Cadillac at Goodwood Festival of Speed

FOR RELEASE: June 28, 2002

GM Showcases Exquisite Engines and Innovative Powertrains at Goodwood Festival of Speed

DETROIT - While the graceful arc of a finely crafted fender and the stately formality of classic coachwork may seduce the eye, it is the powertrain that is the heart and soul of a great automobile. For those who seek inner beauty there will be dozens of historically significant engines among the General Motors vehicles at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Exceptional engineering has been a hallmark of the world's largest vehicle manufacturer since the birth of the automobile.

GM powertrains are the foundation for great products
"While automotive design and powertrain technology constantly evolve, these vehicles all express an abiding passion for the product," said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman, North American product development. "You see that passion expressed in the bold design of the V16 engines that elevated Cadillac to the highest level of powertrain technology and in the exquisite simplicity of the small-block V8 that made Chevrolet the choice of racing champions around the world."

Cadillac set the standard with magnificent V16 motors
The Cartier collection at Goodwood showcases the magnificent motors that established Cadillac as the standard of the world. The marque's tradition of great powertrains began in 1915 with the introduction of the first mass-produced V8 engine. In 1930, Cadillac unveiled the world's first V16 engine for passenger car use. With overhead valves, twin carburetors, dual exhausts and an elegant exterior design, the V16 made an unmistakable statement about Cadillac's standing among the world's finest automobile. The 452-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V16 delivered 160 horsepower, while a V12 version introduced in the same model year produced 135 horsepower from 368 cubic inches (6.3 liters).

The massive Cadillac motors were more than engines - they were automotive art. Cadillac advertisements heralded them as "Works of the Modern Masters" and described the V16 as "the very finest of its kind." That was no hollow boast - the motoring press hailed the V16 as "the last word in automotive design in America." The public agreed, but as the Great Depression descended, few could afford these automotive milestones.

In 1949 Cadillac popularized performance with the first high-compression, ohv V8 Research on high-performance aircraft engines during World War II paid a peace dividend when high-octane gasoline became available at service station gas pumps. Cadillac engineers designed a new high-compression engine that took advantage of the power-enhancing properties of this new fuel. In 1949, Cadillac introduced the first modern mass-produced overhead-valve V8. Rated at an astounding 160 horsepower, the 331-cubic-inch (5.4 liter) Cadillac V8 featured a short stroke and lightweight construction.

Cadillac's 53-year tradition at Le Mans
Racers quickly recognized the advantages of the new Cadillac powerplant. Cadillac even traveled the long and winding road to the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, with Briggs Cunningham, a well-heeled sportsman and racing enthusiast, leading the way. His American-based team finished tenth in the 1950 edition of Europe's classic road race with a stock-bodied 61 Series coupe.

Cunningham's second entry, a stunning aerodynamic bodied chassis affectionately named "Le Monstre" by the astonished French fans, posted a respectable 11th- place finish in spite of an excursion into a gravel trap. A Cadillac-Allard J2 entry finished third overall and first in the over-8000 cc (488 cubic inches) class. Cadillac returned to Le Mans in 2000 and finished this year in the top 10 with the Cadillac Northstar LMP 02 - the spiritual descendant of Cunningham's Cadillacs.

Cadillac Cien incorporates innovative engine technology with direct injection and variable displacement Just as the sharply chiseled form of the Cadillac Cien concept car stands in stark contrast to the formal bodywork of its predecessors, so does the Cien's all-aluminum, dual-overhead-cam Northstar XV12 concept engine represent a sharp break from conventional engine designs. This experimental 12-cylinder version of Cadillac's acclaimed Northstar V8 produces 750 horsepower from 7.5 liters (457 cubic inches) of piston displacement. A sophisticated direct injection system introduces gasoline directly into the combustion chambers under high pressure to increase power, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. GM's "Displacement on Demand" feature allows the 12-cylinder engine to run seamlessly on six cylinders to maximize fuel economy under light loads.

Chevrolet small-block V8 is the most successful production engine in motorsports No engine has had a greater impact on motorsports than the Chevrolet small-block V8. GM has produced more than 65 million small-blocks - and many ended up on racetracks. This lightweight, high-revving engine has powered more winning cars and won more championships than any other automotive engine. It is the foundation of the American speed equipment industry and the mainstay of American motorsports.

