mikeyb
07-09-2005, 07:38 AM
Just when you think all’s quiet in Gothenburg, rumors of potent powerplants begin to float out. One might be tempted to assume the only big news from Volvo this year will be the C70 roadster expected to come out of hiding quite soon, though that’s only part of it. With no other new body styles planned for a 2005 debut, it might be easy to chalk things up as rather quiet on the Swedish front, though we hear Volvo’s new engine range packs an unexpected punch.
We’ve been hearing rumors of a new inline 6-cylinder engine range coming from Volvo for some time, though a recent article by AutoWeek has revealed further details. Internally called “SI6”, the engine will probably first break cover in the next generation S80 due in about one year.
The engine has reportedly been developed for both transverse and longitudinal applications – meaning it could fit Volvo engine architecture or perhaps see duty in other offerings from Ford or Jaguar.
Expect four valves per cylinder and an aluminum block, weighing in at a light 400 lbs. To save space, it’ll make use of a chain-driven camshaft – AutoWeek reports this makes it 1mm shorter than Volvo’s inline 5-cylinder currently offered. Whether this means the 5 used in the P2-based cars or the more compact 5 used in the S40/V50 offerings has not been confirmed. Obviously, we’d love to see a WRX STi-stomping 6-cylinder S40 R, but only time will tell if that’s a realistic expectation.
Also according to AutoWeek, three versions of the SI6 are being readied. First is a naturally-aspirated 3.2-lliter base engine and then two different versions of a 3.0-liter turbocharged version. The base unit will make use of variable cam timing on the inlet valves, and the turbocharged versions are reported to get a more aggressive setup with both variable inlet and exhaust valves. Finally, AutoWeek also suggests that performance versions will use a Garrett turbocharger with variable vane geometry.
Power levels are supposedly generous, with the normally aspirated 3.2 pumping out 238hp and 236 lb-ft of torque at an impressively low 3500 rpm. The middle-range and lesser of the turbocharged engines will be a light-pressure setup pushing out 285-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The high-pressure engine, presumably to take the T6 moniker, should be good for a whopping 350 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.
Just which engines beyond the S80 these engines are bound for remains to be seen. AutoWeek suggests one use might be the European Focus RS and possibly other R models within the Volvo range. Certainly the S60 and V70 R models would be good candidates, though we’re still smitten with the idea mentioned above of an S40 R. With Volvo’s smallest sedan pushing out 350-hp, it’d probably hang with the hottest four-doors from Japan and Europe, placing Volvo firmly in the crosshairs of a highly sought-after demographic with plenty of disposable income.
http://www.swedespeed.com/news/publish/Volvo_News/article_590.html
We’ve been hearing rumors of a new inline 6-cylinder engine range coming from Volvo for some time, though a recent article by AutoWeek has revealed further details. Internally called “SI6”, the engine will probably first break cover in the next generation S80 due in about one year.
The engine has reportedly been developed for both transverse and longitudinal applications – meaning it could fit Volvo engine architecture or perhaps see duty in other offerings from Ford or Jaguar.
Expect four valves per cylinder and an aluminum block, weighing in at a light 400 lbs. To save space, it’ll make use of a chain-driven camshaft – AutoWeek reports this makes it 1mm shorter than Volvo’s inline 5-cylinder currently offered. Whether this means the 5 used in the P2-based cars or the more compact 5 used in the S40/V50 offerings has not been confirmed. Obviously, we’d love to see a WRX STi-stomping 6-cylinder S40 R, but only time will tell if that’s a realistic expectation.
Also according to AutoWeek, three versions of the SI6 are being readied. First is a naturally-aspirated 3.2-lliter base engine and then two different versions of a 3.0-liter turbocharged version. The base unit will make use of variable cam timing on the inlet valves, and the turbocharged versions are reported to get a more aggressive setup with both variable inlet and exhaust valves. Finally, AutoWeek also suggests that performance versions will use a Garrett turbocharger with variable vane geometry.
Power levels are supposedly generous, with the normally aspirated 3.2 pumping out 238hp and 236 lb-ft of torque at an impressively low 3500 rpm. The middle-range and lesser of the turbocharged engines will be a light-pressure setup pushing out 285-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The high-pressure engine, presumably to take the T6 moniker, should be good for a whopping 350 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.
Just which engines beyond the S80 these engines are bound for remains to be seen. AutoWeek suggests one use might be the European Focus RS and possibly other R models within the Volvo range. Certainly the S60 and V70 R models would be good candidates, though we’re still smitten with the idea mentioned above of an S40 R. With Volvo’s smallest sedan pushing out 350-hp, it’d probably hang with the hottest four-doors from Japan and Europe, placing Volvo firmly in the crosshairs of a highly sought-after demographic with plenty of disposable income.
http://www.swedespeed.com/news/publish/Volvo_News/article_590.html