Take back the keys!

2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP
260hp/260tq





With Cleveland Cav Cheerleaders


Future plans:
GMPP Intake
3" exhaust
High-flow cat
Larger intercooler with hardpipes
Computer tune
Volk wheels [long term, lol]

Lithium Lotus wrote:2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP
260hp/260tq





With Cleveland Cav Cheerleaders


Future plans:
GMPP Intake
3" exhaust
High-flow cat
Larger intercooler with hardpipes
Computer tune
Volk wheels [long term, lol]

These are so sweet man, nice car! Do they make a reflash for these yet? I know a lot of the factory turbo cars can just be chipped to raise boost, redline, ect. These cars look like they have some real potential...

very nice choice! Lag pretty much non existent in her? Those still 2 liters? or they up them?

YES I love these things!

Make that 3 MVO members on this site now..

EVIL_WS6 wrote:Make that 3 MVO members on this site now..

Hes been here since the 5th Rick hah just no posts till now

i wasn't a big fan of these until "setup" was on the speed channel last year. pretty sweet car man.

The Sol GXP and Sky Redline have a 2.0 direct-injection Ecotec. More about the engine in another post

Yes, lag is pretty much eliminated with the K04 turbo. I do feel a little off the line though.

There are two companies that have mail-tunes [BSR, a popular european tuner company] and Westers [private tuner in Canada, I think]. The BSR tune raises the boost from 18psi to 23psi. A lot of people are seeing 250+rwhp with just the tune. BSR is going to release a StageII tune for those with larger intercoolers and intakes and exhaust. GM announced they are releasing a tune sometime next year, along with a tune for the new turbo Cobalt.

There is one member on the Solstice forum that's upgrading to a GT30R turbo, he's the first to upgrade to a bigger turbo. Can't wait to see what he gains with that sucker. I believe a K24 turbo would be a direct bolt-on upgrade for this car, since it runs a BorgWarner K04 stock. I know some of the Cobalt forum members are itching to do that swap.

The biggest thing that's holding the car back right now is the computer. Even though there are tunes available, with more companys releasing theirs next year, the computer is still being cracked. There are a couple of safety measures built into the coding. For instance, some owners were getting a check engine light by just swapping on an intake and cone filter, and that's really hit and miss. And the computer pulls boost once you start hitting the higher gears. The car will run a full 18psi through 3rd gear, but will start pulling boost once topping out 4th. The computer should be fully cracked next year.

Hahn Racecraft [big name DSM tuner] has bolt-on turbo kits for the base model Solstice with the 2.4 engine. Their StageIV kit has dynoed 383rwhp using a 20g. Their own shop car has run a best of 12.09@117.

And for those that haven't followed the SCCA Nationals Championship this year. A Solstice won Showroom Stock-B for the 2nd year in a row, and a GXP won TouringII.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the LNF engine.

Over the years, GM's Ecotec line of engines has by and large been seen as nothing more than an economical and reliable underhood offering. But with its "Gen II" revision that debuted with the 2.4L LE5 engine, GM drew upon experience racing the Ecotec engine family and built in strength to handle extra horsepower, with thickness being added to the main bearing bulkheads, cylinder bore walls, and other areas. The stage was set for a badass, forced-induction four-banger, and here we have it with the turbocharged, 260hp 2.0-liter known as the LNF.
Built for toughness, the LNF features a steel crankshaft and forged connecting rods. The pistons, while of a cast aluminum variety, feature a built-in oil galley and nifty jet-spray cooling system. We spoke to GM's Ed Groff, Assistant Chief Engineer for the LNF engine program, about this and other aspects of the design. "During development, we attached thermocouples to the pistons to allow us to analyze temperatures while the engine was in operation. Piston temperatures are a function of power level, and based on what we saw initially we decided that for the 260hp target power level, we were closer to our in-house limit than we wanted to be. This jet spray technology allows us to cool the piston by between 40 and 50 degrees C (104-122 degrees F), opening up a large safety margin for the engine."
For power, this DOHC engine features variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust, and a "dual-scroll" turbocharger that delivers 18 psi of boost with minimal lag. This is achieved through some pretty badass technology. "We separate the exhaust passages of cylinders 1 and 4 from those of cylinders 2 and 3 all the way from the exhaust ports to where they enter the turbocharger," says Groff. "So you actually have two nozzles feeding the turbine wheel; hence the term dual-scroll. This creates somewhat stronger exhaust pulses as different cylinders are not interfering with one another as the engine goes through its firing order, which helps the turbine. Also, going off of conventional four-cylinder tuning during the valve overlap period, the cylinders are not experiencing pressure pulses coming back from the exhaust. Because of the combination of the dual-scroll and the VVT, we are able to design in a lot of valve overlap at low engine speed, which helps low-end torque."
But the real story on the LNF is gasoline direct injection, the first system of its kind offered in North America by GM. Instead of squirting fuel into the intake port upstream of the intake valves, fuel is instead injected directly into the cylinder during the intake stroke--at an amazing pressure of up to 2,250 psi. This results in superior fuel atomization and a more efficient burn. To accommodate such a SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) system, a special intake manifold, cylinder head, high-pressure mechanical fuel pump, and variable-pressure fuel rail are used. The SIDI system pays many dividends, including allowing a higher compression ratio as well as a leaner air/fuel mixture.
Also noteworthy for the LNF-equipped Sky/Solstice is that fuel efficiency is improved over the 2.4L model, with an estimated 21 city/30 highway with the manual tranny versus the standard model's 20/28. Although clearly this difference has to do in part with the 0.4-L decrease in displacement and efficient direct injection system on the Red Line/GXP's engine, it probably is also due to the fact that GM engineers cut the final drive ratio from 3.91 to 3.73 for the car's turbo version. The two models share similar axle assemblies borrowed from the Sigma platform (CTS-V), so this is at least encouraging news for Red Line owners looking to swap to a lower final drive ratio for quicker acceleration. And as if 260 hp isn't enough, look for substantial power increases on this engine in model years to come!
In addition to the advanced electronics needed to run the new SIDI system, the Red Line's new E69 ECM takes charge of other neat powertrain control functions like electronic throttle control. The ECM provides spark signals through a Quick-Sync 58x ignition system, and the cam and crankshaft position sensors are digital. Another cool feature is that despite the forced induction character of the LNF, premium gasoline is recommended, but not required. "We've tested this engine on all lower grade fuels and confirmed that the control system is able to prevent detonation," says Ed Groff. "The two knock sensors on the engine alert the ECM and it will take steps to control it, it's a computerized learning process. We've tested this engine all the way down to the 85 octane fuel you find in high elevations. But to get the full 260 hp, the engine should be operated on premium fuel."
Perhaps most interestingly, the LNF sports something that GMHTP readers know all too well: a wide-ratio (or, as we like to say, wideband) oxygen sensor. We talked to Ed Groff about why the design team chose to go this route over a conventional narrow-band unit. "The wideband is pretty uncommon in a factory application, and we use it because it gives advantages during the high level of scavenging that we use to increase the turbo response. Particularly at low speed with all the valve overlap, there can be a lot of fresh air going through the engine. So the mixture you sense in the exhaust can actually be lean while you are stoichiometric or even rich within the cylinder. We found the accuracy of the wide-ratio oxygen sensor to be beneficial in this particular application."

