volume, high-cost vehicles that their emissions contribution no longer matters. I don’t like to think about that though, as it means the end of the affordable muscle car.

Instead I will wonder aloud…which Detroit automaker will be the first to deliver a hybrid or (gasp) electric muscle car? And no, the Mustang EcoBoost doesn’t count; I’m not convinced an engine running on premium fuel will actually deliver more than the 30 MPG of the V6, especially given Ford’s recent MPG snafus.  I’m also going to leave Tesla out of the equation here, and instead focus on the Detroit-based Big Three.

I’d make the case that the Chevy Camaro has the best chance of embracing electrification before either the Mustang or Challenger, and for one simple reason; the Chevy Volt. GM has made the Volt the centerpiece in their green car lineup, and the plug-in hybrid remains a top seller on the monthly green car sales charts. The Camaro would also be an exceptional platform to showcase a next-gen Voltec drivetrain, so long as it delivers adequate performances. Eventually, a hybrid drivetrain could replace the 305 horsepower V6 engine, though GM’s foray into the eAssist mild hybrid drivetrain seems to have ended with a whimper, not a bang.

A Chevy Camaro with a Volt drivetrain? It’s not as crazy as it sounds, as the Cadillac ELR has the same drivetrain, but 30% more power, up over 200 ponies. While there isn’t a performance version of the ELR planned yet, if GM can make the output more along the line of 300 horsepower, while exceeding the fuel economy of the base V6 engine, who would complain? GM has arguably been the boldest of the three Detroit automakers with its green car plans, and the Volt remains a top contender.

That’s essentially what Ford is trying to do with the 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine, and while there’s been talk of looking into diesel, hybrid, or even electric drivetrains for the Mustang, I won’t hold my breath. Ford has played its cards very conservatively with the 2015 Mustang, and I think a hybrid F-150 is more likely to come before a hybrid Mustang. Then again, Ford did downsize the Mustang in a big way between the 1973 anbd 1974 model years, and 1974 remains as the one and only year to not even offer a V8 engine. Yet the 1974 Mustang II was one of the best-selling model years ever. Ford surely remembers that as well, and it could make such a bold transition again.

As for Chrysler? Well there’s no saying the Challenger is even going to be around long enough to embrace electrification, though Fiat-Chrysler has made it clear its not a fan of either hybrid or electric vehicles. A plug-in hybrid minivan is said to be in the works, but Sergio Marchionne is actually asking people not to buy the Fiat 500e EV. Ouch.

I think its fair to say that the Challenger, or whatever replaces it, will probably be the last holdout of an era long past.

Some people would rather seem nameplates like Mustang and Camaro die before they embrace green technology, but I’d much rather see these legendary cars adapt to a different time then to just disappear. If they are to survive though, it won’t be because of the big V8 engines that are becoming increasingly scarce as automakers find other ways to make performance cars perform. Other automakers like Toyota and BMW are toying with the idea of hybrid sports cars, while Porsche has gone all-in with hybrid tech.

Is America really ready to cede the performance crown like that? I say no, and I also say there’s nothing wrong with the idea of a hybrid muscle car. Eventually, somebody is going to do it sooner than later, though I expect the next generation of muscle cars to be the last of its kind. In other words, don’t expect any hybrid Mustang or Camaro announcement before 2020, and perhaps even beyond.

You can have your cake and eat it too, and as long as there is a V8 engine option, the purists can be kept at bay. For those of us willing to embrace something different though, the payoff could be huge. A 200 horsepower EcoBoost engine paired with a 150 horsepower electric motor that can deliver 40+ MPG and have a limited electric-only range? I’d be on board for that, and Ford might even win me back from Tesla.

Maybe.

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Chevrolet Camaro SynergyI recently expressed my disappointment that the 2015 Mustang is really just more of the same, a fun but inefficient performance car longing for the days when gas cost a dime a gallon. The Mustang ignores a truth all automakers have begrudgingly accepted; electrification of the automobile is the future. Even Ferrari has figured that out.

