Original Article Sourced From: SonicInsider.com

Let’s get to it. The Sonic has been praised by the media as an all-around performer, but the real performance all stems from one place – right under the hood. For those new to the ECOtec school, get ready for a crash course because we have some engine talk to get to.

The ECOtec is an inline four cylinder motor family that has heritage all the way back to the ‘70s but with all of the fuel saving and performance benefits of today. It’s quite the potent little powerplant that back in 2004 was pushed all the way to 1,800 HP to outright slay the competition on the drag strip. Records were broken, parties were had and it was a fun time for the ECOtec.

But that was then and this is now.

So what’s the latest with ECOtec and does the Sonic’s motor even deserve to be labeled an ECOtec? Well for starters the Sonic does have the ECOtec logo stamped on the engine cover of its new 138hp 1.4L Turbo LUV. If you’re asking yourself what an LUV is, well that’s the technical engine code that GM has christened this motor with. Know it well.

Quick tip: You should just write “LUV” on your mirror now so that every morning you can remind yourself to search for all the latest performance parts that will be coming out in the upcoming months.

Now back to the LUV specifics. In comparison to the previous family of ECOtecs, of which one powered the Cobalt SS and pumped out 260hp right from the factory floor, there are some positive similarities and differences to the LUV. One key difference, there’s just 1.4 liters of displacement in the LUV versus 2 liters in the LNF which powered the Cobalt SS. One key similarity, they’re both turbocharged.

Being turbocharged from the factory is a critical benefit that Sonic has over its competition like the Ford Fiesta, Scion xD and Fiat 500. With the turbo, not only is big power delivered consistently and low in the RPM range, but for those speed seekers it also means that plugging a computer into this bad boy and tweaking the tune can give you a major boost in power very easily and at minimal cost (more on that in the future).

Like the title says, this is a quick dive into the new 1.4L Turbo LUV ECOtec as there is a lot more to get to. We also realize that this article probably just created more questions than answers and we’re ok with that, even though it may drive you crazy.

If you want to get any of those crazy questions off your chest and into the next LUV article, drop us a line below and we’ll look at covering the best ones in our next quick dive into the LUV.

The Chevy Sonic has a lot of things going for it. For one, it has quite a loud bark due to its aggressive styling which doesn’t make excuses for being a B-segment vehicle. Its bite is even worse though, as the Sonic packs some serious damage in the form of the 140HP turbocharged LUJ ECOtec. But we’ve known both of those things already. So what gives with the recap? Well as we get closer to the launch of the Sonic, late 2011, more and more Sonic styling and performance goodies are starting to see the light of day. The latest – a look at the production version of the much anticipated Z-Spec accessories package.

While there are no go-fast bits included in the latest release, there are some nice sit ‘n stare options. Those parts are the parable default of manufacturer offerings, but Chevy has turned the volume up on Sonic and is starting to break out different styling cues in their factory appearance options. Some of the new looks are outlandish, some are clean, but all will allow anyone to express themselves with minimal cost and maximum effect.

We’ll only be sharing one today, called “White Out”. But we’ve seen many others that will be coming out that are sure to peak interest in anyone that has a pulse. Beyond that, we can share that there will be another wrap called “Black Out” that incorporates some sharper design elements.

With this initial salvo of add-ons goodies, we can only imagine what’s on the horizon for Sonic in the form of Z-Spec accessories. Only time will tell, but as the months tick away in 2011, we’ll be covering each and every update from Sonic that we can dig, scratch and claw for.

Stay tuned!

Yesterday marked the opening day of the 2011 Formula Drift season and GM opened the season up with a bang! Thanks to some fearless driving during qualifying by Conrad Grunewald and his GM Performance Parts-powered Chevy Camaro, GM earned the first qualifying position among the top 32 competitors out on the field. Conrad’s Camaro is powered by a GMPP Crate Engine version of the upcoming supercharged Camaro ZL1 powerplant, so there’s plenty of power to swing the Camaro’s rear end around. We’ll be excited to see just how well those ponies can leave little bits of Hankook rubber on the Streets of Long Beach track today.

