News: Tenneco Supplying Emission Control Technologies on 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

[Rob]

Tenneco Supplying Emission Control Technologies on 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Company helps create Corvette’s signature sound for next-generation sportscar

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Tenneco (NYSE: TEN) announced it is supplying key emission control technologies, including electrical valves, for the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, one of the most highly anticipated vehicles debuting in 2013. Considered one of the key performance features of the car, the Corvette’s exhaust system delivers a unique signature sound.

Most notably, the Corvette’s standard exhaust system is the first vehicle to utilize Tenneco’s electrical valve technology for sound tuning. The electric valves are designed to work in concert with the vehicle’s Active Fuel Management (AFM) system, a fuel-saving four-cylinder mode versus eight-cylinder mode. The valves open and close to control the Corvette’s exhaust sound as it switches between the two engine modes.

In addition to the valves highlighted in the AFM system, the exhaust system features an option which includes two additional electrical valves in the tailpipes, tuned specifically for enhanced sound quality. These valves remain closed during normal driving conditions and open during harder acceleration, creating lower backpressure, more engine power and most importantly, Corvette’s signature sound.

“The Corvette is one of America’s iconic automobiles, and Tenneco could not be more excited and pleased to partner with Chevrolet to provide a combination of performance attributes, including improved fuel economy, power and the vehicle's signature sound,” said Tim Jackson, Tenneco’s chief technology officer. “Additionally, the program gives Tenneco an opportunity to demonstrate our advanced exhaust technology on one of the highest performance vehicles available in the market.”

Tenneco is a global supplier to General Motors, providing both ride performance and clean air technologies for GM passenger cars and light and medium-duty trucks.

The company manufactures the electric valves at its Valencia, Spain facility, while the other system components will be produced at its Seward, Nebraska and Elkhart, Indiana facilities. Final assembly of the exhaust system takes place at Tenneco’s Smithville, Tennessee plant. Tenneco’s global emissions technical centers in Edenkoben, Germany and Grass Lake, Michigan provided electric valve engineering and systems integration support.

About Tenneco

Tenneco is a $7.4 billion global manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 25,000 employees worldwide. Tenneco is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of clean air and ride performance products and systems for automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment markets and the aftermarket. Tenneco’s principal brand names are Monroe®, Walker®, XNOx™ and Clevite®Elastomer.

 

[elegant]

Good find Rob!

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,

Tenneco/Walker exhaust systems have been on Corvette for years and years.

Solid, reliable and the company which manufactured the titanium mufflers on the 5th generation ZO6. I virtually NEVER see problems with their systems.

It will be enjoyable to see it up close in three weeks at the NCM.

Allthebest, Paul

 

[Hib Halverson]

What will be different about the C7 system is the electrically-operated valves that work in unison with cylinder-deactivation. Such a system wouldn't exist if there had not have been some kind of pleasability problem with the sound of the engine when running as a four-cylinder or during the transition from eight-to-four and back.

AFM was kept off C5/C6 because of a harmonics problem in the driveline and structure as the engine switched from 8-cyl to 4-cyl. My intel is that cylinder-deac could have gone on C6 had the Corvette guys been wiling to accept a noticeable increase in mass...the implication being that some type of damping device would have had to have been fitted to the C6 to solve the harmonics problem. I was told Dave Hill rejected that because he didn't want to put more weight in the car.

It will be an interesting story, for sure, when GM decides to share how they got cyl-deac on a 2-seat sports car with a manual trans and did it without a big mass hit.

Also, with respect to the Ti exhaust on the C5 Z06. Arvin/Meritor was the supplier for that, not Walker/Tenneco. Also, Timet, the big titanium producer, was involved in the development of that product, along with Arvin.

 

[Rob]

Also, with respect to the Ti exhaust on the C5 Z06. Arvin/Meritor was the supplier for that, not Walker/Tenneco. Also, Timet, the big titanium producer, was involved in the development of that product, along with Arvin.

Corvette Action Center | Model Center | C5 Z06 Corvette Center | Z06 Corvette Titanium Exhaust System

 

[Hib Halverson]

At this point, what's interesting to me about the exhaust on the '01-'04 Z06 is that is the only time, to date, GM has used a Ti exhaust. Such a part was never offered on C6. My guess is GM must have found less expensive ways to take weight out of the car.

What's also been interesting to me is that a fair amount of C5 Z owners scrap the Ti exhaust for a much heavier aftermarket system for not that much gain in performance. In fact, one of the better high-value mods for C5 LS1 cars is to buy a "take-off" Ti exhaust from a Z06 owner and install. it. You gain a little power and shed weight and you get an exhaust which lasts longer than the base OE system.