|
FOR RELEASE: June 16, 2000 CONTACT(S): David Roman, GM Powertrain
Nancy Wager, GM Powertrain Kevin Smith, Saab Cars USA GM TO COMPETE AT INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED
PIKES PEAK Powerful, Efficient Gasoline and Diesel Engines
to Debut
PONTIAC, Mich. - General Motors will be competing in the 2000 Adelphia Pikes Peak International Hill Climb competition on July 4 in Colorado Springs, Colo., with its most entries ever, a combination of eight production and race-designed vehicles. Several of GM's critically acclaimed powertrains - Duramax, Vortec, Northstar, Saab Ecopower and Hydra-Matic - will make their Pikes Peak racing debut powering the eight vehicles. "The internationally acclaimed Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the ultimate racing challenge and provides GM an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the outstanding capabilities of its powertrains and vehicles in extreme conditions," said Russ O'Blenes, GM Racing program manager for Pikes Peak. GM Vehicles To Dominate Peak The GM entries include a GMC Sierra and Envoy, three Cadillac Seville STS', a Saab 9-3 Viggen, and two American Speed Association (ASA) Holden Commodore (Australian application) race cars. The Sierra and Sevilles are production vehicles; the Envoy is designed for off-road racing; the Saab 9-3 Viggen is designed for rally racing; and the ASA Holden Commodores are designed for circle track racing. The GMC Envoy, Saab 9-3 Viggen and ASA Holden Commodores also have similar body design attributes to their production models. All vehicles are outfitted with full safety equipment including roll cages and racing seats. Under the hood of the entries will be stock, slightly modified or race-designed engines. They include the all-new Duramax Diesel 6600 V8, a Northstar 4.6-liter V8, an all-new race-designed Vortec 5.0-liter inline 6-cylinder, a race-modified Saab Ecopower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and a slightly modified LS1 V8, called Vortec ASA 5700. Debuting in its first-ever racing competition, the Sierra's all-new Duramax Diesel 6600 V8 is the same engine that will be available this fall as an optional engine in the all-new 2001 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500 Series pickups and chassis-cab models. It is positioned to help GM set new industry standards for diesel power, performance, durability, reliability and quiet operation in the growing heavy-duty pickup class. The 6.6-liter turbocharged diesel has outstanding power and performance with ratings of 300 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque. It is mated to a production Hydra-Matic 4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission. Powering the Envoy is a race-designed all-aluminum 5.0-liter Vortec I6 engine featuring dual overhead camshafts. The all-new engine shares the same basic design architecture of the production Vortec 4200 I6 engine that will debut in the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada. The engine delivers more than 600 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft. of torque. Although this is the first Pikes Peak race for the Vortec 5.0-liter I6, another 5.0-liter I6 is powering GM's off-road racing Chevrolet TrailBlazer, which recently won this year's SCORE Baja 500 in Mexico. The Northstar V8 will make its Pikes Peak racing debut powering the three Sevilles. The same engine also can be found today in the Cadillac DeVille and Eldorado models. For 2000, the production Northstar received a significant redesign. While the basic engine architecture remains a predominantly aluminum 4.6-liter dual-overhead-camshaft 32-valve V8, major design improvements have been incorporated to deliver lower emissions, excellent mileage, and smoother, quieter operation. The powerful engine, introduced in 1992, produces 300 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. It is mated to a production Hydra-Matic 4T80-E four-speed automatic transmission. The Saab 9-3 Viggen is powered by a race-modified version of Saab's Ecopower 2.0-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Controlled by Saab's Trionic engine management system, this Ecopower engine produces more than 700 horsepower and over 600 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine utilizes the same block and cylinder head as those found in production Saab 9-3 and 9-5 models. Making its Pikes Peak debut, the Holden Commodores' Vortec ASA 5700 engine is very similar to the production LS1 V8, found in today's Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Opel Omega (European application), and Holden Commodore and Statesman (Australian application). This slightly modified engine also debuted earlier this year in the ASA ACDelco Series, powering all cars in the 20-event circle track race series. The V8 engine is rated at 430 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque. With the Vortec ASA 5700 engine, GM introduced fuel injection and electronic engine management to stock car racing. GM's Power Behind The Wheel Eight famous drivers and athletes from various professional racing circuits and sports have been assembled to represent GM behind the wheel of its vehicles. The drivers include:
These drivers all have accomplished careers and hold many national and international titles. Swedish racer Eklund has won many rally and hill climb events in his 36-year career including the 1999 European Rallycross championship. He currently leads the point standings in both the Swedish and European Rallycross Championship for 2000. Evans is an accomplished off-road driver with several wins in the United States and Mexico including the Baja 500. He also is the first paraplegic racer to capture a professional off-road racing title. In addition, Evans serves as a spokesperson for the GM Mobility Program, which provides people with disabilities extensive resource information and up to a $1,000 reimbursement toward aftermarket adaptive equipment installed on select new GM vehicles. Johnson, who currently races in the ASA ACDelco Series, has won many track and off-road events on motorcycles and in cars and trucks throughout his professional career. His victories include the Baja 500 and several AMA Supercross and Motocross titles. Miller has won many off-road and rally races on motorcycles and in trucks around the world including the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. Palmer, an accomplished extreme sports athlete, holds many Bordercross snowboarding titles and has won or qualified in several Downhill Mountain Biking and Supercross motorcycling events. Ragland has won every major off-road race in the United States and Mexico at least once, including the SCORE Baja 1000 five times in the four-wheel vehicle category. He recently won the 2000 SCORE Baja 500 in Mexico in GM's Vortec-powered Chevrolet TrailBlazer. Reaves, a veteran of motorcycle racing, was the first woman ever to qualify at a National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Bike event and has consistently placed in the top 10 in NHRA Winston Point Standings for many years. Schranz, a veteran of Pikes Peak races, has competed in various racing venues throughout his career driving motorcycles, quads and cars. He has won many Quad Racing events and has several top three finishes in Pikes Peak competitions. The Pikes Peak race, which dates to 1916, features one of the most demanding hill climb courses in the world. The grueling 12.42-mile gravel course begins at an elevation of 9,402 feet, includes 156 turns, and finishes at an elevation of 14,110 feet. "With its intense environment including high altitudes and various temperature changes, Pikes Peak provides a unique test of our products in one location," said O'Blenes. "This allows us to continue our commitment to learning through our racing efforts and ultimately bringing that knowledge to our production progr
|