Formula Drift action opens up today at 11:30 PM PST and we’ll be carrying all of the action here on GMTunerSource.com via the livestream here - http://www.gmtunersource.com/gmracing/drifting/formula-drift-live

In case you can’t sit glued to your computer all day, GMTS will be broadcasting up to the minute updates during competition runs on our Facebook page here - http://www.facebook.com/GMTunerSource

SOURCE: Wrecked Magazine

The Chevy Sonic is the newly announced member of the Chevy family and one that might be the source of lots of future ECOtec fun. Sonic has the highly anticipated LUJ powerplant that we covered last year, LUJ Delivers on ECOtec Promise, and have seen previously only motivating the Chevy Cruze. Now imagine having the 138hp iron block, turbo 1.4L having to propel only about 2400lbs. That sounds like it could be a serious street terror with a little tuning.

The only issue we see, is that there are two flavors of Chevy Sonic to be had – one with a hatchback, and one in the traditional sedan layout. So which one to choose? Do you stand on the side of increased utility in the five-door, or ditching the euro-styling in favor of the classic American lines that a sedan offers?

The choice is yours, let us know what you think is the winner. To help you choose, we’ve included some clean shots of both to give you an uncluttered opportunity to decide what you’d rather sit in come this fall.

Vote now in the poll to the right and get in your thoughts below. Go!

 New Years offer a brand new start, a clean slate, for each of us to reach a goal, fulfill our inside potential and take the world by storm. We’re planning on doing the latter during each and every day in 2011 and we welcome you to join us! There’s some exciting fronts coming the GM way and we’ll be here bringing them all to you, before anybody else, with insights provided by the very best and brightest inside of GM.

So let’s start off 2011 right and do it to it! But first, we’d like to wish you and yours, from all of us here at GMTunerSource.com, a very Happy New Year.

Now let’s get after it…

We all remember and love the speedy, blue hedgehog of our childhood. As iconic as Mario is to Nintendo, our friend Sonic the Hedgehog was the symbol of SEGA. And what a symbol he was. Fast, nimble and full of energy, Sonic was the digital cartoon equivalent of what many of us were after downing a two-liter of Surge. Transfer that youthful energy to GM’s latest small car, and you have the brand new Chevrolet Sonic.

The Sonic doesn’t just bring new life into the Chevy small car line from its name. The new Sonic is a far departure from the ubiquitous rental car, the Aveo, it replaces. Propositioned as “roomy, stylish and fun to drive” the Sonic sounds promising, but the proof is in the pudding, or in this example, the giant metal container filled with possessed woodland creatures.

Either way, we’re excited to see the new Chevy Sonic hit the streets. And we’d be even more excited to see how it responds to 75-shot of nitrous – we bet that version might even qualify for the “Super Sonic” name.

Kick the tires and light the fires, you can now take a cruise in a real topless Camaro! Sure there have been companies in the past year that have taken a sawzall, some bondo and duct tape to a beautiful factory Camaro coupe to try and sell you a ‘verted Camaro, but this is the real deal baseball and apple pie Camaro which features a seamless top that won’t leak on your duds as you head out for a night on the town.

Now we’ve personally seen this specimen in testing over the past year and we knew it was going to be a hit once the official version got signed off on. When we first saw the original lab mules, we whipped out our cell phones to get some shots only to receive a scornful look from the development team. That prompted us to place our phones back in our pocket - where they belong, supposedly.

The secrecy surrounding the development of the convertible was well warranted though, as the GM design team went out of their way to keep the factory lines in tact with this transformation (no movie pun intended) and the result is a sports car that looks just as good as a hardtop as it does with a soft-top – something that we can’t say rings true for a lot of other “sports” cars out there.

The Camaro convertible will come in many of the same configurations that the Camaro coupe has as options. The V6 model still receives the hardcore 312-horsepower direct injection motor we all love and the optional LS3 V8 in the SS still pumps out 426 horsepower – no compromises for style here.

