2018 Cadillac CTS-V What to Expect

Mainly what you can expect with the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V is what you could always expect from the CTS-V dating all the way back to its first release date in 2004. The Cadillac CTS-V sedan will be a beefed-up version of the regular CTS with the intent to compete with German sports sedans. Sedans like the Audi RS6, Mercedes E63, BMW M-5, etc. will all have to go toe-to-toe with this American-made monster. 

In the past, the Cadillac CTS-V has been able to beat those cars from the other side of the pound in performance and handling. But with competitors all wanting to be on top of the hill, the competition will be thick. The third-gen Cadillac will - as it has always done - use the engine and transmission components from the Corvette. 

The 6.2-liter Supercharged V-8 will push out around 640-hp+ and 630-lb.-ft. of torque+. Connected to an eight-speed transmission the Cadillac will be able to reach 0-60 in 3.6-seconds and reach 100 mph in just 3.9-seconds. General Motors rumors it as a car that can reach a top speed of 200 mph, but they have said that before. 

Some people may not be very happy with the automatic transmission availability (only), but the truth is, with technology these days, the only thing you gain with a manual transmission is the feeling of being in a car that feels faster. In recent years automatics have out-performed manuals in the quarter-mile on a consistent basis. And that's not just for the Cadillac brand, the Corvettes and Camaros have also been found to be faster with an automatic.  

Past years have left some people questioning the steering of the CTS-V, saying that it has been a little bit on the week and loose side. Supposedly Cadillac has addressed these issues and the steering is now much more hefty and precise. With GM's new Magnetorheological suspension and huge Brembo brakes, the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V should have no problems handling any performance driving you throw at it. 

In true Cadillac fashion, like all of the other CTS-V sedans, even with the massive engine under the hood and other power upgrades, you will still be able to drive this vehicle back and forth to work, to the golf course, and even take them on long trips with every luxury every other Cadillac offers. 

For all of the new CTS Cadillacs, including the V-Series, they will be receiving a new infotainment system that is supposed to add more capabilities and be more compatible with the ever-turning technology age. Other interior upgrades the CTS-V will receive is a sportier steering wheel, and that's about it. For the most part, from the inside to the outside you will be owning a CTS except the emblems will have a dash and a V added to them and the power will be enormous. There will be somebody improvements, but hardly notable.  

There is one last thing to mention - this is about as big as a rumor as you can get - but a rumor is a rumor. Since all other vehicles in their class have two different body styles, there has been some talk about a possible addition of a wagon or a sedan to the 2018 Cadillac CTS-V line up, but that's just a BIG rumor. MSRP expected to be around $86,000.00.

The 2017 Autorama Detroit: Not Enough Time for the Fun

From the cars to the entertainment, the largest indoor car show in Michigan is a nice hold-over to the nicer days of Michigan car cruises, car shows, drag racing, etc. The nice thing about the 2017 Autorama Detroit this year opposed to some of the years in the past, is being able to walk to COBO Hall without freezing to death.  

The crazy Dukes of Hazard jump was even able to be performed without the worries of sliding across a sheet of ice - didn't even need to shovel and lay a bunch salt down before hand. Danny's band "Count 77" performed an outrageous show like they always do. I think since his love for cars runs so deep, being in a facility with so much automotive madness around just makes his band perform that much better. 

Seeing Daisy Duke and Luke Duke show up was crazy. I was so young when I used to watch them on T.V. it's amazing to see how great they still look. About 30 years ago I can remember my first Detroit Autorama. I was aloud to sit in the orange charger (General Lee) and the Batmobile from the Batman series and have my picture taken in it. That year they had a monster truck car crushing exhibit in the COBO arena portion of the facility. Those are some of my earliest memories and I still have the pictures and autographs. 

From what I've seen at this three day spectacular event is a lot of new and exotic looks in an attempt to probably stand out from the crowd. A lot of wild paint jobs and impractical suspension and rim setups. Cars and trucks customized to the tune of looking more like a "Hot Wheels" car than something you could drive out of COBO Hall with. 

But I did see a lot of people and car builders going back in the other direction. A lot cool vehicles that our modest - ones we will probably see cruising the streets of Woodard this year. Old classics, muscle cars, trucks, sports cars, even some of those pesky 80's cars that don't really draw much attention in any aspect of the automobile world. 

Unfortunately, I had to head home before the best part of the whole show got on its way. There's nothing like it when you get to watch the cars leave one-by-one when the show is over. All of them off to their trailers, all of the drivers wanting to give one more punch of the throttle for the cameras. Maybe Next Year Autorama Detroit. 

