Small front-wheel-drive street racers are all the rage
in California. But they're mostly import-nameplate cars like Honda Civics, Mazda Protegés
and VW Golfs. Chevy Specialty Vehicles thinks this Cavalier Z24 Technic concept
car–dubbed the California Cavalier–is really going to get teenage tuners
salivating. If horsepower is what they're after, they should be lining up to get a look
under the hood. Therein lies no ordinary 2.4-liter Twin Cam 4-cylinder. This one has been massaged to the tune of 258 horsepower at 6000 rpm (108 hp more than stock) and a whopping 250 ft.-lb. of torque at 4500 rpm, all driving through the front wheels. That's accomplished mostly by a Roots-type supercharger, but the stock engine mechanicals were also beefed up to produce more power and to handle the extra stresses placed upon them. The 4-banger has a high-output crankshaft and connecting rods, special dished pistons, high-flow fuel injectors, high-lift camshafts and stronger valve springs.
A New Venture Gear 5-speed manual transaxle handles the gear ratio changes via a stock shifter and cable system. The shift lever was shortened by 1 in. Because front-wheel-drive clutches are typically very small, it takes a beefy one to transfer this much power from the engine to the transmission. The dual-disc assembly has had its pressure plate clamping force increased to 200 pounds! That, of course, requires hydraulic actuation, or you'd need a left leg the size of a tree stump to depress the clutch pedal.
Racing-style 4-wheel-disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors bring the sleek Cavalier to a halt, and a stiff, lowered suspension with 18-in. wheels permits the cornering forces necessary to keep the car glued to the road.
Backing up all the go-fast pieces is a racy red paint job with special silver paint on the functional hood scoop and rear spoiler that make them appear to be made of aluminum. They also boast exposed rivets, as any proper race car does. Inside there's a black-and-red color scheme with contrasting Chevy Bowtie emblems on the front seatbacks. The instrument cluster is trimmed in silver as is the shift lever. Polished aluminum pedals by Momo add a racing flavor to the cockpit, while reducing weight at the same time.
Click Thumbnails to enlarge pics
HIGHLIGHTS |
PERFORMANCE |
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| Body Style: | 4-passenger, 2-door coupe |
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| Engine: | 2.4-liter supercharged/intercooled, dohc, 16-valve I4 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Horsepower: 258 @ 6000 rpm | |||||||||||||||||||
| Torque: 250 ft.-lb. @ 4500 rpm | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bore: 90.0mm | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stroke: 94.0mm | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Compression Ratio: 9.0:1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Boost Pressure: 11.5 psig | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ported cylinder heads | ||||||||||||||||||||
| GM-SPO increased-rate valve springs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| GM-SPO high-lift (10.4mm) intake and exhaust camshafts | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6cc increase in piston dish to reduce compression ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Custom-made aluminum intake manifold with integral supercharger mount and bypass valve | ||||||||||||||||||||
| RK Sports 1-1/2-in. tubular stainless steel
exhaust manifold, ceramic-coated |
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| 60mm throttle body | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Eaton twisted, 3-lobe-rotor, Roots-type 62 cu.-in. positive displacement supercharger, 2.14:1 drive ratio, custom-made pulley drive system, Eaton butterfly-type vacuum-controlled bypass valve | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Liquid-to-air intercooler, Allied Signal Automotive charge cooler core with custom tanks, Jabsco circulation pump, Aeroquip-12 Push-Lok hoses and fittings | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Heavy-duty
radiator from 1990 Chevy Beretta, 1-1/2-in. core, Cavalier righthand tank, S-10 pickup lefthand tank, integral engine oil cooled |
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| Low-restriction hood-entry air cleaner | ||||||||||||||||||||
| K&N air filter element | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MSD 4.3 grams/sec high-flow fuel injectors | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Custom-made 2-1/2-in. stainless steel exhaust system, 1997 Monte Carlo Z34 (3400 dohc V6) catalytic converter, Edelbrock RPM Series muffler, 4-in. Bro Speed polished stainless steel exhaust tip | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission: | New
Venture Gear NVT 550 5-speed manual transaxle, gear ratios: FIRST 3.73 SECOND 2.04 THIRD 1.22 FOURTH 0.92 FIFTH 0.70:1, Centerforce modified dual-disc hydraulic clutch assembly, 200-pound pressure plate clamping force, 3.94:1 final drive ratio, Torsen limited-slip differential |
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| Drive: | Front-wheel drive, equal-length halfshafts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wheelbase: | 104.1 in. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Track, f/r: | 58.4/58.6 in. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 2937 pounds | |||||||||||||||||||
| Suspension, front: | Coil-over-struts
lowered 1-1/2 in., Eibach variable-rate springs, specially valved Bilstein dampers, Addco 26mm solid stabilizer bar |
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| Suspension, rear: | < Torsion
beam axle with coil-over-shocks lowered 1-1/2 in., specially valved Bilstein shocks, 18mm solid stabilizer bar, |
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| Brakes, front: | 13
x 1.1-in. cross-drilled zinc-washed Baer Racing rotors, PBR aluminum dual-piston calipers, Baer Racing modified front steering knuckles, 1996 Corvette pads, ABS |
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| Brakes, rear: | 12 x 0.810-in.
cross-drilled zinc-washed Baer Racing rotors, PBR aluminum single-piston calipers with integral parking brake, Wheel To Wheel caliper mounting plates, 1996 Corvette pads, ABS |
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| Wheels: | Kosei Seneca Sport
aluminum, 18 x 7-in., 100mm bolt circle, 35mm offset |
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| Tires: | Michelin Pilot, 225/40ZR18 | |||||||||||||||||||