If the Mustang and other muscle cars like the Camaro and Challenger are to survive as modern day performance machines, they’ll have to eventually embrace hybrid technology, or become such low-volume, high-cost vehicles that their emissions contribution no longer matters. I don’t like to think about that though, as it means the end of the affordable muscle car.

Instead I will wonder aloud…which Detroit automaker will be the first to deliver a hybrid or (gasp) electric muscle car? And no, the Mustang EcoBoost doesn’t count; I’m not convinced an engine running on premium fuel will actually deliver more than the 30 MPG of the V6, especially given Ford’s recent MPG snafus.  I’m also going to leave Tesla out of the equation here, and instead focus on the Detroit-based Big Three.

I’d make the case that the Chevy Camaro has the best chance of embracing electrification before either the Mustang or Challenger, and for one simple reason; the Chevy Volt. GM has made the Volt the centerpiece in their green car lineup, and the plug-in hybrid remains a top seller on the monthly green car sales charts. The Camaro would also be an exceptional platform to showcase a next-gen Voltec drivetrain, so long as it delivers adequate performances. Eventually, a hybrid drivetrain could replace the 305 horsepower V6 engine, though GM’s foray into the eAssist mild hybrid drivetrain seems to have ended with a whimper, not a bang.

A Chevy Camaro with a Volt drivetrain? It’s not as crazy as it sounds, as the Cadillac ELR has the same drivetrain, but 30% more power, up over 200 ponies. While there isn’t a performance version of the ELR planned yet, if GM can make the output more along the line of 300 horsepower, while exceeding the fuel economy of the base V6 engine, who would complain? GM has arguably been the boldest of the three Detroit automakers with its green car plans, and the Volt remains a top contender.

01-2015-ford-mustang-1

That’s essentially what Ford is trying to do with the 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine, and while there’s been talk of looking into diesel, hybrid, or even electric drivetrains for the Mustang, I won’t hold my breath. Ford has played its cards very conservatively with the 2015 Mustang, and I think a hybrid F-150 is more likely to come before a hybrid Mustang. Then again, Ford did downsize the Mustang in a big way between the 1973 anbd 1974 model years, and 1974 remains as the one and only year to not even offer a V8 engine. Yet the 1974 Mustang II was one of the best-selling model years ever. Ford surely remembers that as well, and it could make such a bold transition again.

As for Chrysler? Well there’s no saying the Challenger is even going to be around long enough to embrace electrification, though Fiat-Chrysler has made it clear its not a fan of either hybrid or electric vehicles. A plug-in hybrid minivan is said to be in the works, but Sergio Marchionne is actually asking people not to buy the Fiat 500e EV. Ouch.

I think its fair to say that the Challenger, or whatever replaces it, will probably be the last holdout of an era long past.

Some people would rather seem nameplates like Mustang and Camaro die before they embrace green technology, but I’d much rather see these legendary cars adapt to a different time then to just disappear. If they are to survive though, it won’t be because of the big V8 engines that are becoming increasingly scarce as automakers find other ways to make performance cars perform. Other automakers like Toyota and BMW are toying with the idea of hybrid sports cars, while Porsche has gone all-in with hybrid tech.

Is America really ready to cede the performance crown like that? I say no, and I also say there’s nothing wrong with the idea of a hybrid muscle car. Eventually, somebody is going to do it sooner than later, though I expect the next generation of muscle cars to be the last of its kind. In other words, don’t expect any hybrid Mustang or Camaro announcement before 2020, and perhaps even beyond.

You can have your cake and eat it too, and as long as there is a V8 engine option, the purists can be kept at bay. For those of us willing to embrace something different though, the payoff could be huge. A 200 horsepower EcoBoost engine paired with a 150 horsepower electric motor that can deliver 40+ MPG and have a limited electric-only range? I’d be on board for that, and Ford might even win me back from Tesla.

Maybe.