Final packages come in 1LT/2LT (V-6) and 1SS/2SS (V-8) trims and will cost you a flat $30,000 MSRP (including $850 destination). You can have your choice of one of nine brilliant exterior colors sprayed onto the paintwork and the tops are offered in black or tan.

If you haven’t seen one in person yet at your local auto show, you can check out just how slick the new Camaro convertible looks for yourself in the gallery below:

We made it! We’re in the middle of setting up our mobile HQ here at the 2010 SEMA Show right now so that we can bring you the latest images and news straight from the show floor all week long. We know, we know. You’re welcome. Now we call Monday Day 0 because the show doesn’t officially start until Tuesday – which would be Day 1 for those of you following along. But we wouldn’t want you all to miss a beat so we’re starting the coverage from the first bowtie-powered vehicle we can find on Monday and we’re not going to stop until they kick us out of the joint on Friday.

For a special treat, on Monday night there’s a special partay going down GM-style and we’ll be bringing you exclusive team coverage from that as only GMTS can. We got you covered.

And because it’s SEMA, we have another special feature for you too. We’ve have tapped into the GM Performance Parts live news feed so you don’t have to skip all over the interwebs to find out where what the big news is going to be come Tuesday at Noon EST. You can find the livestream broadcasting right here - http://www.gmtunersource.com/media/gmpp-sema-livestream

Now it might be smart idea to go ahead and set yourself a reminder for that date and time just to make sure you aren’t the last one to the news party. It’s going to be some big, awesome, cool, amazing, [insert superfluous adjective here] news so you really want to make sure you keep your eyes peeled – trust us. That’s Tuesday, Noon, EST. Don’t be late.

It’s SEMA time! Here we go… 

The go-fast crazies at GM Performance Parts are kicking off the 4th-annual LSX Shootout this weekend at the Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, MO. There’s going to be plenty of racing and fun going on of course, with several drag racing and car show classes so every car touting an LS motor can jump in on the action. GMPP is even brining out a few toys of their own that make our toys look like well, toys. A LSA-powered ’96 Impala SS, a ’89 Camaro with a LSX454 fitted underhood and a 4th-gen Camaro with a LS9 shoved between the front rails will be on display for your gawking pleasure.

If you have the pleasure of owning an car with a LS powertrain, then you really don’t want to miss this event. It’s a no-hold-barred LS series love fest with plenty of fun for every taste and attitude.

The full press release is included below, but for the full details on the LSX Shootout, head on over to www.nmcadigital.com/lsx.

OFFICIAL RELEASE:

GM PERFORMANCE PARTS SHOWS PROJECT CARS AND NEW LSX PARTS AT FOURTH-ANNUAL LSX SHOOTOUT

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – GM Performance Parts returns as the title sponsor for the fourth annual LSX Shootout and will be on hand with an impressive display of crate engines, parts and project vehicles – including the three GMPP vehicles featured on the cover of the November 2010 issue of GM High-Tech Performance. Each is powered by a new GMPP crate engine.

The project vehicles include:
·        An LSA-powered 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS, using the same 556-horsepower supercharged 6.2L engine found in the Cadillac CTS-V series
·        A 1989 Chevrolet Camaro powered by GMPP’s LSX454 crate engine
·        A fourth-generation Camaro equipped with GMPP’s new LS9 crate engine, which is based on the 638-horsepower supercharged 6.2L engine used in the Corvette ZR1.

Also on display will be the E-ROD ’55 Chevy, featuring the emissions-compliant LS3 E-ROD crate engine package (California EO pending). The E-ROD package includes the 430-horsepower LS3 engine, catalytic converters and other emissions equipment that enable vehicles to pass California’s stringent emissions tests.

The LSX Shootout takes place Oct. 7-10, at Gateway International Raceway, near St. Louis. It features several drag racing classes and car show classes for all vehicles powered by LS engines.

