Click the photo above for pics of the ZR1 Corvette and its LS9 engine
Yesterday we showed you an overview of the Corvette ZR1's heart, the force-fed 6.2L LS9 small block V8. In naturally aspirated form, the LS3 powerplant hits in the base 2008 Corvette hits 436 horsepower, but the addition of a new four lobe Eaton supercharger lifts the ZR1 into the horsepower stratosphere. Ron Meegan, assistant chief of GM's small block engine program, took us through the ins and outs of the ZR1's efficient new supercharger and we had our cameras rolling. Hit the jump to learn how the Eaton supercharger works and what makes it special. We also attached a one-minute video that details some of the differences between the supercharged LS9 V8 in the ZR1 and Cadillac CTS-V. 
Eaton supercharger in-depth
Differences between the supercharged 6.2L V8 in the ZR1 and Cadillac CTS-V
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mbuku Kanyau Mbithuka @ Mar 5th 2008 6:55PM
As we speak the chinese are working on their version of this supercharger, so are the Koreans and Japanese.
Americans never get it. There is your competitors out there, do not tell them how you do things... Let them buy at least one car to tear apart
jmzw20 @ Mar 5th 2008 9:47PM
Actually, Eaton's Twin-Vortices Series supercharger was first used on the TRD Aurion, and is now being applied to the ZR-1 and CTS-V. So, the Japanese were the first to use Eaton's new supercharger design. It also doesn't have the signature supercharger whine either. Eaton defends that by saying that whine is lost efficiency, which in turn, is lost power.
Justin @ Mar 5th 2008 6:59PM
Yay V8 roar + blower whine :)
MikeW @ Mar 5th 2008 9:55PM
You must have missed the other video.
Blower whine, significantly mitigated.
Luis @ Mar 5th 2008 7:08PM
Very interesting...
mike @ Mar 5th 2008 7:39PM
Incredible waste of time and money. The future is Electric Drive. Max torque at 1 rpm. The V8 is Dead.
Yar @ Mar 5th 2008 8:21PM
Not as incredible as the amount of time and money the state wasted on your education.
Electric is great, but it has some severe limitations when you start getting into higher and higher performance levels (Compare the size/weight of a 620 hp gas engine to a 620 hp electric engine, then figure how many amps that motor pulls and how many batteries you need to keep it going for more than 2 seconds).
Mark @ Mar 5th 2008 8:49PM
Oh ok.
dac @ Mar 5th 2008 8:04PM
Pretty cool stuff. I'm always surprised that supercharger technology has changed so little in the past 50 years, especially when compared to some of the innovations on the turbo side of things. Still, the supercharger is probably the best choice considering the design goals (drivability, low end torque). The LS9 is shaping up to be a ridiculous engine.
Carlos @ Mar 5th 2008 9:22PM
To be honest I really don't think that there every will be another huge invention when it comes to the ICE. Just a lot of large innovations. This is pretty cool though, I like his clear cut explanations in layman's terms.
Glenn @ Mar 5th 2008 8:07PM
Mike must be on some sort of crack heroin cocktail that he injects directly into his eyeball to be able to believe what he just said.
naggs @ Mar 6th 2008 9:01AM
you mean you DON'T inject crack/heroin into your eyeball?
i thought you were cool man
Jnel @ Mar 5th 2008 8:50PM
It is NOT an LS3 - very similar, but not an LS3 - it's a supercharged LS9
Insiderunknown @ Mar 5th 2008 11:46PM
couple things, #1 you can buy a 600hp Electric Mini..it has 4 in wheel motors capable of 150hp each, and the batteries fit inside the car (saw it on autoblog a while back)
2nd the LS9 is a supercharged LS3. They took an LS3 block added supercharger..therefore its not an LS3 but it is based on the LS3 block (differention is there so people know its not a supercharger LS7)
Back to 1st statement, the future is electric drive, but via hydrogen fuel cells. This means NO batteries, it makes its own electricity, and its only by-product is water clean enough to drink!
With GM's "skateboard" fuel cell platform you would be able to change the body of the car from sports car to minivan to pickup, to anything you want. And, since the whole system is drive by wire you can make all the inputs (steering throttle response, etc..) unique to which ever body style is on the skateboard.
J @ Mar 6th 2008 6:25AM
If only the world were as simple as you make it sound. It'll be a while before ANY of what you mention in your post is real.
The simple fact is that there is no free lunch. Sure, all you get from the tailpipe of your fuel cell car is water. But where do you get the Hydrogen? It takes a huge amount of energy to produce hydrogen, and it is unlikely that the total energy and pollution of the process of making hydrogen will be much cleaner or cheaper than the cars we have today. Not to mention all the waste, energy, and pollution that goes into developing a brand new nationwide hydrogen service infrastructure.
Biofuels are already putting a strain on the worlds food supply . . . corn prices are through the roof and third world governments are using corn to produce ethanol rather than to feed their starving populations.
And Toyota has done a wonderful job of brainwashing us stupid americans into thinking their Prius is actually better for the environment. All it takes is a few celebrities to show up to an awards show in one and there's a line around the block at your local Toyota dealership. 45mpg sounds good on the surface. The problem is most of the sheeple in this country are to stupid/ignorant/ADD to think for themselves and look beyond the gucce dress on the cover of E! magazine.
http://forums.motortrend.com/70/6259344/the-general-forum/prius-outdoes-hummer-in-environmental-damage-so-go/index.html
Like it or not, a reasonably sized, lightweight gas or diesel buring car is still one of the most energy efficient technologies around when looking at the big picture. Beyond that, you are trading dependance on foriegn oil for world hunger and environmental issues. Take your pick, you can have them all.
Cray @ Mar 6th 2008 5:07AM
Let me guess, you been watching Discovery channel. ;)
I do like GM's "skateboard" fuel cell platform, I'm kinda curious why they haven't utilized it yet. Its not like GM can afford to wait around.
naggs @ Mar 6th 2008 8:58AM
you cannot buy a 600 hp electric mini...
we are a few breakthroughs away from electric drive competing with ICE from and energy density standpoint
and dont be silly, hydrogen cars will use batteries, all cars will use batteries
Insiderunknown @ Mar 6th 2008 4:18PM
Ever heard of electrolosis? Yes it is still years off, but the biggest hurdles at this point is infrasctructure of a hydrogen network. Honda offers a system that hooks into your homes natural gas line and creats hydrogen at your house!
As for electrolosis, water is 2 hydrogens attached to an oxygen, an electric current can seperate the hydrogen with very little engergy needed. This is all not just proven technology..it actually exists. Honda has fuel cell cars in customers hands in California where there is a hydrogen highway.
This seems far off, but it really isn't.
Joseph @ Mar 27th 2008 3:19PM
Electrolysis is extremely in-effecient , it takes more energy to produce the hydrogen from water, then that you will get out of the hydrogen, and most of the electricity in the world is still coming from coil and oil plants, it will pollute more as well.
Insiderunknown @ Mar 27th 2008 11:47PM
check your facts, less than .5V can seperate hydrogen from oxygen in water. I have made scale fuel cuel vehiles (they sell kits for science classes. If it took that much energy those little cars would not work.