When the 265 cubic-inch (4.3-liter) small-block Chevrolet V8 debuted in 1955, it incorporated radical - for its time - engine technology, including thin-wall castings, stamped steel rocker arms, slipper skirt aluminum pistons and interchangeable cylinder heads. GM engineers kept the small-block V8 forever young with a steady flow of heavy-duty components. Upgraded blocks, free-breathing aluminum cylinder heads and forged-steel crankshafts maintained the little Chevy's place on the leading edge. The classic drag racers, Trans Am road racers, NASCAR stock cars and West Coast road racing specials that will compete at the Festival of Speed are examples of the small-block's pervasive influence.

New LS1 V8 powered Corvette Racing to 1-2 finish at Le Mans
The Le Mans-winning Corvette C5-R driven by Oliver Gabin at the Festival of Speed spotlights the successor to the legendary small-block V8. The Corvette's all-aluminum LS1 V8 incorporates the original small-block's longstanding virtues of compact size, simplicity, reliability and high specific output even though it shares virtually no components with its storied predecessor.

"Before the introduction of the LS1, almost every V8 engine used for racing dated back to designs that originated in the mid-'50s," said GM Racing Executive Director Herb Fishel. "Now the small-block Chevy that has been the backbone of America's racing industry for more than 45 years is being replaced by derivatives of an even better small-block - the LS1 - which has the highest specific output of any production V8 engine GM has ever built."

Chevy big-block V8 dominates drag racing
For sheer horsepower, no engine can rival the big-block Chevrolet V8. The engines currently competing in the upper echelons of drag racing's production-bodied classes are descendants of the cast-iron Chevrolet big-block V8 that debuted in 1965. The big-block Chevy V8 was the driving force in the glory days of the unlimited Can-Am road racing series. Contemporary Pro Stock drag racing engines retain the big-block's original architecture and its wedge-type, splayed-valve combustion chambers.

The big-block V8 was conceived as the successor to the truck-based 409 cubic-inch (6.7 liter) "W" engine that was the centerpiece of Chevy's stock car racing program in the early '60s. A handful of big-block "Mystery Motors" appeared at the 1963 Daytona 500, where they showed spectacular speed. At the conclusion of the race, however, they disappeared into motorsports mythology.

Big-block Chevy's splayed-valve cylinder heads are key to performance
The Mystery Motor's secrets were subsequently revealed when the production Mark IV big-block V8 debuted two years later. The engine's expansive rocker arms concealed the source the big-block's prodigious power: its valves were canted, or "splayed," in two planes. These compound angles unshrouded the valves at high lift and opened the door to higher levels of performance.

In 1983, General Motors introduced the Drag Race Competition Engine (DRCE), a refined version of the big-block with features specifically tailored to the requirements of drag racing. A second-generation version (designated "DRCE2") was introduced in 1996, and is now the universal engine in GM-bodied Pro Stocks such as Michael Malmgren's ACDelco Camaro that is slated to appear at the Festival of Speed. The DRCE2 has 4.900-inch (12.45 cm.) cylinder bore spacing (the maximum allowed by NHRA rules), a short deck height that allows the use of lightweight pistons and connecting rods and a raised camshaft that improves valvetrain dynamics at high rpm.

GM celebrates legendary engines at Goodwood
GM has designed, tested and produced engines that range from refined V16s for silky limousines to raucous big-block V8s for all-out racing. Among the heroes and legends that will be celebrated at the Festival of Speed are the GM powertrains that have made motorsports history.

GM-Powered vehicles at Goodwood (tentative):
Cadillacs in Cartier:
1903 Model A
1909 Model 30
1930 V16 roadster
1931 V16 convertible coupe
1940 Series 62 coupe
1949 Series 62 fastback
1953 Eldorado convertible
1958 Coupe de Ville
1959 Eldorado Biarritz convertible
1976 Eldorado convertible
2002 Cien concept car

Other GM-Powered vehicles in Cartier:
1928 Vauxhall 20/60
1938 Buick Y-Job
1970 McLaren M6GT

Dragsters:
1953 Studebaker Commander (Chevy-powered)
1956 Chevrolet sedan
1964 Chevrolet Corvette
1967 Chevrolet Camaro
2001 Chevrolet Camaro

Trans Am:
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

NASCAR:
1990 Chevrolet Lumina

Modified Touring:
1975 Vauxhall Firenza ("Baby Bertha")

Rally Cars:
1963 Saab 96 Sport

West Coast Racing Specials:
1958 Devin-Chevrolet SS
1956 HWM-Chevrolet
1966 Chaparral-Chevrolet 1

Can Am:
1969 Lola-Chevrolet T163A
1966 McLaren-Chevrolet M1C
1970 Lola-Chevrolet T310

Sports Endurance:
1974 Chevrolet Corvette
2002 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R