2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Pushing Limits No Camaro Has Before

Looks like the picture is stretched, right, but it's not, that's the new 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE! Revealed the day before the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway, this Camaro could be Vehicle Chief Engineer of Camaro, Al Oppenheiser's, best yet. 

This Camaro in its disguised form was many times throughout the winter mistaken for the next Sixth Gen Z/28. When Oppenheiser was asked why not a Z/28? His reply was if and when that next Z/28 does happen it will only come back out as a naturally-aspired vehicle the way it was attended to be when it was created. He also went on to say the car was built for the track but is a little bit more streetable than the last Z/28.  

This new 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE gets around the GM proven grounds track three seconds faster than the last ZL1. But make no mistake, it's not because of a new drivetrain, this new track car will still be using last years ZL1 power source, the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 connected to a six-speed manual transmission. (no automatic available) 

So what makes this monster so much better than the previous year's ZL1? The 1LE track package of course. For the first time in a long time Camaro is going to ditch the already very effective Magnetic Ride Control Shocks and upgrade to a set of Multimatic Spoiler-Valve Dampers. With a stiffer frame and the largest tires to every be found on a factory Camaro, this suspension should hug corners like your grandma hugs her grandkids.    

There is more to the equation. The body is outfitted with large dive planes in the front and a huge Carbon Fiber spoiler in the rear. The body also host a new and bigger front-splitter and a larger grille to help get more air into the engine compartment. Six-piston front, four-piston rear Brembo brakes will help you stop while those larger tires will be a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 3Rs to help grip the asphalt in just about any track conditions. 

The new version of the 1LE still gets some of  the old styling with the satin black wrapped hood, black side mirror, and blackout taillights. This new version will also come with other ZL1 perks such as the eLSD Positraction Management System with the same line-lock and launch capabilities. And all ZL1 1LE Camaros will come with the Performance Date Recorder (PDR). 

So what will this 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE cost you? Well, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, the suspected MSRP will probably be somewhere around the $68,000.00 mark.   

1996 Corvette Grand Sport: Throw Back to the '63 Corvette Grand Sport

When it comes to fourth-generation Corvettes, they shared a common trait with all other American Sports Cars at that time, their power was not all that impressive. So when it came to the fourth-generation Corvette's final year (1996), Chevrolet decided that putting something special on the market would be a boost for their brand and bring big attention to the on-deck sixth-generation Corvettes of 1997.

To bring the spotlight back to the Corvette, Chevrolet's solution was to go back to 1963 when they made one of their meanest Corvettes of all time and revive the name and color scheme. For 1996, Corvette decided that 1,000 models would get special treatment for better performance, a louder color combination, and they would place the Grand Sport badges on the Vette just like they did in '63.

Giving the Corvettes What They Needed

Corvette engineers slapped the 1996 Grand Sport Corvette with an LT4 that originally pumped out 300-hp, but for this special edition Corvette, engineers managed to squeeze 30 extra horsepower out of them. They accomplished this with a more aggressive camshaft, higher-flow aluminum heads, larger valves, higher-compression pistons, new high-flow fuel injectors, and roller rocker arms.

Crazy colors followed – Admiral Blue Metallic paint was accented with a big white stripe that ran down the center of the body. Two red hash marks were placed on the left fender and matched the red interior. Black painted five-star rims completed the color scheme and made up the Corvette that some people ended up loving and some people ended up hating.

Grand Sport Corvette Handling Options

When it came to performance handling, the 1996 Corvette Grand Sport didn't get much more than the original standard Vettes did except for a bigger set of tires for the coupe: 275/40ZR-17 Goodyear radials in front and 315/35ZR-17s in the rear. The convertibles received the same size tires as the non-Grand Sport Corvettes did but there were options. 

On the 1996 Corvette Grand Sport, just like with other Corvettes, you could spring for the $350.00 Z51 handling package which came with stiffer springs, new Bilstein shock absorbers, and front and rear stabilizer bars. There was also an optional Selective Real Time Damping system that cost an extra $1695.00. That system used sensors and accelerometers at each wheel to give the semi-active suspension the ability to readjust the shock damping in 10-to-15 milliseconds, sort of what they use today on the Corvettes just not nearly as sophisticated.

All-and-all, I always loved the look of the 1996 Corvette Grand Sport, it's one my favorite from the fourth-generation, although there wasn't much competition. The next year Corvette changed its style and engine, and the left over LT4s motors found their way into the 1997 30^thAnniversary Camaros.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction: What Days Are Best For You to Visit?

