Normally the twisting of an ignition key doesn't constitute news here at Autoblog, but this is one of the few exceptions. Back in January, Hennessey Performance announced the HPE700, a concoction born from the combination of an LS9 supercharged V8 from a ZR1 and a 2010 Camaro. The Texas-based company only recently shoe-horned the engine into the engine bay. A video camera was on when it was finally time to start the newly created monster, and the sound is nothing short of amazing. The result of open headers plus what appears to be a fairly aggressive cam makes for a sound that has the hairs on the backs of our necks standing on end. Have a listen for yourself by watching the video after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Brian!



[Source: YouTube]

The 1969 Camaro is one of the most iconic pony cars, and there are plenty of '69s on the road, many of which have been tweaked to provide more power than the impressive stock 427 big-block V8. However, none have been outfitted with the most powerful production GM engine in its 100-year history; the 638-hp LS9. That was true until the Jackass was completed.

The Jackass was constructed by GM engineer and Pro Touring stud Mark Stielow in 20 months. And the modified '69 Camaro is more than just a supercharged V8. Stielow added the wheels, tires, and carbon ceramic brakes from the ZR1, along with an Art Morrison subframe and a Tremec T56 tranny from a Dodge Viper. The result? 511 horsepower at the rear wheels, and a price tag that surpasses a loaded ZR1. While that's quite a bit of coin, but someone had to do it first and it appears Stielow's done it right the first time.

[Source: Inside Line]

General Motors did power junkies a solid when it announced at this past year's SEMA show that the famed LS9 engine will be offered as a crate motor. Because the LS9 was designed to live within the tight confines of the Corvette ZR1 engine bay, this engine should fit nicely into all manner of undeserving machinery, a fact that has made our minds reel with endless possibilities.

All that was before we heard the price. As much fun as it would be to drop a ready-made 630-hp supercharged whale-of-a-motor into, say, a Volvo 240 wagon, the $21,000 price tag is a bit of a buzzkill. To put it another way, the LS9 crate motor costs about the same as a base 2010 Ford Mustang. The high price isn't all that shocking, especially considering that Ford charges $17,699 for the 500-horsepower, supercharged 5.4L crate engine that's offered through its Ford Racing Catalog.

As our friends at Autofiends point out, though, anyone with a modicum of experience would be able to eke out even more ponies from a less exotic, standard LS-series engine, which can be had for a song if you're willing to look hard enough. Oh well, like many of the finer things in life, this crate motor is something to be enjoyed by only a limited few with deep pockets.


[Source Autofiends]

Most automakers -- especially those with limited resources -- get their first production model to market before announcing future variants. Hulme Supercars director Jock Freemantle had to mortgage his house to finance the development of his pet project, whose launch has been pushed back several times already. Now targeted to go on sale next year, the Hulme will be available in both closed-roof and open-air versions, with a Corvette Z06-sourced V8 replacing the previous BMW unit. Freemantle now says that an additional version will follow, featuring the supercharged V8 from the all-conquering Corvette ZR1. In a nimble, lightweight package, the 640-hp powerplant promises to propel the supercar to epic speeds... if it ever makes it to production.


Thanks to Keran for the live shots!
[Source: Gizmag]

For many, General Motors' Mr Stephens' Engine Shop online game is full of metallic looking stuff, none of it discernibly purposeful. What you're working with are extracted parts of the LS9 engine that powers the Corvette ZR1. Unless your ZR1 is in the shop for catastrophic engine failure, these components aren't usually seen out on their own. The General's little game has you correctly identify the major pieces and awards a prize after three rounds of correct answers (or lucky guesses). So many people, not just kids, are ignorant about the inner workings of the complex machine known as the car, so we applaud this effort to shed light on the mysteries that lie beneath the bodywork. Watch out for that fuel rail, we found it a little tricky to place. If anything, we're eager to get home and have the young ones begin learning auto anatomy. Thanks for the tip, Eden!

[Source: General Motors]

General Motors has announced that the blown beastie that lives under the hood of the Corvette ZR1 will be available as a crate motor next fall and our head is spinning with the swap possibilities.

With 639 hp and 604 lb.-ft. of twist available from the 6.2-liter supercharged V8, and dimensions shared by the LS3, any number of vehicles could make a happy home for the LS9. According to GM, the engine comes fully dressed, with an ignition system, exhaust manifolds and supercharger, and only needs an external oil tank and coolant tank (for the charge cooler), an ECU and wiring harness.

So, the question is: what would you fit the LS9 into? We've put together a poll after the jump, but feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments.


[Source: GM via MotiveMag]

Automobile Magazine was invited into General Motors Performance Build Center to watch and lightly assist in the buildup of a ZR-1's internal combustion heart. It takes four-and-a-half hours of real time to go from a bare block to a fire-breathing, supercharged LS9, but through the magic of sped-up video, it only takes seven minutes of your life. You won't come away with anything productive for that time, unlike the people in the video, who get the pleasure of creating a small-block V8, but it's a neat picture of how it all comes together. We just hope that some other poor sucker gets the motor that the magazine intern fiddled with. Video posted after the jump.

[Source: Automobile]

A company called LS9 is creating nearly pump-ready oil using single-celled bacteria. They start with industrial yeast organisms or "non-pathogenic strains of E. coli," and redesign their DNA so that they produce a different kind of waste. Crude oil is not far removed, molecularly, from the fatty acids expelled by yeast or E. coli during fermentation, so a little bit of DNA alteration bypasses the fatty acids and produces "Oil 2.0."

The "bugs" can be fed a variety of feedstock, from politically sensitive corn to Brazilian sugar cane to California wheat straw to Southern wood chips. The result is the same: crude oil that is almost ready to pour into your car. What's more: the enterprise is carbon negative, putting out less CO2 than the operation requires. At the moment it takes a 1,000-liter fermentation machine one week to make a 40-gallon drum of crude.

It will be a moment before they have a seamless industrial-sized operation. And there is that little concern of hundreds of billions of genetically-altered critters getting free and wreaking havoc on kids and puppies. But the promise of a steady supply of safely created $40 oil -- because even the Volt will need oil -- is not a bad thing to consider. Thanks for the tip, Brad!

[Source: Times Online via Engadget]

When Chevrolet officially announced the new Corvette ZR1 just before the Detroit Auto Show this year, it hadn't yet finished the certification of its new power-plant, the supercharged LS9. At that time, all the engineers would tell us was that the supercharged 6.2L V8 would produce a minimum of 100hp/L or 620 hp. Three months have passed since we got our first official look at the LS9 and the numbers are now in. According to GM, the LS9 has now been SAE Certified at 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of twist. The official EPA fuel economy testing hasn't been finished and for people who buy a ZR1 it probably won't matter anyway. Nonetheless, GM expects the LS9 to be the most fuel efficient 600+hp engine in the world, a dubious distinction if ever there was one. A special team of technicians will be hand-building and testing the LS9 at GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. Check out the articles below for all the details on the ZR1 and LS9.

Related stories:

• Detroit 2008: The King is back atop the hill - 2009 Corvette ZR1
• Detroit 2008: The Heart of the King, the LS9 is born!

[Source: General Motors]

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.