General Motors Showcases Global Ecotec 2.2-Liter Engine In Compact Drag Racing Series For 2002
FOR RELEASE: January 29, 2002General Motors Showcases Global Ecotec 2.2-Liter Engine In Compact Drag Racing Series For 2002
Front-wheel-drive drag cars offer excitement, performance in a four-cylinder package
DETROIT- Traditional drag racers may smile when they see General Motors' latest drag racing entries - front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire cars powered by GM's Ecotec 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine. When they see the performance of these compact-class cars on the strip, however, their jaws may drop with the realization of the potential of these remarkable production-based cars.
FWD Cavalier, Sunfire mark change in direction for drag racing With a remarkable 600 to700 horsepower (depending on the class in which the car is competing) from only four cylinders, the Cavalier and Sunfire will be some of the fastest accelerating vehicles ever built that feed all their power to the track through the front wheels. In a sport that has been dominated from its outset by rear-wheel drive in general, and by GM's Chevrolet and Pontiac rear-wheel drive cars in particular, the Cavalier and Sunfire mark a major change in direction.
GM Racing's Fishel: Kids' FWD racing 'reflection of today's car marketplace' "America's kids today want to race just as much as their parents and grandparents did," said Herb Fishel, Executive Director of GM Racing, and an avid NHRA fan. "The difference is, the cars enthusiasts can afford to buy new or almost new today are front-wheel drive and have four cylinder engines. This racing truly is a reflection of today's car marketplace."
Racing in all rounds of the National Hot Rod Association's Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series and select Import Drag Racing Circuit events in 2002, both Cavalier and Sunfire are powered by specially prepared versions of GM's Ecotec engine, the same technologically advanced, global powerplant available in production versions of the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire and Grand Am, Oldsmobile Alero and Saturn L-Series and VUE in North America and Opel and Saab models in Europe.
"Today's younger generation are the first to have grown up with computers and computer games and advanced engineering principles," Fishel added. "They are perfectly comfortable with computer-controlled fuel injection systems, data collection systems and modifying computer codes. They're equally at home sorting out independent suspensions, four-valve cylinder heads and the vagaries of an on-board diagnostic system. The Cavalier, Sunfire and their rivals you see on the track are not only production-based but they're surprisingly high tech."
Ecotec performance potential core of FWD drag racing program Releasing Ecotec's performance potential to enable the showcasing of the performance capabilities of the Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire is the core of the GM front-wheel-drive drag racing program.
Developing production-based engines for competition is something at which GM has had more than a little practice - and success. The Chevrolet/GM Small Block V-8, the most successful race engine ever, came from production beginnings in 1955. In its latest production-based form, the Vortec 5700 has successfully powered two seasons of remarkably reliable, fast and financially viable racing in the ASA.
Fishel: Small Block success based on 'a few strategic elements' "The success of the Small Block was based on the efficient, speedy application of a few basic strategic elements," said Fishel. "Developing race-winning, affordable parts from a rock-solid production design; making those parts readily available to the race community; and providing easily accessed and applicable information to all interested parties; and the engagement of third parties to independently develop and supply race-winning components based on our successful designs.
"We're following a similar philosophy on the Ecotec," Fishel added. "On this basis, we're well on the way to completing the first element and our intent will be to complete the second and third over the coming season, with the fourth developing over time."
GM Racing, GM Performance Parts developing tuner parts At the same time as developing race parts, GM Racing engineers have been working closely with GM Performance Parts on lessons learned that can be applied to the design and provision of tuning parts for the street.
"Our vision of success is that in 2003 and beyond, the Ecotec is the engine of choice in these race categories and that the cars it powers are recognized by youth as being great platforms on which to build a tuned street car," he asserted.
General Motors, through the participation of Pontiac, GMC and Chevrolet, is easily the most successful automobile company involved in drag racing, having established an undisputed record of excellence through commitment.