You can ask any car enthusiast where the most exciting place to shop for a vehicle is and almost all of them will tell you the Barrett-Jackson car auction. Some of the most sought-after vehicles in the world roll across the auction block and some of the world's wealthiest people come to place bids and battle other wealthy people with a chance to own them.

But you don't have to be wealthy to attend and participate in the week-long event, in fact, everyone is welcome, and planning and deciding which days are best for you to attend is the best way to maximize your auction experience.

If you plan on attending one of the Barrett-Jackson events, the first thing you will want to do is decide what kind of experience you are looking for. The biggest auction of the year is the Scottsdale auction in Arizona and starts on Saturday and goes until the next Sunday. The first Saturday-thru-Thursday are usually slower days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the major action packed, media covered, highly populated days that bring the exciting Super Bowl-like atmosphere to the auction.

But just because Saturday-thru-Thursday does not bring the Super Bowl-like atmosphere does not mean that they are days worth skipping. In fact, for some shoppers, those days could be the most beneficial days to attend. Depending on what types of vehicles you're in the market for, your budget, how good your bidding and auctioning skills are, and the type of atmosphere that you feel most comfortable in may determine whether you want to go for the first few days, the last three days or go all out and stay the whole week.

If you are on a restricted budget, the first few days could be your best option considering that a lot of the high-rollers do not show up on those days, and that could make those days great days to look for great deals. You could come across a car you really want on the last few days of  Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and unfortunately, as much as you may want it, a person with an unlimited bankroll may want it too. And if you’re on a restricted budget, your bidding won’t have a chance. Also, contrary to popular belief, the best of the best vehicles do not only get auctioned off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. What days the vehicles come on the block depend on when the owners registered their vehicles, when the owners can be available to stay with their vehicle for that whole day, and whether the vehicles are charity vehicles or special advertised vehicles.

It is very common for someone to get a chance to buy a vehicle on one of the slower days for a great price, and because of higher profile bidders and more of them, the same exact type of vehicle with higher mileage and lower options might go for a much higher price on one of the busier days. Another great perk of attending the auction on the first Saturday-thru-Thursday is the chance you will have to really look the car over thoroughly and possibly talk to the owner more in depth about the vehicle you are attempting to purchase. When it comes to Friday-thru-Sunday you might not get a chance to get an up-close look of the vehicle like you would want to because of the abundance of people, media, and the heightened security. Also, have fun trying to get a hold of the owner to have a conversation about your potential purchase on a busier day, he could be out enjoying the Super Bowl like festivities.

Although there are some perks about attending the Barrett-Jackson auction on the less busy days, there are also perks to attending the auction Friday-thru-Sunday. First, if you have a big bankroll, the excitement of bidding against other big bank rolls is the type of thrill you get when you’re at the casino gambling for high stakes. Other perks include rubbing elbows with famous people such as Jay Leno a well-respected car enthusiast, Sammy Hagar, actors, famous racecar drivers, race team owners, and many other well-known wealthy people with the taste for prestigious cars.

Another great thing about Saturdays and Sundays is that when they send the charity vehicles across the block, all proceeds go to charities that have great causes such as helping sick kids, helping the terminally ill, and other great causes. Also, to help get more money as the bidding keeps going, the organizations auctioning off the vehicle's throw in special incentives such as autographed guitars or special tours to high-profile facilities like famous raceways, car museums, factories, etc.

Whatever the reasons you have for wanting to attend the most prestigious auto auction in the world, with a little bit of planning and research you will find that it is an event where if you’re a car enthusiastic it would be hard not to have a great time.

If you do plan on attending the auction, you can go to the Barrett-Jackson’s website and find all the info you need to prepare. You will find catalogs of what cars will be on the auction block, tickets, merchandise, and more.

Chevrolet Bolt Electric - North American Car of the Year

Not to be confused with the Chevrolet Volt, which is a hybrid vehicle and uses a gasoline motor to supplement the plug-in electric motor, the Chevrolet Bolt is an electric-only vehicle. The Chevrolet Bolt wins the North American Car of the Year award by winning the race to being the first American-made, mass-market, fully electric car.

The award was announced this Monday at the North American International Auto Show. Several dozen journalists take all the vehicles in the running for a test drive before voting. The Chevrolet Bolt managed to beat out big names that made big buzzes in years past. Names like the Genesis G90 and the Volvo S90 feel behind the Chevy Bolt in performance and price. The world-renowned Tesla Motors with their Model 3 electric car was not in the running because it had not yet made into production.