“The LSX Shootout is the premier event for racers and street enthusiasts with LS power, and GM Performance Parts is behind them 100 percent,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, product integration manager for GM Performance Parts. “The project vehicles we’re bringing demonstrate the possibilities for swapping an LS engine into any vehicle, and we welcome enthusiasts to look them over and ask questions about how to do it themselves.”

GMPP’s parts and engine displays will include the latest LSX maximum-performance parts. They’re suited for drag racing and are designed to support engines making 2,000 horsepower, or more, with supercharging, turbocharging or nitrous. Among them will be the LSX Bowtie blocks – including the tall-deck version for building large-displacement engines of up to 500 cubic inches – as well as new drag-race six-bolt cylinder heads, intake manifolds and forged rotating components. GMPP personnel will be available throughout the event to answer tech questions and explain the key attributes of the new parts.

“As more and more competitors discover the advantages of running an LS engine, we’re rolling out more racing-specific parts that give them the tools they need to go quicker,” said Dr. Meyer. “General Motors designed, engineered, and brought to market the LS engine family, and there is simply no other manufacturer that offers more parts to build the LS engine of your dreams.”

Racing and street enthusiasts can also tap the hands-on expertise of technicians from Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center, one of the country’s largest GMPP dealers and installers.  

“Our guys are true LS gearheads,” said Nickey Fowler, of Scoggin-Dickey Performance Center. “We invest in training on things like camshaft and valvetrain theory, so the technicians we’ll have at the LSX Shootout draw from a deep well of classroom and hands-on knowledge.”

Along with the technical support and parts displays, Scoggin-Dickey will stock popular parts for purchase at the event, in the event racers need a last-minute part to keep them in competition.

It pays to win
GM Performance Parts will award the fastest LS-powered racers at the LSX Shootout and pay a $250 bonus to any racer who wins his or her category using an LSX Bowtie engine block. GMPP will also supply awards to all racing class and show class winners.

More information about GM Performance Parts is available at gmperformanceparts.com. Details on the LSX Shootout are available at www.nmcadigital.com/lsx.

About GM Performance Parts
GM Performance Parts (GMPP) fuels the passions of automotive enthusiasts with factory-engineered and fully assembled crate engines, engine parts and vehicle accessories, including specialized licensed parts and accessories. GM Performance Parts is the only source for brand-new, classic small-block and big-block crate engines, which use all-new parts, including the cylinder block, rotating assembly and cylinder heads. GMPP is also the leader in “LS” performance, with a full range of production-based crate engines and the growing family of LSX maximum performance engines and parts. GMPP’s LS-based E-ROD engine packages include emissions equipment that is certified in California for special-construction vehicles, delivering high-performance with low emissions. No other manufacturer offers a comparable emissions-compliant system. Customers can view information and purchase engines and parts at gmperformanceparts.com.

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All of us over here in the colonies have historically never treated the ole hatchback concept with any fervor. This disdain for the “junk in the trunk” versions of our favorite sports cars has been declining lately as more and more hatchbacks, shooting brakes, fastbacks and slant backed-whathaveyous have been making their way across the pond in recent years. Some have succeeded, some have failed, some have just meh’d. What the latest Cruze is bringing to the table however, seems to be a prime example of a hatchback done right.

Now before you get all hissy, keep in mind that this model isn’t set to invade U.S. shores… yet. It was just announced for the rest of the globe in Paris last week and since then, has been developing quite the brew ha-ha for U.S. duty – which is why we have brought it to you, the live free or die GM fans, to discuss, rant, rave or dismiss.

From a purely subjective standpoint, the Cruze hatchback seems to translate over well the clean, simple and forward design of its trunk-laden counterpart – a plus for sure. With some high-offset wheels and a lower stance, this version has the opportunity to even be better looking than the Cruze sedan.

Look over all, that’s right we said ALL, of the shots in the gallery below and then share with us your thoughts in the comment section below. Should we throw this one off the boat, or bring out the welcome wagon?