Lithium Lotus wrote:
Future plans:
GMPP Intake
3" exhaust
High-flow cat
Larger intercooler with hardpipes
Computer tune
Volk wheels [long term, lol]

Jap wheels on a domestic!?!?!?! OMG!!!!!!!

ponti! love it. the only tiff i have is the grille. but trust me... id trade my sc/t on one of those anyday!

awsome, i love it, i would so rock one of these. I look foward to seeing some volk's on this! Id love to see a 30r on this!

Nice car. I drive these at work all of the time. The only things I don't like are the interior and top design. My Miata top is so easy to use. With the GXP I could maybe overlook these things. Mazda needs to come out with a turbo Miata ASAP to compete with the Solstice GXP and Sky Redline.

Ubryaj wrote:Nice car. I drive these at work all of the time. The only things I don't like are the interior and top design. My Miata top is so easy to use. With the GXP I could maybe overlook these things. Mazda needs to come out with a turbo Miata ASAP to compete with the Solstice GXP and Sky Redline.

are you kidding? Ever heard of the Mazda Speed Miata?

Haha Cory, I meant a *new* NC Mazdaspeed. Which is expected to happen pretty soon. My current Miata makes the almost the same hp as the old NB Mazdaspeed did.

Ubryaj wrote:Haha Cory, I meant a *new* NC Mazdaspeed. Which is expected to happen pretty soon. My current Miata makes the almost the same hp as the old NB Mazdaspeed did.

Ah but you left out the detail of how much easier HP is to gain with the old Speed, compared to yours!

I know Mazda is all about balance with the MX5, but come on, it's almost 2008. The MX5 only has 166hp, the MS NB has 178hp. Not exactly heart stopping performance here.

Lithium Lotus wrote:I know Mazda is all about balance with the MX5, but come on, it's almost 2008. The MX5 only has 166hp, the MS NB has 178hp. Not exactly heart stopping performance here.

boost controller, exhaust, intake = way more fun than stock.

I am always rooting for the home team. It is nice to see extensive technology put into an American car engine. Now just think if they did the same thing on a V-8...I mean come on America, we can do better. How nice would a 4.0 liter 520hp turbo v8 be?

Dixon86 wrote:I am always rooting for the home team. It is nice to see extensive technology put into an American car engine. Now just think if they did the same thing on a V-8...I mean come on America, we can do better. How nice would a 4.0 liter 520hp turbo v8 be?

The Italians do it. I was just discussing this yesterday with my cousin. Quad cam, 32-40 valve 4-5 liter v-8, 10.5-1 or 11-1 compression.. ohh yeah.

Lotus,
Have you driven a Miata? It's by no means a fast car, but it is quick, especially compared to my old NA Miata. I don't think these cars were ever meant to push you back into your seat. Of course it would be nice though. Personally I found the new Miata to be the best value. I didn't even think about an s2000 even though I could have afforded it. Why spend more money when I can throw the Miata around some fun roads and have a smile on my face. There's really more than enough power to do that and get into trouble. I was really happy to see GM produce the Solstice and Sky, but I want to see if they will last as long as the Miata has. They made a good start though.

mmm...miata's are fun...but s2k ftw ...now I wouldn't buy a new s2k...an AP1 would suit me just fine though

Ubryaj wrote: I didn't even think about an s2000 even though I could have afforded it. Why spend more money when I can throw the Miata around some fun roads and have a smile on my face.

have you driven an s2k? If you didn't even think about it then my guess is you haven't. If that is the case then you should and once you have pass judgement. It supplies a feeling unmatched by the Miata.