The Chevrolet Bolt was also named Motor Trend Car of the Year and Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show. After the Bolt won the Green Car Award for environmentally friendly cars, marketing manager Steve Majoros had this to say, "there's been a lot of talk about building an affordable electric car with a 200-mile range that brings electric vehicles to the mainstream, but only one manufacturer has done that, and it's us."

The Chevrolet Bolt gets a Range-Per-Charge of 238 miles. Cheaper by about half the price of a Tesla S and X Model, the Bolt can be purchased for about $37,495 before you receive government tax breaks. You add that in with the luxury of avoiding every gas station you ever pass and you should find yourself with a little extra spending money at the end of the year.

2009 ZR1: This Era’s Most Pinnacle Corvette Ever Built

When it comes to General Motors, nothing but the best engineering has always been used when it comes to their vehicles, and the Corvette is absolutely no exception.

Through the years, Corvette has always made a big splash with their Z-Series Vettes. Corvettes such as the ZO6, ZR1, and the ZL1 would receive just a little more power and torque, handling capabilities, and all around upgrades for better track performance.

But in 2009, no one expected what we were about to see. The introduction of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 would be so performanced packed it would give it a supercar status that would have its name being mentioned in the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini.

Motor and Transmission

The see through Carbon Fiber hood allows anyone close to look inside the engine bay and take a peek to see what powers this Vette. The ZR1 is powered by a 6.2-liter LS9 aluminum V-8 with a Twin Vortices Series supercharger that pushes air through an attached intercooler. 

Hand built in Wixom, Mi. this powerhouse motor puts out 638 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 604-lb.ft. of torque at 3800 rpm. Controlling all this power is easy with a close ratio six-speed manual gearbox and a high-capacity, high-performance clutch that makes anyone who is sitting in the driver seat feel like they're driving a professional racecar.

Performance Stats

This General Motors’ engine and transmission combination is responsible for the staggering numbers that it puts down while going in a straight line. The Corvette ZR1 gets from 0-60 in 3.4-seconds while reaching 100-mph in a matter 7-seconds. The Corvette has no problem covering the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at 131 mph. With a top-speed of 200-mph, this Corvette is without a doubt the most powerful and fastest Corvette ever produced in history.  

Frame and Suspension

The ZR1 comes standard with an aluminum frame structure that weighs in at a mere 138 pounds. This frame is the exact frame that is used on the C6.R race car, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 5.2 pounds per horsepower. The aluminum frame rides on a Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension. The magnetic ride control is the most sophisticated suspension of its kind. This ride control gives the driver two different driving modes to choose from: the sport ride control which is ideal for the racetrack and a touring mode which is ideal for everyday driving. These modes can be switched back-and-forth right at the driver seat with a push of a button. Doesn’t seem like so much of a wow factor now, but back in 2009 this convenience was just starting to become a thing on American vehicles.   

Tires

Now with great power and a great suspension you have to have some way of keeping the tires and wheels in contact with the ground, and in this department GM spares no expense. By replacing the stock Corvette tires with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, the ZR1 was able to shred off three seconds per lap at the Virginia International Raceway. And that’s when the decision was made the Michelin’s that performed the best would come on the best Corvette ever produced.

Braking

You can't have a vehicle with all that power and all the ability to utilize it in the most effective way without having an effective way of stopping it. So Corvette straps on massive Brembo Carbon Ceramic 15-inch front and 15.5-inch rear vented cross-drilled rotors that can get as hot as 1000-degrees celsius before warping. The brake system includes six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear. When this system all works together it is capable of the type stopping power that you would need for a 200 mph supercar.

The Looks of a Supercar

With a wider stance than the average Vette, the ZR1 is designed to take corners better and get around the track faster. Sporting 19-inch diameter wheels in the front and 20-inch diameter wheels in the back, the look of the ZR1 says nothing but supercar. The buyer will have the option to choose the color of the wheels which include a bright silver coated finish, a deep black coated finish or a chrome finish. All three colors look great depending on the look you are trying to achieve. Corvette offers nine different exterior colors, all of which are in an exotic tint helping give the ZR1 the supercar look that Corvette is ultimately after. The bigger spoiler on the back is both functional and awesome looking and the see through Carbon Fiber hood really makes a supercar statement.