Source: Gas2

1968 Camaro TDI Is A 40 MPG Turbodiesel Hot Rod

The world of muscle cars is full of big cars with massive motors with as much displacement as the soda aisle at your local grocery store. But big engines aren’t as cool as they used to be, and Americans are increasingly turned on to the idea of turbodiesel engines, and not just for their new cars. In the grand tradition of hot rodding, somebody has installed a 1.9 liter Volkswagen TDI engine into a 1968 Camaro. Some might cry heresy, and others might wonder what’s the point. Me? I’m just pissed somebody beat me to the punch.

Seriously, the Volkswagen 1.9 liter TDI engine is both durable and packing a good bit of performance potential…if you know what you’re doing. The guy who built this badass blacked-out Camaro certainly did, somehow splicing the TDI’s wiring harness into the Camaros. After a deal to turn this ‘68 Camaro into a drag car fell through, the owner was left with two options; scrap it, or keep it. He obviously opted to keep the Camaro, but lacked a proper V8 to put under the hood, which is where the turbodiesel motor enters the equation.

Make no mistake, this motor isn’t going to set the streets on fire, as in stock form it made between 105 and 130 horsepower-ish. With some new injectors, a bigger turbo, tuning, and a few other improvements, this tiny motor could easily push out 200 horsepower…which still isn’t that much. But the torque, oh god the torque. Despite displacing less than a two-liter bottle of soda, this engine can crank out 400 ft-lbs of torque when properly tuned, and still glide along the highway at 40 MPG all day.

What’s not to love?

To top it all off, it even appears to have a manual transmission for some gratifying shift-for-yourself action . There’s so much win in this eBay ad, I’m not even going to question the $22,390 asking price. I’d rather rock this flat black turbodiesel beast all day than a twice-as-powerful 5th generation Camaro V6. The cool factor is just off the charts, and I can imagine all the sputtering and spinning heads when the little TDI fires up and coughs up black smoke from the back.

Blowing minds and racking up big MPGs, that’s what this turbodiesel Camaro is all about.

Source: Gas 2.

Electric Scooter In A Briefcase: Would You Pay $6,000 For It? - VIDEO

You only need witness the success of the Transformers movie franchise to know that people like the idea of things changing into other things.

Let's assume that a Camaro that turns into an Autobot isn't suitable for your commute however. How about a briefcase that turns into an electric scooter?

That's what Green Energy Motors Corp. can sell you for the princely sum of $6,000.

Well, $5,990. Or $2,995 if you're quick to take them up on a special 50 percent-off introductory offer.

The Commute-Case, as it's known, is essentially a briefcase you can ride to work.

It's a scooter more in the upright, childs-toy mold than it is a proper step-through motorcycle, but it's surprisingly adaptable as a result.

It is, to all intents and purposes, briefcase-shaped. But extend sections at the front and rear and wheels and a set of handlebars pop out, while convenient steps drop down from each side of the case allowing you to ride it.

You can also carry it, but at 27 pounds we're not sure whether you'll be striding through the city with quite as much ease as Green Energy Motors' promotional images make out.

Luckily, it also has a trolley mode, allowing you to wheel it behind you like airplane hand luggage. Though again, we're not sure many airports would be amused by you checking in something with so many internal wires and hidden compartments.

But what about its positives? Well, it's small. That's always good. It's not entirely useless as a briefcase either, and does feature a few small compartments for documents and the like.

The scooter attributes can also be deployed in a scant three to five seconds, perfect for that intra-office escape when the boss calls your name. And it'll carry you 25 miles from him before the battery runs out.

There are eight different colors available, a push-button throttle and lever brakes. So you'll always have some semblance of control over your Transformers briefcase.

But at six grand? Or even three? We're not so sure. Six grand gets you quite a lot of electric bicycle these days, or a jolly nice custom briefcase.

And a combination of the two probably won't be quite as conspicuous as the guy riding his briefcase to the office. Notably, there are no pictures or videos of anyone actually riding the Commute-Case, just carrying it effortlessly and dragging it behind them.

Us? We'd prefer a more conventional electric scooter. You might need a license, but they're quicker, look better, and you don't have to carry them anywhere...

Source: Green Car Reports