Interior Options for the ZR1

When it comes to interior, the ZR1 offers an abundance of options and colors. The buyer can request almost everything from the steering wheel to the door panels to be wrapped in rich leather. The buyer also has the option of different model specific badges to be placed about the inside of the vehicle. Power adjustable heated leather seats with microfiber inserts can be purchased for a better day-to-day driving experience. Corvette also offers a package called the 3ZR. This package includes a nine speaker Bose system, Bluetooth wireless technology, a head-up display and a SiriusXM satellite radio, all designed for a more convenient and exciting driving experience.

Price Tag and Gas mileage

With supercar looks and supercar power and track times to match, a MSRP price tag of $112,000.00 makes this ZR1 one of the best priced supercars of its kind. The ZR1 also rates very high in gas mileage with a rating of 14 city/20 highway mpg. For a V-8 powerhouse, this type of gas mileage is extremely good and should be extremely satisfying for consumers.

The best thing about the ZR1 is for the first time ever, Americans that are in the market for a supercar can now choose an American built supercar that is placed in a class with some of the best supercars in the world..

How Much Horsepower Is Too Much? When Is Enough, Enough

Summary:

• Horsepower isn't everything. Building a fast car is about putting power to the pavement, not just bragging about engine output.

• Modern performance cars have changed the game. Today's factory-built sports cars and muscle cars can deliver incredible horsepower and performance without extensive modifications.

• More horsepower doesn't always mean a faster car. Traction, handling, and putting power to the ground can make all the difference.

• Build a car for how you plan to use it. A street car, track car, and show car all have different priorities.

• Know your limits. The right amount of horsepower is power you can enjoy, afford, and safely control.

Anyone who has ever been infatuated with the power created by combustion engines will tell you, "You can never make enough horsepower." But in this day and age, with smaller engines and better technology delivering astronomical performance levels, that way of thinking may not be as true as it once was.

Normal-sized LS engines, which are designed to move massive amounts of air and fuel, leave car enthusiasts with all kinds of options for upgrading other performance components to make their vehicles faster and more capable.

A tubbed-out, roll-cage-fitted vehicle with a massive supercharger sticking out of the hood may look fierce, but you might be surprised to watch a vehicle that appears mostly stock smoke the crap out of that wannabe race car.

When building a badass vehicle, it should be less about how much horsepower you plan to create and more about making sure you can successfully get that power to the wheels and then to the pavement.

500 Horsepower Before 1990

Sure, 500 horsepower has been possible since people started taking engines apart and putting them back together with the sole intention of making them go faster. But before the 1990s, having 500 horsepower in a daily cruiser, such as a 1980s Corvette, Camaro, or Mustang, just wasn't realistic for the average enthusiast.

That's not to say that 500 horsepower in a daily driver before 1990 never happened. For the most part, though, that kind of power was reserved for track use, short drives to car shows, or trailer queens. Driving back and forth to work every day or taking long road trips in a vehicle with 500-plus horsepower would have been pretty unusual in the late '80s, '70s, and '60s.

The New Age: Right-Off-the-Showroom-Floor Vehicles Are Plenty Fast

Finding a modern sports car with more than 300 horsepower is as easy as visiting your local dealership. Today's sports cars and muscle cars can deliver impressive performance right off the showroom floor, leaving many stock and modified '80s sports cars trailing behind.

The Corvettes, Camaros, Hellcats, Chargers, and Mustangs we see today can deliver serious horsepower and impressive quarter-mile times. Cadillac and many other automakers have also packed more performance into their vehicles than enthusiasts could have imagined back in the mid-'80s and early '90s.

If you had told me back in the '90s that a six-cylinder Camaro in the 21st century would keep up with a '90s LT1 Camaro and leave an '80s Z28 in the dust, I would have told you that you were crazy.

Well, maybe not.

My dad was a pro-Buick guy, so I attended plenty of Buick events while growing up and watched him race. In the early '90s, we started noticing turbocharged V6 Buicks lifting their front wheels off the ground and turning in 10-second timeslips. That's when we knew technology was about to change the game.

We never even bothered arguing the point with the Ford Mustang Fox-body crowd, though. They wanted to hear none of it. Ha, ha!

How Much Horsepower Is Too Much?

It really depends on your ambitions. Let's face it: If you want to go fast on a racetrack, you can build something with more power than a Top Fuel dragster. But that doesn't mean you're going to dominate the competition.

If you're building a car just for show, I think that's kind of silly, but to each their own. Sure, it's great to sit at a car show or drag strip and say, "Yep, my baby puts out 2,200 ponies."

But imagine a brand-new sports car pulling up next to you at a stoplight. It's quiet, looks completely stock, and then takes off like a rocket ship. Meanwhile, your loud, monstrous setup is gasping for massive amounts of air while sitting still, struggling to find even a little traction.

That seems kind of embarrassing, doesn't it?

How Much Horsepower Is Just Enough?

It all depends on what you plan to do with your vehicle. To me, the perfect amount of horsepower is enough to let me use and enjoy every bit of the power I paid for.

Have there been times when I've wanted more horsepower from some of my vehicles? Absolutely. But I also like to eat!

Having an extra boatload of horsepower under the hood that I'll never use doesn't seem worth it if my bank account is sitting at zero.

And there's something else to consider: Sooner or later, curiosity is going to get the better of you, and you'll want to find out what your vehicle can really do. If you discover that you, your car, or both can't handle it, you might end up with a vehicle wrapped around a tree.

At the end of the day, horsepower is only one part of the equation. Build a vehicle that fits your goals, puts its power to the pavement, and lets you enjoy what you've invested in. There's nothing wrong with chasing big numbers, but being able to use that power is what makes the experience worthwhile.

General Motors' Company Store Opened in GM Renaissance Center

The Renaissance Center 

Downtown Detroit on the river front of the Detroit River sets the skyline icon of the GM Renaissance Center. Headquarters to the General Motor Corporation, the 5.5 million square foot facility will play host to a new official General Motors Company store. 

Located on Level 1 in the GM Wintergarden, the GM store is part of an ongoing renovation to the tower to make public spaces more visitor friendly. The store will bring an exciting atmosphere that will use interactive exhibits to display some of GM's newest innovations, technology, and designs. The GM global brand will be promoted with novelties for purchase like branded coffee mugs, golf balls, hats, sweaters, polo shirts, model cars and much more. For more merchandise details head to www.gmcompanystore.com.

 

The new General Motors store first opened its doors on Nov. 7, 2016 with hours between 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. during the week and will be open on some weekends as its popularity progresses. All GM employs will enjoy a 10 percent discount with proper GM ID. 

The seven tower Renaissance Center sees an estimated 17,000 people per day and is home to great eateries like Joe Muer Seafood and Granite City Food & Brewery. Among the restaurants, the Renaissance Center also offers meeting and conference rooms, shopping experiences, other than the GM store, and even lodging, which includes a 70-story Detroit Marriott Hotel.  

6.6-Liter Duramax Diesel Torque Monster

Like the horsepower wars that "The Big Three" are involved in with their cars, the war to build a heavy-duty truck that can push the limits and take the crown for the biggest and best torque ratings is very much alive as well. 

For 2017, GM decides it's time to refresh and toughen up its 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engines for its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HD trucks. The extra boost in power will provide the already stout HD trucks with 455 hp, up from last year's 397 hp. And the new torque ratings for the Duramax will be boosted up to 910 lb-ft of torque, a bump from the 765 lb-ft of torque from the previous year.

90% of this newfound torque can be available at a very low 1,550 rpm, helping you take off from a dead stop very effortlessly, even when towing an extraordinary amount of weight.  

• The refreshed Duramax gets its power from a mound of new and beefed-up engine components:
• Turbocharger 
• Cylinder Heads
• Pistons
• Connecting Rods
• Crankshaft
• Venturi Jet Drain Oil Separator

The Venturi Jet Drain Oil Separator uses boost from the turbocharger to suck more oil back into the sump, ensuring the oil doesn’t get in places it’s not supposed to go. GM also strengthens its notorious Allison six-speed transmission to help deal with the new torque numbers, making the Duramax HD trucks more powerful and durable than ever. 

Along with all of the beefed-up new components, the Duramax will also be able to run on B20 fuel, which is a mix of 20% Biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel fuel. 

So, how does the 2017 Duramax setup match up with the other competitors? The Ford Super Duty 6.7-liter Powerstroke diesel puts out 440 hp, but the Ford still takes the torque crown for 2017 with 925 lb-ft of torque. The Ram HD sports an inline six-cylinder diesel that puts out 385 hp with a very stout 900 lb-ft of torque, not bad for a six-cylinder. 

Since it doesn't seem like the competitiveness for big torque numbers is going to go away anytime soon, one would have to suspect that the possibility of seeing these HD trucks coming in at 1,000 lb-ft of torque+, very soon, is very real.    

Rarest Corvettes In The World For A Fraction Of The Price

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